Slaughter and May has appointed a new managing partner, David Johnson, to lead the law firm alongside senior partner Roland Turnill.
The firm said in a statement (below) that Johnson will take up the new position on 1 August this year and the previous leader Deborah Finkler, who has been in the role since May 2022, will retire from the firm.
Johnson is an M&A lawyer who has acted on several profile deals and has a clutch of major clients in his practice, including Segro, GSK and IAG. He acted for BHP on its proposed offer for mining rival Anglo American.
The firm’s media statement is below –
Slaughter and May, the leading international law firm, today announces that David Johnson has been elected as the firm’s next Managing Partner, effective from 1 August 2025. He will succeed Deborah Finkler, who became Managing Partner in May 2022, and who will retire from the partnership on 31 July 2025.
David joined the firm in 1991 and became a Partner in 2000. His practice has focused on public and private M&A, and he has worked with clients including BHP, GSK, IAG, Marston’s and SEGRO. David will continue in full-time fee earning work until he takes up his new role.
Deborah, who joined the firm in 1986 and became a Partner in 1991, was the firm’s first Managing Partner, and was previously Head of the Disputes practice. Highly regarded as one of the UK’s leading lawyers in the field of banking and commercial litigation, and regulatory investigations, Deborah was involved in cases that helped shape the current financial services industry. As Managing Partner, Deborah has played a key role in supporting our growth areas, including sustainability, technology and energy transition. She has also guided the firm through some important milestones, including spearheading the firm’s commitment to set social mobility targets, making Slaughter and May the first major law firm to do so, and championing female talent across the firm.
Slaughter and May Senior Partner, Roland Turnill, said: “David Johnson is a long-standing partner of the firm and has amassed a wealth of experience during his career. His energy and strategic approach are greatly valued, and I look forward to working with him. I would like to thank Deborah for her outstanding contribution to the firm, first in the Disputes practice including as Practice Stream head, and latterly as our first Managing Partner.”
David Johnson said: “Taking on the role of Managing Partner at Slaughter and May is a privilege and I am looking forward to building on the work that Deborah has done to deliver the strategic aims of the firm and ensure that clients are at the centre of everything we do.”
Deborah Finkler said: “I have enormously enjoyed the challenges of being Slaughter and May’s first Managing Partner, shaping the role and ensuring the firm is in the best possible position to deliver the highest quality legal services to our clients and remain an attractive and rewarding place to work. I am proud of what has been achieved in that time. I know I leave it in good hands and wish David every success.”
