Change of the guard at Baker & McKenzie

Rawlinson takes up reins as Chairman at the global law firm while Leite becomes Chairman Emeritus and Senior Partner.

Baker & McKenzie announced a number of changes to its leadership, with Paul Rawlinson becoming its 15th Chairman and the first from the UK.

Paul Rawlinson said in the announcement, “I am truly humbled and delighted to be Chairman of Baker & McKenzie, and to welcome our new Executive Committee members and Regional Chairs, who will join me on this journey. We have an exciting vision for the Firm which will center around our clients and our people, and I am confident that our new teams will help us to achieve that.”

Meanwhile, outgoing Chairman Eduardo Leite will become Chairman Emeritus and Senior Partner of the firm from January 2017. He will be based in New York, focusing on driving growth in New York and Latin America and supporting Baker & McKenzie’s strategy in the region.

“I am honored to take on this new role for Baker & McKenzie,” said Eduardo in the statement. “It’s an exciting time for our firm, and as Chairman I had the rare opportunity to hear from dozens of clients about where they need our firm to grow and expand. New York is a growth market for us and a priority for our clients as they expand their global operations.

During Leite’s tenure as Chairman, Baker & McKenzie opened 11 new offices in eight countries, grew its revenues by 25% and profits by 16%, and increased its global headcount by 31%, including an industry-record 40% average annual female partner promotions, read the statement. 

Baker & McKenzie is home to 850 lawyers across 15 offices in seven countries in the Latin American region. Globally, the law firm employs 13,000 staff across 77 offices in 47 countries.