Peter Crossley is in line to claim a second term at the helm of
Hammonds, with the national giant’s high-profile managing partner standing unopposed in its upcoming leadership election.
Crossley appears almost certain to claim a second three-year term after no rival candidates came forward during the nomination process, which closed at the end of last month.
He will be formally confirmed in the top role if he gains the support of more than 50% of the Hammonds partnership. Voting – which closes at the end of the week (14 December), with the outcome announced the following Monday – is conducted through a poll where the weight of each partner’s vote is determined by their position in the lockstep.
A spokesperson for the firm said it was “unlikely” that Crossley – whose current term expires on 30 April, 2008 – would fail to achieve the majority needed in order to continue in the role.
Crossley is widely credited with steering Hammonds through the most challenging period in its history and was nominated for the Managing/Senior Partner of the Year award at the 2007 British Legal Awards, although he ultimately lost out to TLT chief David Pester.
In July Hammonds announced its best financial performance for a number of years after charting up a 23% surge in average profits per equity partner from last year’s figure of £328,000 to £404,000.
Total profits were up 11% to £29.3m while the firm also said it had reduced its overdraft – which once stood at around £30m – by approximately 65%.
That followed a difficult few years for the top 20 UK firm, characterised by a raft of senior departures.
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