clyde & Co senior partner

Clyde & Co Senior Partners - the Spinal Tap drummers of the legal world?


Clyde & Co has no imminent plans to appoint a Senior Partner as the last person to occupy the role - the fourth in under a decade - retires from the firm.

Peter Hirst stepped down from the Senior Partner position on 31 December after serving just over one year in the role, and retired today. 

It was revealed in January that Hirst was being investigated for bullying, but was subsequently cleared. “I welcome the conclusion of this independent investigation which rejects the complaints made against me, as I was confident it would", Hirst said.

Before that messy business came to light, the Management Board sent a message to the firm announcing Hirst's retirement which now reads rather differently, particularly Hirst's explanation that "during the lockdowns imposed by Covid, I have been reflecting on my priorities" and "came to the conclusion that now is the right time to retire and make the most of the opportunities I have outside of practising law". 

The firm has chewed through four Senior Partners in nine years. Hirst succeeded Simon Konsta in 2019, who replaced James Burns three years earlier, who replaced the long-serving Michael Payton in 2013.

The vacant SP chair "won't surprise those who alleged that the firm was never run by lawyers anyway", said a source, "but by a series of whip-handed accountants headed by Peter Hasson", the former Chief Executive who still serves as a consultant for the firm.

As for Hirst, he "clashed with some of the partners", said another source, and contributed to the splinter firm Preston Turnbull setting up in 2019 when four partners quit in solidarity with a suspended colleague.

The tumultuous experiences and brief tenures of the last three Senior Partners may hint at the reasons the role has been vacant for four months and counting.

However, an insider close to management disagreed with a RollOnFriday source that Clyde & Co "has given up completely on finding anyone and decided to set sail for the foreseeable future without a skipper at the wheel". 

A spokesperson for the firm referred to the Management Board's December email to staff announcing Hirst's departure, which explained that they "will take some time to consider the most appropriate timescale for elections to replace Peter as Senior Partner", but "do not anticipate any undue haste given the strong performance and stability of the firm". 

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Comments

Sumoking 30 April 21 08:55

that's odd, wikipedia's page on the League of the Public Weal seems to redirect here for some reason?

anonymous too 30 April 21 12:27

great that the breakaway firm set up in Seething Lane...having left (allegedly) because of their anger at Clyde's treatment of one of their number....

Anonymous 01 May 21 11:24

Lol @ the 3 people who don't think large law firms are ran by accountants. Clueless about the game.

Anonymous 01 May 21 13:40

This latest season of Game of Thrones is full of backstabbing, falls from grace and tits (well .... people making a tit of themselves!! )

Anonymous 04 May 21 05:24

"Most big law firms are ran by accountants."

No they're not. run by them possibly; but at least they know how to count. Lawyers who don't know basic grammar really shouldn't be commenting publicly (or charging for their services).

Anonymous 04 May 21 05:28

"The vacant SP chair "won't surprise those who alleged that the firm was never run by lawyers anyway", said a source, "but by a series of whip-handed accountants headed by Peter Hasson", the former Chief Executive who still serves as a consultant for the firm."

Is there anyone besides arrogant lawyers who think that law firms SHOULD be run by lawyers? Many of whose vanity is matched only by their inability to manage their own practices.

Anon 05 May 21 13:01

@05.24 

If you are going to criticise others for grammar and getting things right, then you should make sure your sentence starts with a capital letter.  “Run” not “run”.  Oh dear - you embarrassed yourself there   

Would you not agree that lawyers who don't know the basics of how to use capital letters really shouldn't be commenting publicly (or charging for their services)? 

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