Lovells selects new chief for US regions
Lovells has named a new US regional managing partner for the first time in 12 years, with litigator Marc Gottridge taking over from Joe McCullough last week (1 August).
New York-based Gottridge, who has been with Lovells since 2000, aims to increase the firm's focus on commercial litigation, arbitration, corporate insurance and insolvency.
As part of a firmwide strategy that has seen two laterals join the Chicago office and three join New York since the beginning of 2007, Gottridge aims to grow headcount even further across a range of practice areas.
"I plan to build on what's already been achieved here in the US," he said. "We've seen some great growth in lawyer numbers in the past few years and the challenge now is to keep that up in a very competitive market.
"We're well known for insurance and reinsurance in the US, but also want to focus on other areas. In terms of insolvency, for example, we feel that the way the markets are positioned will make that a growth area."
In addition to taking on the regional managing partner role, Gottridge, who has spent 25 years working in the litigation arena, will also take a seat on Lovells' firmwide executive committee, which develops strategy across practice areas and regions.
Chicago-based McCullough, who was responsible for founding Lovells' US law practice, has decided to stand down from the managerial role to return to full-time fee-earning. As well as heading the firm's insurance and reinsurance practice in the US, he co-heads it on a global basis.
