Nabarro's Stedman beats Carvalho in senior partner race

Stedman will replace Simon Johnston on 3 January next year after a period of transition, the firm confirmed, with the announcement following Johnston’s decision to stand down roughly three years earlier than planned (13 September 2012).

The Lawyer revealed Stedman and Carvalho as the two candidates for the elected position last week (17 October 2012).

Stedman, named in The Lawyer’s Hot 100 in 2012, is currently head of the firm’s entrepreneurs group and the relationship partner for Sportingbet, one of the firm’s key clients. He recently advised the gambling group on bids for the company from William Hill and GVC Holdings (1 October 2012).

He will continue to carry out some client work following his promotion to the new role and is expected to remain the go-to figure for Sportingbet. No decision has yet been taken on his continued leadership of the entrepreneurs group.

Johnston, who started his third term as senior partner in May 2011, said in a statement: “I’d like to congratulate Graham on his election and look forward to working with him over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition. I know he’ll bring a fresh perspective and has the support of partners across the firm to take Nabarro forward and build on the platform for growth we’ve achieved over the last 18 months.”

Stedman added: “I’d like to thank Ciaran Carvalho for conducting his own open and constructive campaign during the election process and for now throwing his support behind me. Nabarro is a strong firm with talented teams of lawyers and an entrepreneurial spirit which I know can be galvanised to ensure that, despite a challenging market, we can look to the future with confidence.”