Linklaters prepares to hand Davies second term at the helm

Davies, who was appointed to the managing partner role in early 2007 and took over the role from Tony Angel six months later (2 February 2007), faces a partnership vote that ends in the coming weeks.

The firm’s second wholesale restructuring in three years, in which roughly 30 partners are set to be axed, is set to make Davies’ re-appointment campaign difficult (8 December 2011), according to sources close to the situation. Partners can technically vote against candidates even if they are standing uncontested, but this is thought to be a rare occurrence.

The managing partner is appointed by the international board, which is chaired by senior partner Robert Elliott. The international board consults partners to sound them out on potential candidates, but it is understood that no names emerged as contenders to Davies.

Partners are then invited to vote in a poll to confirm the choice. It is understood that this vote opened just before Christmas and is still open.

“It will not be very easy for him to get the majority,” one partner said.

Davies has been in Frankfurt this week making a presentation to German partners to explain the restructuring, although Germany is not understood to be affected by the cull.

It is also understood that some partners with management roles are concerned that a list has not been circulated detailing which colleagues are set to be asked to leave, making it hard to manage the staffing of mandates.

The upcoming managing partner vote follows the election of Elliott as senior partner last year (3 May 2011).

Linklaters declined to comment.