Eversheds managing partner Lee Ranson has been elected as the firm’s new chief executive and will replace incumbent Bryan Hughes next year.
Ranson ran uncontested in the leadership race and will take up his four-year term in May 2017. He was tipped as the frontrunner in August when the election process first kicked off.
Ranson joined Eversheds as a commercial litigator in 1990. In 2006 he became head of the real estate and real estate litigation groups before being elevated to Eversheds’ managing partner in 2009.
The chief executive role is elected by the firm’s partnership, with the chief executive then appointing the firm’s managing partner. Global company and commercial head Keith Froud has been touted as the favourite to replace Ranson as managing partner.
In a statement chairman Paul Smith said: “Eversheds has evolved significantly since the start of Bryan’s first term. Under his leadership we have increased revenue, profitability, and financial strength through some tough years for the legal sector. We have also extended and further established our coverage in Europe, Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa with excellent client and award recognition to match.
“Lee has played an integral role in achieving this progress and I have every confidence that he will continue to build on the strong platform we have in place moving forward”.
During Hughes’ tenure as chief executive Eversheds introduced a strategy to turn the firm into a global leader by 2020. As part of this strategy the firm appointed Ian Gray as its first international managing partner.
Eversheds is also known be to in the market for a US merger. The firm had been talks with Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner late last year but the discussions ended after details were leaked to the press. The firm has since kept quiet about its US plans. Gray recently discussed his plans to improve the firm’s office network in Europe.
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