Lovells revises two-tier system to bring more partners into running of practice

MANAGEMENT: Charles Russell alters structure in bid to integrate international services

Top-ten City firm Lovells has unveiled a revised management structure and system of partnership governance.

It comprises two elements: an international executive, chaired by managing partner Lesley MacDonagh, and a partnership council, chaired by senior partner Andrew Walker.

The arrangement replaces Lovells' existing two-tier structure of a board and an executive committee dealing with operational matters, which has been in place for a decade.

The changes are aimed at bringing 'practice stream leaders' into the heart of Lovells' decision-making process, speeding up decision making, and involving more partners in the firm's management.

The international executive will have responsibility for 'business-driving issues'.

Its members will comprise the five practice stream leaders, six regional managing partners, the firm's new finance director - Russ Holden, formerly finance director of BT Wholesale - and an elected outside member, Christopher Sheridan.

Mr Sheridan has been a non-executive member of Lovells' partnership board since 1996.

He is a former deputy chairman and chief executive of Samuel Montagu & Co.

The council will deal with partnership issues.

It comprises the senior partner, deputy senior partner - Walter Klosterfelde - and managing partner, along with ten elected members, half of whom come from the firm's European offices.

Ms MacDonagh said: 'The new structure will allow proper and focused agenda time on the respective bodies for the strategic and business-driving issues, and also for important inter-partner and constitutional matters.'

Meanwhile, City firm Charles Russell has also introduced a new management structure, comprising a board, committee, and international liaison group.

The group, led by managing partner Grant Howell, aims to integrate and co-ordinate the firm's international services.

The board will take both an operational and strategic view, replacing the separate management board and business development board.

The committee is made up of the heads of the various support areas.

Mr Howell said the change came about because 'we found basically that too many working lawyers were spending too much time doing administration and not management'.

He added that there was now less need to divide operational and strategic thinking.

Mr Howell continues to manage the firm with the assistance of three partners known as 'advisers'.

Neil Rose