International law firm Lovells has re-appointed Patrick Sherrington as Practice Stream Leader, Dispute Resolution for a further three year term from the expiry of his present term on 31 October 2005. As
Practice Stream Leader, Dispute Resolution Patrick will continue to serve as a member of the firm's International Executive, which has responsibility for developing Lovells' strategy across its practice areas and regions and for the full range of business driving issues. He has overall responsibility for the Dispute Resolution Stream, which is represented in each of the firm's regions, having extensive coverage in Europe, a rapidly expanding practice in the US and a highly regarded practice in Asia.
The practice stream's expertise is focused primarily on international arbitration, insurance & reinsurance, banking & finance, insolvency, fraud & asset recovery, product liability and professional indemnity. It has experience of dispute resolution in more than 100 countries and is involved in many large complex multi-jurisdictional cases.
Patrick's reappointment comes at an
important time for dispute resolution practices as they tackle a number of significant issues for clients, including:
- Increasing expectation both as to the sector expertise of dispute resolution lawyers and their efficiency and cost effectiveness;
- The increasing role of arbitration and other forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) in the dispute resolution lawyer's armoury;
- The changes in the legal profession which have 'blurred' the distinction between the traditional work of barristers and solicitors;
- Client demand for integrated dispute resolution expertise internationally, particularly pan-European and transatlantic.
In the
United States (U.S.) Lovells has 60 lawyers in Chicago and New York, including 11 dispute resolution partners. The firm is committed to further growth in the U.S., including significant expansion in New York where Lovells will be moving to new premises early next year. Patrick's reappointment follows a consultation with the Partnership led by Lovells' Managing Partner, David Harris, and a
vote by the partnership which closed on 27 July 2005.
Commenting on the outcome, David Harris said:
"Patrick's reappointment is part of an ongoing review of the membership of Lovells' International Executive (IE) as the three year terms of the initial appointees come to an end in October. His reappointment gives us the benefit of continuity in the ongoing expansion of a very important part of the firm's practice, most notably in the US."
Patrick Sherrington added:
"I am pleased to be given the opportunity to continue to lead this outstanding practice as we seek to consolidate our position as a pre-eminent dispute resolution practice in the UK and to further develop our widely recognised capability in Asia, Europe and the US, both in litigation and arbitration.
Patrick Sherrington (53) has been a partner at Lovells since 1985. He is head of litigation and alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a commercial litigation partner and a practising mediator. His major practice areas include arbitration, energy, product liability, insurance claims, professional negligence, banking & securities, contractual and tortious disputes. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is on the board of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR) with whom he is accredited as a mediator. He has been a solicitor advocate since 1995. He completed the LLB at Exeter University and the LLM at the University of Illinois. He qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 1980, in Hong Kong in 1987 and in Australia in 1990.
Lovells' United States offices are located in the major financial centres: New York (established 1977) and Chicago (established 1995). Lovells has developed a US law capability in areas that enhance the firm's international practice, and currently has more than 60 lawyers in the US, including over 50 dispute resolution lawyers. The firm continues to maintain strong relationships with a number of the leading New York and national firms.