Norton Rose Asian managing partner Paul Giles has won the coveted role of chairman, following a three week, secret ballot election process.
Giles, who will relocate from Singapore to take up his new role on 1 May, replaces current chairman David Lewis, who has come to the end of his second three-year term.
The appointment was announced last night at a partnership meeting, following the three week ballot. Three other partners are believed to have stood for the role.
Giles, an asset finance and banking partner specialising in aviation and shipping, has spent a large proportion in South East Asia. He spent 14 years in Hong Kong with Johnson, Stokes & Master, before joining Norton Rose’s London office in 1988. In 1997, he was relocated to Singapore and took the role of managing partner of the Singapore office, and international managing partner for Asia.
The role of chairman was introduced last year, after changes to the corporate structure, which also saw the introduction of a chief executive – a role that continues to be held by Peter Martyr. Lewis, who had formerly had the role of senior partner, took on the position of chairman at that time.
Lewis will now be a part time consultant at the firm, while also pursuing other interests in the City.