Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson is setting up a top-level management body for Europe as the New York firm undertakes a major shake-up of its leadership that sees Justin Spendlove become firm-wide managing partner and Valerie Ford Jacob become chair.

The overhaul follows a vote yesterday (26 January) and sees the US firm create a new four-person committee to oversee its expanding Europe practice, which also ratified the appointment of Spendlove as managing partner.