Exclusive: Watson Farley shocked by sudden resignation of Managing Partner

Michael Greville, Managing Partner of Watson Farley & Williams, has suddenly resigned.

Greville had been Head of Litigation at the 400-lawyer firm before being elevated to Managing Partner and Co-head of London back in 2001. However, the firm hasn't had the best of times recently: equity partners saw their profits fall 13% last year and, uniquely amongst City firms, WF&W has started asking its future trainees to defer the start of their training contracts. But more recently the firm seemed to be turning the corner, with half year turnover up 12% on the same period last year, and so it's not clear why Greville should have fallen on his sword.

Greville no longer being managing partner yesterday

Nor is it clear why he had to fall on it so suddenly. RollOnFriday was tipped off that he had resigned in the small hours of Thursday morning. But it took the firm four hours to confirm his departure, and even then it would only issue an anodyne statement confirming that Greville would stand down in the new year and would be resuming a fee-earning role.

The firm wouldn't comment as to the reasons for his departure, and an insider claimed to RollOnFriday that there had been a "hush up" over the circumstances.

Tip Off ROF

Comments

If you think the fact that it took the 'communication' dept at WFW four hours to get back to you is shocking then this is obviously your first time dealing with them.

So, ROF was tipped off in the "small hours" - meaning, say, 2am? 3am? And it's evidence of a "hush up" that it took the firm 4 hours - until 6am or possibly 7am - to confirm? Come on, even by ROF standards, that's a stretch.