Chair: Nigel Knowles - Nigel is the Managing Partner and Joint CEO of DLA Piper, responsible for operations across Europe, the Middle East and Asia . As Managing Partner of DLA since 1996, he led the organisation through a host of successful mergers, dramatically expanding its presence across these markets. In 2005 he was instrumental in the single largest transatlantic law merger in recent history, when DLA joined with US firms Piper Rudnick and Gray Cary to form DLA Piper. In the same year, Nigel was named Partner of the Year by both Legal Week and The Lawyer, and in 2006 DLA Piper was named Law Firm of the Year at the Legal Business Awards.
Deputy Chairman: Ed Smith - Ed recently retired as a senior partner in PwC and Global COO and Strategy Chairman for its Assurance business. He is Chairman of WWF-UK and a member of its International Board. He is a Board member of the Higher Education Funding Council in England, Chair of its Leadership, Governance and Management Committee and a member of its Strategic Development Fund and the Business and Community Committee. He is also Chairman of British Universities & Colleges Sport, a member of Council and Treasurer of Chatham House, a Board member of The Work Foundation and an Advisory Board member of Opportunity Now (ON), the leading campaign for gender inclusiveness in UK business and public sector and part of BITC..
Executive Director: Richard Chaplin - Richard is founder and executive director of the Managing Partners' Forum and the Professional Marketing Forum. He is also publisher and executive editor of Professional Marketing magazine. Richard qualified as a chartered accountant with KPMG. He is a former council member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.
Ted Burke - Ted became Chief Executive of law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in March 2006. Prior to this he was the managing partner of the firm's US offices. His experience covers acquisitions and projects in North America, Latin America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Ted joined the firm as a partner in 1998 having started his career in 1986 as an associate with Millbank, Tweed Hadley & McCloy where he became a partner in 1994.
Sarah David - Sarah is a partner at Whitehead Mann where she is responsible for People and Corporate Affairs. A lawyer by background, she was Executive Director at Linklaters for six years to 2007, following four years recruiting partners at QD.
Stephen Denyer - Stephen is International Development Partner at Allen & Overy, with a wide ranging role relating to the global development of the firm. He was Regional Managing Partner for Europe from 1997 until 2007, with overall responsibility for the firm's Continental European offices. He has a long standing involvement in the firm's recruitment, know-how, training, and development activities. His other global management functions include general responsibility for the firm's relationships with other law firms, public bodies, regulators and universities. In addition he oversees the firm's Corporate Responsibility strategy.
Neville Eisenberg - Neville is the Managing Partner of City law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner. A corporate lawyer, Neville joined the firm in 1989, became a partner in 1995, was elected Managing Partner in 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2006. Born and educated in South Africa, Neville qualified to practice law in South Africa. He completed a Masters in International Business Law at the London School of Economics in 1988.
Mike Francies - Mike is managing partner of the London office of law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. He is also a member of the firm's Management Committee. He is experienced in public and private mergers and acquisitions, equity issues (IPOs and secondary), private equity/venture capital/MBOs and joint ventures. He won 'Partner of the Year' at The Lawyer Awards, 2004 and has been named as one of the UK's 'Hot 100' lawyers by The Lawyer magazine. He has also been ranked as one of the 'World's Top Ten Private Equity Lawyers' by the Expert Guides.
Alan Hodgart - Alan is Principal of H4 Partners. He has specialised in working with professional firms for over 20 years on strategic development and on aligning their organisation to their strategic goals through practical steps. Alan has an extensive client base throughout Europe, the US and Asia Pacific.
Rodney Kaye - Rodney has been a tax partner with PwC for over twenty years. In that time he has worked on many of the firm's most prestigous clients. He has worked in London and New York. Currently, he specialises in services to Professional Partnerships, particularly Law Firms and Consultancies. Rodney is responsible for the Tax Affairs of PwC, both in the UK and Globally.
Paul Lemon - Paul is Joint Executive Director of the Managing Partners' Forum. Having spent five years in the legal publishing sector as a sales manager, Paul spearheaded an international launch and was part of the advertising team that saw Legal Week crowned Business Magazine of the Year 2001/2. With experience of working with professional firm leaders, managers, fee earners and support staff, Paul provides a key interface for the MPF network managing the relationship between regional committees, MPF Panels and the Executive.
Peter Matthews - Peter is Managing Partner, Markets for the UK & Ireland business of Ernst & Young. Prior to this he was Managing Partner of Ernst & Young′s Technology, Communications and Entertainment business nationally. In addition to his leadership role he also acts as Global and EMEA Client Service Partner for major clients. Prior to joining Ernst and Young, Peter qualified as a trained management consultant and executive coach, with a focus on change management. He is both ICAEW and FCIPD qualified. He is also a visiting fellow at Roffey Park and formerly sat on the executive board of the European Mentoring and Coaching Conference.
David Miles - David was Managing Partner of the BDO Stoy Hayward Bromley office during the phase when it grew its revenues from £1m to £11m and its headcount from 15 to 130 people. Now a Senior Partner in his firm's Professional Practices Group, David is considered to be one of the more progressive professional services leaders. He has a deep understanding of the partnership culture backed by participation in the "Advanced Management Program" at Wharton and the "Leading Professional Services Firm" program at Harvard.
Gareth Pearce - Gareth is Executive Chairman of Smith & Williamson, one of the leading independent professional and financial services groups in the UK. The group employs over 1,300 people in 10 locations in the UK, with annual revenues exceeding £150 million and funds under management of over £8 billion. He is also chairman of Nexia International, an international network of accounting and consulting firms employing more than 12,000 professional staff in over 90 countries.
David Pester - David is the Managing Partner of award-winning, top 100, commercial law firm TLT, one of the fastest growing law firms in the UK. David is responsible for the firm's strategy and development and under his leadership the firm has gone from strength to strength. In the last five years, both TLT's headcount and turnover have almost tripled and the firm is rapidly developing a national profile in its chosen industry sectors. TLT is based in London and Bristol.
Mike Strong - Mike is Chairman & CEO of CB Richard Ellis EMEA with responsibility for over 100 offices and in excess of 4,000 employees. He became a Partner in 1977, a Group Director on incorporation in 1997, and Chairman in 2001. When he isn't working, Mike's interests include his family, golf, theatre and jazz.