More of Morley

It was at the Granita restaurant that Gordon Brown and Tony Blair drew up their famous leadership pact. One wonders whether Guy Beringer and David Morley forged a similar agreement at some upmarket St Paul’s wine bar before Morley became managing partner back in 2002. As legalweek.com reported yesterday (see story), the partners at Allen & Overy (A&O) have agreed to extend Morley’s term so that it will finish when Beringer’s second term as senior partner comes to an end. Conveniently, that would pave the way for Morley to become the top dog at A&O in 2008. Few will doubt that this is Morley’s ambition — and few would bet against his assuming the role, given both his reputation as a client winner and a natural communicator.

Then again, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer discovered recently, there is many a slip between cup and lip — especially given A&O’s track record when it comes to choosing its leaders. The firm’s refusal to back the legendary Bill Tudor John in the 1999 senior partner elections remains the benchmark against which all other leadership upsets in City law are measured. Of course, Tudor John was a famously robust character, while Morley is as smooth an operator as you can get. Still, to be a good managing partner you have to make enemies. Linklaters’ David Cheyne cannily stood down as head of corporate in the run-up to the senior partner elections — a move that freed his hand ahead of his successful bid to take Linklaters’ helm.

Interestingly for a firm that has provoked internal grumblings for foisting management diktats on the partnership, the extension of Morley’s term was sanctioned by a full vote. On one level that may look merely symbolic, since the firm was hardly like to block it — but giving partners their say was probably a wise move politically.

Assuming Morley does make the transition, you can get an early indication of what a Morley platform would look like from an interview with him that Legal Week ran in August (see article). Essentially, the message is corporate, and more corporate, coupled with an expansion drive in New York, France, Germany and China. That should keep corporate happy. But A&O-watchers predict that it is keeping onside Morley’s core constituency — the firm’s heavyweight but still somewhat unsettled finance team — that could prove the real challenge.

john.malpas@legalweek.com