The election of Charlie Geffen as Ashurst’s new senior partner comes at a key moment for the firm. As one of the poster boys for the firm’s recent success, he now is now charged with steering the firm through its most difficult period since the aftermath of its unhappy merger talks with Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson which ended in 2003.
The headline figures are undeniably impressive – for a firm renowned for conservative expansion, revenues have grown by 50% in two years and in 2008 the firm (just about) passed the magic £1m figure for profits per equity partner.
