News

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10 Nov 2010

DLA Piper announces new London Office Managing Partner

News
Press Release

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DLA Piper, one of the largest legal service providers in the world, has announced that Lord Tim Clement-Jones will become Office Managing Partner for London, effective 1 January 2011. He succeeds Catherine Usher, who has held the position for ten years. Within the role, Lord Clement-Jones will take responsibility for business development of the firm in the capital, managing and coordinating the direction of the local management team and ensuring the continued delivery of high quality services to clients.

As London Office Managing Partner, Catherine has been responsible for the strategic development of the office, overseeing its expansion from 86 partners and 600 staff in 1 January 2001 to 131 partners and nearly 800 staff today. Catherine will continue as a partner in the Real Estate practice and with her roles as a member of the CBI London Regional Council, the advisory board of Heart of the City, and the Committee of the City of London Law Society.

Lord Clement-Jones, currently Partner and Head of International Business Relations, and previously Co-Chairman of the Global Government Relations practice, has been with DLA Piper since 1999. Prior to joining to the firm, he was Group Company Secretary and Legal Adviser of Kingfisher Plc from 1986 until 1995, where he coordinated Kingfisher's contribution to the Shopping Hours Reform Campaign which led to the Sunday Trading Act 1993.

He is the Treasurer of the Liberal Democrats, until December this year, and was made a life peer in 1998. Until July 2004, he was the Liberal Democrat Health Spokesman and from then until the General Election this year was Liberal Democrat Spokesman on Culture, Media and Sport in the House of Lords. Lord Clement-Jones was Chairman of the Liberal Party from 1986 to 1988 and played a major part in the merger negotiations with the Social Democratic Party to form the Liberal Democrats.

Catherine Usher, departing Managing Partner said: "It has been a pleasure overseeing the London office for the past 10 years. It has been a fascinating time, witnessing the expansion of the firm locally, as well as internationally into one of the major provider of legal services globally. DLA Piper in London continues to build its client base across all sectors as corporates increasingly recognise the breadth and depth of our expertise. Coupled with our innovative approach, this gives Tim an excellent platform from which to further develop our offering and reach."

Lord Clement–Jones said: "I speak for the entire firm in thanking Catherine for her dedication to the London office and the success she has made of the role. The legal issues facing corporates, including a new regulatory climate in the UK and Brussels, are increasingly global in nature. Many of these challenges will be navigated from London, with the UK – given its central position in the firmament of international commerce – continuing to be at the heart of how international businesses address their most pressing issues. Key to my role will be ensuring that we continue to give clients the best advice which enables them to address issues effectively and efficiently."

David Bradley, UK Managing Partner at DLA Piper, said: "It has been an enormous privilege to work with Catherine and I look forward to continuing the excellent progress made by working alongside Tim. Our London office is crucial to the further development of the firm as a whole and reflects the importance of London as a market that so clearly influences the domestic and international aspirations and operations of our clients. Tim has a great combination of skills to help guide us through the exciting and challenging times ahead."