Several partners are being talked about as strong candidates for the top job, with an official list due out soon.

Hogan Lovells is set to kick off its CEO appointment process, with an initial list of contenders expected to emerge this week, according to one partner with knowledge of the matter.

Four particular Hogan Lovells partners have been repeatedly identified by current and former partners as possible contenders to take on the role of CEO at the transatlantic firm. Incumbent Steve Immelt is to step down from the position next year after six years in the role.

Four names being touted

In Washington D.C., partner duo Bill Curtin and Alice Valder Curran have been touted as likely contenders for the role.

Global regulatory partner Valder Curran, who joined the firm in 1998 and made partner in 2005, was described by one Hogan Lovells partner as "the frontrunner".

Alice Valder Curran, Hogan Lovells.

The partner said: "I think she's the frontrunner. She would be very credible."

In 2015, Valder Curran was appointed regional managing partner for the mid-Atlantic region, and oversaw several domestic U.S. offices including Washington, D.C. She has also been heading the global government regulatory department since 2016.

But one former partner said Valder Curran's practice area could count against her, adding: "It's not perceived as a glamorous area in law compared to others."

U.S.-based global M&A head William Curtin meanwhile was described by a current partner as "ambitious and credible". The partner added: "It wouldn't surprise me at all if he ran."

Curtin joined the firm in 1996, and was the head of operations in the firm's Paris office from 2003 to 2008. He then led the London office's European corporate group until 2010, before serving on the global board as member responsible for the Americas until 2016. He was then appointed as head of the firm's global M&A practice.

Another likely contender to replace Immelt is Munich litigation and arbitration partner Ina Brock, the partners said. She joined the firm in 1996, according to her LinkedIn page, and was appointed co-head of the firm's life sciences industry sector team a decade later. In 2016, she joined the firm's international management committee in a new role as managing partner of clients and industries.

A former partner commented: "Ina has been really good in her practice."

London-based head of the firm's litigation, arbitration and employment practice Michael Davison has also been flagged as a probable candidate for the role. He joined legacy Lovells in 1986.

In 2013, he succeeded Steve Immelt as leader of the litigation, arbitration and employment arm, and sits on the firm's committee. A current partner characterised his potential nomination as "very credible".

A former partner added: "Michael was on the management committee for ages, so it would make sense."

One of Davison's important cases in recent years includes his advice to private power distribution company Barmek Holdings on a $290 million dispute with Azerbaijan, over allegations that the country had seized two of the company's electricity concessions as part of a campaign against former minister of the economy Farhad Aliyev.

The process

Currently, Hogan Lovells has two main management positions -–CEO and chair. Its current chair is Hamburg-based intellectual property partner Leopold von Gerlach, who was appointed in January 2018.

Some former partners have speculated that the firm would probably opt for a U.S.-based CEO in light of the chairman sitting in continental Europe. Alternatively, one former partner questioned if Brock was appointed CEO whether the chairman position would be moved to someone in the U.S.

Another said: "The chair could step down if Ina becomes CEO, because he's German as well and they'd probably prefer an American or Brit."

Two former partners told Legal Week that Valder Curran and Brock would be the preferred candidates, as the partnership is keen for a woman to take the role.

Eyes will also be on the deputy CEO position, currently held by David Hudd, whose term also ends on June 30, 2020.

Current CEO Steve Immelt was first elected in July 2014 for a three year term. In 2017, his term was extended for a further three years until June 30, 2020.

The firm confirmed that the role is open to any equity partner and that the candidates will be interviewed by the board, which comprises 12 members and supervises the affairs of the firm and its management on behalf of the partners. The board will then recommend one candidate to the partnership, which will then vote. The firm added that it expects to complete the process by the end of the year and the new CEO will take office for a four-year term on July 1, 2020.

A spokesperson at the firm declined to comment on the names mentioned, stating that the CEO appointment process is a private matter for the partnership.

Davison and Curtin declined to comment on the matter. Brock and Valder Curran did not respond to a request for comment.

With reporting by Hannah Roberts