Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed its first female global chair,Tricia Hobson, who will take up the post in January. The role of global chair is an ambassadorial leadership role with a one-year term. Ms Hobson  takes over from Stephen Parish His term as global chair will expire this month but he will continue as chair of Norton Rose Fulbright in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

Global diversity

Ms Hobson, who is currently Australian chair, is a Sydney-based litigation partner specialising in class actions in the insurance industry. In her new role, she will focus on fostering the global firm’s cross-border collaboration, innovation and client relationship development. She will also be responsible for promoting global diversity and inclusion initiatives.

Importance of Asia Pacific

Commenting on the promotion, Peter Martyr, global chief executive, said: 'The appointment of Tricia Hobson to the role of global chair for Norton Rose Fulbright demonstrates the importance of the Asia Pacific region to the development of our global business. Tricia’s knowledge and extensive experience of working within the global insurance industry will be invaluable as we look to grow our practice.'Ms Hobson said she was honoured to be the first female partner appointed to the global chair role.