"Among all other attributes he's a fantastic piano player, so we'll have a good Christmas party at least," says one current Baker & McKenzie partner based in South Africa of the international firm's incoming chair Paul Rawlinson.

Current London head Rawlinson will become the first British person to chair Bakers when he takes up the role in October. Speaking to partners, it's clear it was his personal qualities and track record – as well as his musical skills – that got him elected to the top job.

One partner in the firm's London office says: "Paul has considerable emotional intelligence and is very much a people person, which is really critical."

He adds: "He's not a managerial bureaucrat. It inspires people to work harder because he cares for them as individuals, rather than wandering around with a clipboard."

Paul has considerable emotional intelligence and is very much a people person

Clearly, the personal touch is worth something. But partners are keen to stress that likeability is not Rawlinson's only winning factor.

A track record of growth Since taking over as London managing partner from current Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) head Gary Senior in 2013, Rawlinson has overseen growth in both the City partnership and the revenue it has produced.

Prior to beginning his term, the total headcount for the London office stood at 680. It is now more than 800.

In the firm's 2013-14 financial year, which ran from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014, the London office generated revenue of £133m. In 2014-15, that rose 5% to unaudited revenue of £140m.

A London partner says: "The results show he can do the difficult stuff when he needs to. Do not think Paul is a pushover."

A former partner concurs: "I think he will be stronger than people expect – he's very determined and ambitious for the firm. I don't think he'll shy away from making unpopular decisions."

Unlike many who step into management roles, Rawlinson has maintained client relationships during his tenure as London managing partner.

He previously acted as chair of the global intellectual property practice and he remains responsible for managing a number of the firm's high profile global clients, including L'Oreal, HP, JCB and British American Tobacco.

I think he will be stronger than people expect – he's very determined and ambitious for the firm

One previous partner believes these relationships will benefit the firm even more now Rawlinson is chair. He says: "Rawlinson's a big client man, a real rainmaker, and I think he will be encouraging the firm to view the world from a lens of what their clients want."

In Legal Week's first interview with Rawlinson when he took up the role of London managing partner in 2013, his commitment to clients was clear.

"The typical sales pitch of a law firm will be to say to a client 'let me introduce you to my tax partner'," he said. "We are focusing a lot more on getting close to the business and how the clients think."

A current partner based in London states: "He's still very much client focused and still runs a big practice, which is different from others who have been in the role beforehand. He'll bring a different approach and some different perspectives."

A Stockholm-based partner agrees, describing Paul as "the right person in terms of innovation to meet the market demands we are facing".

He adds: "All lawyers are facing a new legal playground and Paul is the right person to take us there."

Centred on the capital Rawlinson's appointment is particularly significant as it is the first time a London partner will take control of the global firm's reins.

He was one of two London candidates vying for the role and fought off competition from the firm's current EMEA chair, Senior, to win the partner vote.

London is the firm's largest office and one former partner muses that this may previously have put partners off voting for a head who hails from the City.

He is the first Brit in that role, which reflects the growing importance of London

The former partner says: "[The partnership] has always been resistant to leadership roles from London. It's such a big office and risks cultural dominance, which is the way English law firms can often be seen, particularly in continental Europe. I think appointing a London-based head is quite significant for Bakers. To me, it represents acceptance for a slightly more managed firm."

Another adds: "He is the first Brit in that role, which reflects the growing importance of London as a centre for international business. Increasingly, people don't do international stuff through the States."

Bolstering the top line Rawlinson will face many different challenges in the management role but top of his list is likely to be financial growth, according to one Bakers partner.

Last summer, the firm posted a 4.3% dip in global revenue to $2.43bn (£1.5bn) after currency fluctuations and a number of exceptional costs hit the bottom line. Meanwhile, global profit per equity partner fell 11.6% to $1.14m (£726k), from $1.29m (£821k).

"He won't like the firm's current revenue, he will be very focused on growth and profitability," says the partner.

Will he make strategic changes to achieve that growth? "I would be amazed if he didn't, but I wouldn't like to second guess what they would be," he adds.

One ex-partner says the firm also has to deal with its historic advantage – extensive global coverage – being eroded by the globalisation of other firms. He says: "The day when Bakers had this huge advantage of having such a broad presence is over. Now, there are a dozen firms or more with a very similar reach that are able to provide clients with that sort of global coverage.

"Making sure there is consistent quality across all jurisdictions is another challenge. One of the criticisms is that the quality is inconsistent and I think that's a fair criticism… Working to make the quality more consistently high is a challenge," he adds.

In December last year, Rawlinson discussed how his first (and for now, only) term as London managing partner was going.

Making sure there is consistent quality across all jurisdictions is a challenge

He maintained: "There's definitely a strengthening of Bakers' brand recognition, which puts us in the same ranking [as the magic circle firms] and means that we are increasingly recognised as a main player in the London market.

"Our increased representation on bank panels, our FTSE 100 clients; these are all signs that the strategy has worked."

While the firm undoubtedly has a way to go to improve its standing in some practices, bolstered by the examples above, Rawlinson's experience has won out in the fight to lead one of the world's largest law firms.

From 23 October, at the firm's annual partner conference in Barcelona, Spain, he will take up his new role and aim to prove that putting a Londoner at the helm, albeit one with a deep rooted commitment to Manchester City FC, was the right decision for the firm globally.

The firm declined to comment until Rawlinson is in post.