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Duncan Weston has today (1 May) taken over as Managing Partner of CMS Cameron McKenna LLP. He takes over from Dick Tyler, who has held the position since 2000.
Duncan Weston was appointed last November to succeed Dick Tyler, following a vote of the firm’s partnership. Duncan was previously Managing Partner of the firm’s pre-eminent Central and Eastern European (CEE) network of eight offices and over 300 lawyers. He has also been Client Lead Partner for major private equity clients in the region. Duncan has been with CMS Cameron McKenna (joining McKenna & Co) since 1993, becoming a Partner in 1995. He has specialist legal expertise in privatisation, cross border M&A and private equity investment and joint ventures.
During his time as CEE Managing Partner the firm’s practice in the region has grown dramatically. Fee income has tripled, the firm merged with Eastern European commercial law firm Hayhurst Robinson at the start of 2006, and new offices have opened including the firm’s expansion last September into Kyiv, Ukraine.
“Dick has been an excellent Managing Partner and is widely acknowledged as a very tough act to follow,” commented Duncan Weston. “I relish the challenge though, and my initial priority will be to ensure we achieve or exceed on our 2009 three-year objectives. I look forward to continuing to work closely with Dick in his new role leading CMS.”
CMS Cameron McKenna’s three-year strategy targets include growing the firm aggressively to achieve a turnover of at least £250 million by 2009 and building on the firm’s existing footprint in order to enhance its distinctive European offering. CMS Cameron McKenna reported turnover of £197.4 million in 2007. In early 2008, CMS announced that partners had voted for closer integration and alignment between the nine CMS firms. CMS had a combined fee income of nearly €750 million in 2007.
Dick Tyler trained and qualified at McKenna & Co, one of the two firms that merged in 1997 to form Cameron McKenna, and became a Partner in the firm’s Corporate practice in 1992. During his two terms as Managing Partner profits per partner in the firm have increased by 150 percent. In September, Dick will step up to become Executive Partner of CMS when Robert Derry-Evans retires. Robert has held the position since 2003.
CMS is one of the top five legal services providers in Europe measured by fee income, number of offices, number of partners and total headcount. It is headquartered in Frankfurt.
Managing Partners at CMS Cameron McKenna are appointed for terms of four years, with a maximum tenure of two terms.
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