The elections are due to take place in November and many expect Morris to stand with the support of the partnership.
Partners wishing to run against Morris for the top role — who must be nominated by five other partners — will be asked in September to put their names forward by chairman James Dallas, who is co-ordinating the election process.
However, one Dentons partner said: “It is expected that a chief executive who has not blotted their copybook would run for a second term and it is unlikely that any partner will stand against Howard.”
Morris has not yet confirmed he will run again but a spokesman for the firm said: “Until Howard has announced he will stand we do not know, but there is not much doubt around the firm that it will happen.”
Morris’ first-term appointment was announced in December 2004, following a fraught election process after then-chief executive Virginia Glastonbury dramatically pulled out of running for a third term. Her decision to withdraw followed the emergence of an internal memo, which expressed fears that the partnership was being bounced into re-electing
Morris is currently overseeing a series of reforms at the firm — including more action against under-performing partners — in a bid to raise average profits per equity partner to £500,000 by the end of the financial year.
It has emerged that as part of the reforms Morris this year reintroduced more financially-oriented partner appraisals under which partners will be held to much clearer client and financial targets.
Morris has also become personally involved in the appraisals of potentially under-performing partners.
One partner told Legal Week: “Howard has gone from Mr Consensual to Mr Bossy and is treading on a few toes, but I am sure there is a good constituency wishing him well and saying ‘go for it’ on being much tougher on underperformance.”
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