Jane Haxby will become Squire Patton Boggs' London office managing partner

Squire Patton Boggs will refresh its European and London leadership next year amid a global growth spurt.

The firm has appointed Leeds-based corporate partner Jonathan Jones as its European managing partner, who will take over from current head Jane Haxby in January 2020.

Haxby will then take up the role of London managing partner. Previously, the firm's global managing partner, clients and strategy, Stephen Mahon, had relocated from the U.S. to oversee the base.

Jones joined the firm in 1998 and previously served as head of private equity for six years before being appointed managing partner of the firm's Leeds office in 2009, a role he served in for four years.

Haxby has been European managing partner since 2016, prior to which she served as managing partner of the Manchester office and then EMEA chair of the global corporate practice.

Speaking to Legal Week, Haxby said the firm is looking to continue its recent growth spurt globally. According to her, it is looking to enhance key global practice areas including financial services and commodities and shipping, across its worldwide offices.

Last week (November 26), Squire launched a global commodities and shipping group with the hire of two Reed Smith partners in Singapore. The office is a key growth area earmarked by the firm, according to Haxby.

Earlier this year, the firm bolstered its London office with the hire of two heavyweight banking partners: former Ashurst managing partner James Collis and former Herbert Smith Freehills banking partner Ian Yeo.

The leadership changes also come ahead of the firm's move into new offices on the top three floors of Premier Place, near to its current Devonshire Square residence.