Baker & McKenzie’s decision to elect London managing partner Paul Rawlinson as its next global chair provides telling insight into the mindset and priorities of the firm’s partnership.
For years, many had assumed that Rawlinson’s predecessor, Gary Senior, now the firm’s regional chair for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, would be next in line for the top job. A corporate and M&A lawyer by trade, Senior was never a star biller. But since being appointed to head the firm’s London office in 2003, the keen chess player has proved a formidable manager and strategist, with an eye for detail and numbers.
