Liam Cowell, DLA Piper
DLA Piper is making changes to its international executive team—changes that will come into effect when recently re-elected international managing partner Simon Levine starts his new term in the new year.
Those changes include:
London-based corporate partner Charles Severs will become managing director for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and will also take on the newly created role of executive partner. In his new position, he will be responsible for supporting the executive team and the wider firm in handling important ad hoc matters that arise during the year.
Munich-based Jan Meents will be transitioning from managing director of clients and sectors to the role of joint managing director for the U.K. and Europe.
Real estate finance partner and Milan-based joint managing director for Europe Olaf Schmidt will take on the role of managing director for practice groups.
Paris partner Stephane Lemarchand, global co-chair of the firm's intellectual property and technology group, is also joining the executive team as managing director of clients and sectors, taking over from Meents, while Jacqueline King will join the team as chief operating officer.
The firm has also appointed Manchester-based partner Liam Cowell to succeed Sandra Wallace as the firm's U.K. managing partner. Cowell, a finance and projects partner, is the managing partner of the firm's northwest England offices as well as the finance and projects group. He will take assume the new role on Jan. 1.
Birmingham-based Wallace, who took up the role of U.K. managing partner in 2015 for a three-year term, will continue in her role as joint managing director for the U.K. & Europe alongside Meents.
"I would like to thank Sandra for her substantial contribution to our U.K. business and the firm as a whole," said Cowell, who has been a partner at the firm since 2004 and became northwest managing partner in 2014. "The firm has been on a fantastic journey over the last few years and I look forward to extending our strong track record in the U.K. as we embark on the next stage in the firm's evolution."
Wallace said Cowell has garnered the respect of his colleagues and clients, and possesses the leadership attributes and skills needed to steer the U.K. business. "This is a pivotal time in the legal industry and our economy as a whole, and I am confident that Liam's collaborative approach, alongside his drive and bold ambition for the firm, will take our U.K. practice from strength to strength," she said.