By Sara Zaki
Private client specialist Boodle Hatfield has unanimously appointed Richard Moyse, head of the firm's tax and financial services department, as its new senior partner.
Moyse, who was on the firm's three-partner management committee, will replace Peter Scoble, who will return to work in the property department following the end of his five-year term.
Scoble was ineligible to stand for senior partner again under the 31-partner firm's 'one term only' rule, although Scoble intends to retire anyway within the next five years.
Moyse, who acted for John Major in his role as trustee for princes William and Harry, has a string of well-known international clients.
He said his priorities as senior partner – the firm has no managing partner – will be to expand in the firm's areas of expertise, such as tax, property and commercial work and focus on building its international private client base.
Although he ruled out merger at this time, Moyse said he would look at cementing the firm's relationship with foreign firms such as corporate US firm Bracewell & Patterson and German firm Redeker Schon Dahs & Sellner.
The firm also has strong links with London intellectual property (IP) firm Llewelyn Zietman, which does its IP work.
Moyse also said that Boodles would be expanding its employment team in its Oxford office, which he said had doubled in the last three years to 25 fee earners, including six partners. One employment partner from the London office is set to move to Oxford and the firm will also recruit.
Moyse said "I feel honoured to take on this role. The firm has an excellent name and reputation to build on."
Moyse qualified as a solicitor in 1970. He joined Boodles in 1973 from Lawrence Graham. He will have been a partner with the firm for 25 years next month.