Right, to Linklaters. So unusual is the City giant’s decision to push itself through another partnership restructuring only three years after its last wide-ranging shake-up, that we’ve let some time pass before taking a view on it. But even with that time and the chance to discuss it with numerous people in and outside the firm, it still seems a startling move and one without precedent among modern law firm management at this level of the game.
While Linklaters under Tony Angel was famed (some would say infamous) for proactive management, since his successor Simon Davies was appointed the firm has been through a period of radical change. Aside from the 2009 restructuring, the firm had already reviewed and shut the majority of its Central & Eastern European network and pushed through a major shake up of its troublesome German practice.
