Winner: Michael Payton, Clyde & Co

Having led his firm since 1984, 
few can rival Clyde & Co senior partner Michael Payton for staying power. But what really makes the veteran insurance lawyer so impressive is the success he has orchestrated for such a sustained period at this firm.

And while many partners at such a stage in their careers have become largely ambassadorial figures, Payton is still a driving force for a firm that has been 
one of the most successful 
major legal practices of the 
last decade.

The hallmark of Clydes under Payton has been a willingness to take calculated risks in the pursuit of growth, married with a solid operational grasp and clear strategic plan. Payton has helped 
to maintain that formula by fostering a strong management team around him, including the firm's well regarded chief executive, Peter Hasson.
The result has been the transformation of Clydes from a respected London shipping specialist into a genuinely distinct international player with real strength in the insurance, transport and energy sectors.

Highlights for the firm in recent years include a highly successful programme of expansion in the US and a much-touted launch this year in the Canadian legal market. Perhaps as impressive, Clydes is widely regarded as having undergone dramatic change and growth without sacrificing its coherent culture.
The firm has just made probably its most ambitious move to date with its tie-up with Barlow Lyde & Gilbert, which is, in revenue terms, the largest-ever merger between two UK law firms.

All in, Payton has established himself as one of the most effective law firm leaders of recent years.