Manches returns to traditional law firm model as CEO prepares for exit
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Manches chief executive Judit Petho is to part company with the firm two years after she was appointed to boost its profitability.
Judit Petho
The firm said that Petho had refocused Manches on its core practices and the firm was now reverting to a traditional legal management structure with London managing partner Melvin Pedro and Thames Valley managing partner Richard Smith expanding their roles to implement the firm’s strategy.
Petho told The Lawyer in November last year that her mission was to put Manches back on the path to profitability after five consecutive years of falling revenues. Since 2008 turnover had fallen by 11 per cent from an all-time high of £34.4m to a five-year low of £30.6m at the 2010-11 year-end.
She said at the time: “Manches hasn’t lived up to its full potential for a long time. If you don’t have strong leadership and you don’t push people, you lose track of where you’re going” (28 November 2011).
Petho’s strategy was to encourage the firm’s partners to take responsibility for their practices and move away from a blame culture within the firm.
Greater responsibility was given to the firm’s administrative team and, following her departure, finance director Richard Naylor and HR director Marcia Mardner will expand their roles “ to include operational and other aspects of the day-to-day running of the business”, the firm said.
It is not known whether Petho has secured a new role within the profession.
In a statement Manches said: “After two years in the role of CEO, it’s been agreed that Judit’s input in refocusing Manches on its core client sectors and revamping the operational side of the business into a modern corporate structure is now substantially complete. She’ll continue to work with the managing partners and the board to advise on the smooth transition to our new structure over the summer.”
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Readers' comments (15)
Anonymous | 6-Jul-2012 12:51 pm
Manches is a small firm run by divas with enough yes men in the ranks to keep them deluded. I think the departure of Judit shows they like it that way. Best of luck to them.
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Anonymous | 7-Jul-2012 1:14 am
Hooray -hopefully the atmosphere might now be more friendly and happier-staff need to feel valued and cared for -and a smile and a thank you costs nothing but creates a positive environment throughout.
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Anonymous | 7-Jul-2012 7:51 am
Anonymous at 6 July 4.44am is clearly trying to sound as if they are in the know - but the facts are wrong. She has not 'hired or nurtured' the named partners in any shape or form - they are all big successes DESPITE Petho. Cockcroft has been there over 10 years and had no day to day contact with Petho whatsoever - ditto Stewart (there 7 years) who is highly successful despite Petho. Worwood was a rising star well before Petho joined only 18 months ago.
Petho has indeed tidied up some of the finances and streamlined some of the back office, but her leadership style was a mix between dictatorial and invisible. She made no effort to communicate with the partners - and when asked to join some of them for an evening drink she announced 'I am not here to make friends!!' Fair comment but she made a whole lot of detractors instead.
To be honest - she probably thought her management style was what was needed, as can be seen in her Lawyer interview, but she completely underestimated them - she treated them like a bunch of idiots and the worm turned
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A Friend | 7-Jul-2012 10:02 am
Plenty of yes women in there too !
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Anonymous | 7-Jul-2012 6:59 pm
Nurturing was never any part of Petho's management 'style' - the excellent young lawers mentioned above are doing so well because they are exactly that, excellent. and would be so without Petho.
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