Within a matter of months Herbert Smith will have to make a decision regarding its leadership and, to a certain extent, its future. While the formal election is still a few months away, early indications are that the firm is not set to merely confirm an heir apparent to replace David Gold as senior partner. So far litigation partner Tim Parkes and competition specialist Jonathan Scott are being cited as the two candidates most likely to run.
And while in some elections it comes down largely to personality, here the process could reaffirm the more tightly-managed direction seen in the latter half of Gold’s term or shift back towards emphasising partnership consensus.
