Orrick revamps management team to cope with rapid growth

Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe has overhauled its senior management structure in Europe and the US, creating a number of new management roles to oversee the firm’s international growth.

Orrick has restructured its European management, adding a whole new layer of management and creating new roles to oversee its three core practice areas.

Alessandro De Nicola has been named European head of corporate and managing partner of Italy. Likewise, Italy’s management has been split, with Luigi Columbo appointed as managing partner of Milan and Patrizio Messina taking on the role of Rome managing partner.

Former Coudert partner Alexander Janes has been appointed Orrick’s Euopean head of finance and former Rambaud Martel partner Frederic Lalance has been named European head of litigation.

European managing partner David Syed told The Lawyer the new roles were created to manage the firm’s rapid growth.

“Three years ago we had 40 lawyers across Europe and now we have close to 200,’’ he said. “We used to be very finance-focused but now we have a good balance across our key areas of finance, corporate and litiagation. We now have offices in Russia, China and we saw a significant increase in numbers in Paris with the merger with Rambaud Martel."

“We are not done yet in terms of growth,” he added. “We want to grow in Germany but it’s important we get the right people.”

In the US, San Fransisco partner-in-charge Joseph Malkin has been appointed US managing partner. He will manage 650 lawyers in eight offices across the US and play a key role in the global integration between the firm’s US, Asian and European offices. The firm has also appointed Peter Bicks as partner-in-charge of its New York office.