Unhappy Links partners stall reappointment of Davies as managing partner
Linklaters chief Simon Davies failed to achieve the 75% majority vote required to secure his reappointment as managing partner due to a protest by partners unhappy with management decisions and the way they were communicated, it has emerged. Davies, who was the only candidate standing for the managing partner role, now faces a physical vote on his reappointment at the firm's partnership meeting in Montreux in April after achieving a 60% majority during an electronic vote that had been expected to conclude earlier this month.
February 23, 2012 at 07:03 PM
3 minute read
Partners register protest 'vote' but Links head set to be confirmed
Linklaters chief Simon Davies (pictured) failed to achieve the 75% majority vote required to secure his reappointment as managing partner due to a protest by partners unhappy with management decisions and the way they were communicated, it has emerged.
Davies, who was the only candidate standing for the managing partner role, now faces a physical vote on his reappointment at the firm's partnership meeting in Montreux in April after achieving a 60% majority during an electronic vote that had been expected to conclude earlier this month.
Partners within the firm have told Legal Week that with an abstention counting as a 'no' vote in the electronic process, some chose not to vote in protest at both decisions by management and the way they were communicated.
These include a decision by the international board to bring forward Davies' re-election, meaning that it coincided with discussions about the firm's new five-year plan, as well as the current restructuring that is expected to see more than 35 partners leave the firm and others de-equitised.
Some partners are also unhappy with the way the restructuring, the firm's third in a decade, has been communicated, with some claiming some practice group heads were not fully involved in the decisions about who would be affected by the cuts.
It is understood partners used their abstention to indicate their unhappiness and force discussion and greater involvement in management decisions.
Despite the protest, Davies is widely expected to secure the majority required to be reappointed at the April meeting, where abstentions will not be counted. No alternative candidates are expected to be proposed before the vote.
One partner commented: "Simon will be re-elected. This was a protest at the way everything has been handled, but we've had our moment and it's now time to clear up the mess and return to the day job."
Davies was elected as managing partner in 2007, formally taking over from predecessor Tony Angel on 1 January 2008.
For more analysis, see Linklaters shake-up hits uncharted territory.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllClifford Chance and Linklaters to launch 24-hour Brexit operations rooms
Clifford Chance and Linklaters lead the way on gas network deal
Clifford Chance and Linklaters lead the way on gas network deal
Freshfields climbs FTSE 250 adviser rankings as Slaughters holds top spots
Trending Stories
- 1The Law Firm Disrupted: Playing the Talent Game to Win
- 2GlaxoSmithKline Settles Most Zantac Lawsuits for $2.2B
- 3Preparing Your Law Firm for 2025: Smart Ways to Embrace AI & Other Technologies
- 4BD Settles Thousands of Bard Hernia Mesh Lawsuits
- 5Partner Cuts: The Grim Reality of Post-Merger Integration
Who Got The Work
Eleanor M. Lackman of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp has entered an appearance for Canon, the Japanese camera maker, and the Brooklyn Nets in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The case, filed Sept. 16 in California Central District Court by T-Rex Law on behalf of technology company Phinge Corporation, pursues claims against the defendants for their ongoing use of the 'Netaverse' mark. The suit contends that the defendants' use of the mark in connection with a virtual reality platform will likely create consumer confusion. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, is 2:24-cv-07917, Phinge Corporation v. Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network, LLC et al.
Who Got The Work
Fox Rothschild partner Glenn S. Grindlinger has entered an appearance for Garage Management Company in a pending lawsuit over alleged wage-and-hour violations. The case was filed Aug. 31 in New York Southern District Court by the Abdul Hassan Law Group on behalf of a manual worker who contends that he was not properly compensated for overtime hours worked. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres, is 1:24-cv-06610, Bailey v. Garage Management Company LLC.
Who Got The Work
Veronica M. Keithley of Stoel Rives has entered an appearance for Husky Terminal and Stevedoring LLC in a pending environmental lawsuit. The suit, filed Aug. 12 in Washington Western District Court by Kampmeier & Knutsen on behalf of Communities for a Healthy Bay, seeks to declare that the defendant has violated the Clean Water Act by releasing stormwater discharges on Puget Sound and Commencement Bay. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle, is 3:24-cv-05662, Communities for a Healthy Bay v. Husky Terminal and Stevedoring LLC.
Who Got The Work
Caroline Pignatelli of Cooley has entered an appearance for Cooley, partner Matt Hallinan, retired partner Michael Tu and a pair of Cooley associates in a pending fraud lawsuit related to the firm's representation of startup company Carbon IQ and founder Benjamin Cantey. The case, filed Sept. 26 in New Jersey District Court by the DalCortivo Law Offices on behalf of Gould Ventures and member Jason Gould, contends that the defendants deliberately or recklessly concealed critical information from the plaintiffs regarding fraud allegations against Cantey. Gould claims that he would not have accepted a position on Carbon IQ's board of directors or made a 2022 investment in the company if the fraud allegations had been disclosed. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch, is 3:24-cv-09485, Gould Ventures, LLC et al v. Cooley, LLP et al.
Who Got The Work
Attorneys from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom have stepped in to represent PDD Holdings, the operator of online marketplaces Pinduoduo and Temu, in a pending securities class action. The case, filed Sept. 30 in New York Eastern District Court by Labaton Keller Sucharow and VanOverbeke, Michaud & Timmony, contends that the defendants concealed information that rendered the growth of PDD unsustainable and posed substantial risks to PDD’s business, including merchant policies that made it unprofitable for vendors to do business on PDD platforms; malware issues on PDD applications; and PDD’s failure to implement effective compliance systems. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Pamela K. Chen, is 1:24-cv-06881, Macomb County Retiree Health Care Fund v. Pdd Holdings Inc. et al.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250
