Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has shaken up the management of its London corporate group, the Magic Circle law firm announced Thursday, with Mark Rawlinson set to take up the reins.
Rawlinson takes over as the firm's new U.K. corporate chief on April 1 from Tim Jones, who was appointed London head at the end of last year.
Rawlinson, who has been a partner at Freshfields for 17 years, will continue to advise clients in his new role. The appointment comes after Rawlinson earlier this year took on responsibility for the firm's graduate recruitment.
Commenting on the news, Rawlinson said he would aim to "create a wider leadership group with more partners having a sense of responsibility for driving the [corporate] practice forward."
Jones, who assumed the position of London chair from Freshfields Chief Executive Ted Burke, said: "Matching individual strengths to interests, [Rawlinson] will be structuring the role in a new way that spreads leadership and administrative responsibilities across a broader group."
The management team will include leisure group co-Chief Martin Taylor and corporate partners Julian Long and Edward Braham.
Braham will develop business plans, while Taylor will oversee financial performance and Long will be in charge of human resources issues, including mentoring, appraisals and supporting new joiners.
In 2007 Freshfields notched up its third successive year at the top of Legal Week's primary adviser rankings, which track lead corporate roles on Europe's largest deals.
