Daud Khan

Clifford Chance

Daud Khan is a Clifford Chance lifer, having trained and qualified at the magic circle firm, making partner in 2018. In that time he has built a strong cross-border M&A practice, acting for the likes of Fosun, QNB Group and Coca-Cola.

But his highest-profile assignment saw him step away from Upper Bank Street, when he became interim general counsel and company secretary at easyJet between 2018 and 2019, as a transition between Kyla Mullins (now at ITV) and Maaike de Bie, who began her role in June 2019. Some lawyers would have been nervous of leaving their developing practice area so soon after making partner, but Khan jumped at the opportunity to get closer to a client for which he had already been acting.

At easyJet he had responsibility for a department of 65 lawyers, paralegals, economists and compliance professionals, and reported directly to the CEO and chair of the board. Khan was a cool head at easyJet at time of considerable Brexit-related uncertainty in the airline industry, and his knowledge of the client has been crucial in subsequent developments, such as easyJet’s carbon-offsetting programme.

2020 will see him continue to work closely with the airline and develop his M&A practice in the transport and consumer goods sectors, as well as transmitting an invaluable client perspective back at base.