New head at Lagerlaf & Leman

Linklaters & Alliance's Swedish member Lagerlaf & Leman has appointed a new head.

Real estate partner Rolf Johansson has taken over as managing director from Ingvar Zander, who will remain at the firm as a partner.

Johansson says the partnership invited him to take the role.

"This is not a position that you would volunteer to take on. We all want to do the legal work for our clients but someone has to take on some form of leadership," he says.

His main role will be to focus on the forthcoming merger of the alliance partners alongside merger task force member, partner Jurgan Durban.

Johansson is unable to say when the alliance will vote on the merger. But a spokeswoman confirms that everything is "on schedule".

Last year, 52-partner Lagerlaf & Leman integrated its three offices in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malma to form a national partnership.

Johansson says: "I will work closely with business development. There are quite a few things that we can now do as a result of the integration."

Swedish law firms are structured on a limited liability partnership basis making the top management role that of managing director rather than managing partner.