The Race For A&O Shearman Leadership is On

The Allen & Overy (A&O) Shearman leadership race involves eight partners contending for key roles in the wake of its merger with Shearman & Sterling.

Three are vying for the senior partner position, including interim managing partner Khalid Garousha.

Five others from various global offices are competing to be managing partner. This leadership transition is crucial as A&O Shearman transforms itself into a major global legal player following their decision to proceed with the major, transatlantic merger.

The new leaders will guide the firm in a competitive legal landscape, ensuring a smooth integration of the two entities.

Three candidates, including Khalid Garousha, are in contention to succeed Wim Dejonghe as senior partner.

An additional five partners from various global locations are aspiring to become managing partner.

The merged A&O Shearman will be a combined entity boasting revenues of £2.87 billion generated by nearly 4000 lawyers, of whom 800 are in the partnership in some form, and spread over 48 offices.

Neither partner was the first choice for the merger and despite its vast size the new firm’s work will be cut out in a competitive legal market to shoulder its way through the ranks of the big law practices.

In 2019 A&O called off a potential merger deal with LA-based O’Melveny & Myers after an 18-month negotiation that was understood to have cost the pair millions in pre-merger professional advice.

And Shearman attempted a deal with Hogan Lovells, which had already been the party to a transatlantic merger in 2010.

The failure of the Shearman-Hogan Lovells deal saw a number of top talent leave Shearmans and both firms were left hurting and looking for a deal that would restore their lustre and get them back up the big law ranks.

The final decision on the critical leadership positions will be made through a voting process scheduled for February.