Ex-UBS chair and GC Kurer takes new role on Schoenherr strategy group

Schoenherr has appointed former UBS chairman and general counsel Peter Kurer as an external member of its strategy committee. The move comes after the Central European firm formed the committee this summer following a review of its internal structures. The committee will draw up the firm's strategy and business plan, prepare its annual budget and allocate the merit-based portion of the firm's profit to partners. Kurer will hold a full vote on the four-member committee that includes managing partner Christoph Lindinger and partners Gerold Zeiler and Michael Lagler, who are responsible for finance and human resources respectively at the firm.

November 22, 2010 at 05:52 AM

2 minute read

By Legal Week

Schoenherr has appointed former UBS chairman and general counsel Peter Kurer as an external member of its strategy committee.

The move comes after the Austria-based firm formed the committee this summer following a review of its internal structures. The committee will draw up the firm's strategy and business plan, prepare its annual budget and allocate the merit-based portion of the firm's profit to partners.

Kurer (pictured) will hold a full vote on the four-member committee, alongside Schoenherr managing partner Christoph Lindinger and partners Gerold Zeiler and Michael Lagler, who are responsible for finance and human resources respectively at the firm.

The high-profile addition will be seen as a notable appointment for Schoenherr. In April 2008 Kurer was promoted from his role as UBS general counsel to chairman, in a rare elevation for a GC at a major financial institution.

He joined UBS as GC in 2001 and became a member of its group executive board in 2002, holding the position of chairman at the Swiss bank from 2008 to 2009.

Lindinger said: "With Peter we bring on board decades of experience on the highest level of the game. If you care for an outside view, this is probably as good as it gets."

Kurer said: "This is a very interesting assignment for me. Since my retirement I have been quite active in advising a number of people on their legal management strategies, and when Schoenherr put this new strategic plan in place and asked me to be a part of this I felt I had a lot to offer them.

"My activity on the committee will be focused in the autumn and the spring, looking at the business plan for the next year at the start and reviewing earnings and the firm's success at the end."

Prior to joining UBS Kurer also worked for Baker & McKenzie and Swiss firm Homburger.

Schoenherr recently made its first equity promotions outside of its Vienna base, making up five partners across its network of international offices. The appointments made it one of the first Austrian firms to admit lawyers to the equity outside of its home country.