SJ Berwin unveils new-look partnership board
SJ Berwin has introduced a clutch of new partners to its revamped partnership board following firmwide elections for the posts.
Rob Day
The eight-partner board includes managing partner Rob Day and senior partner Jonathan Blake. However, only one other member of the now-defunct strategy committee - London competition partner Tom Usher - has made the cut for the new body.
Corporate partner Maxence Bloch is the French representative on the board, while Germany is represented by real estate partner Hans Thomas Kessler.
The only stipulation for the make up of the board was that at least one German and one French partner should be included.
The remaining members come from the London office. They are: finance partner Ian Borman, a 2009 lateral hire from Allen & Overy; funds specialist Michael Halford; and litigation partner Hilton Mervis, who stood against Day in last year’s managing partner election.
It is understood that other partners who stood for election to the board included litigation partner Alex Leitch, corporate partner Tim Wright and, in Germany, tax partner Rüdiger Knopf, who had been on the strategy committee.
The practice group heads who previously sat on the strategy committee have migrated over to a new management committee. The move, announced last year as part of a shake-up of SJ Berwin’s governance, was designed to improve communication at the firm following the election of Day as managing partner.
One partner commented: “It’s something that will bring us into line with how other firms are structured.”
The management committee will deal with day-to-day firm management while the partnership board will be more focused on strategy.
