Baker McKenzie attorneys around the world and members of the London legal community awoke Monday to news that global chairman Paul Rawlinson had died unexpectedly April 12.

Rawlinson, an intellectual property lawyer, achieved a number of triumphs in his professional career, including becoming the first British person to lead the global firm as chairman and overseeing a run of outstanding financial growth during his tenure.

But a key part of Rawlinson's legacy is also his public decision to step down from the chairman's role in October, citing “medical issues caused by exhaustion.” He and his firm's relative openness about the reasons for taking leave helped stimulate a wider discussion about the mental and physical stresses of the profession.