Shearman appoints Weerasinghe as senior partner

8 June 2005

Capital markets rainmaker Rohan Weerasinghe has been confirmed as Shearman & Sterling’s new senior partner following a firm-wide vote.

The New-York based partner was elected today (8 June) to succeed former senior partner David Heleniak, who quit the firm last month to join Morgan Stanley.

As exclusively revealed on www.thelawyer.com (31 May), Weerasinghe was announced last month as the formal candidate for the post following a period of soundings by Shearman’s policy committee. The uncontested election was regarded as a mere formality within the firm.

New York-based M&A partner John Madden and Dusseldorf-based M&A partner
Georg Thoma will continue as co-managing partners. They will also continue to serve as members of the firm's executive group along with executive director Kimberly Gardner.

However, the executive group has also been expanded to include London managing partner Kenneth MacRitchie and New York-based employee benefits head Linda Rappaport.

Weerasinghe, who was born in Sri Lanka, is believed to be the first non-white senior partner at a top New York firm.