Israeli firm S. Horowitz & Co partner Michelle Liberman has been elected chair of global law firm network Lex Mundi, one of a number of new appointments made to its board of directors.

Liberman, who has served on Lex Mundi’s board since 2017 in roles including secretary and chair-elect, replaces outgoing chair Ben Haglund of US firm Day Pitney.

Helena Samaha, president and CEO of Lex Mundi, said: “We are delighted to welcome Michelle to the role of chair. We have exciting plans for Lex Mundi and look forward to taking these strategies forward under her stewardship.”

Liberman has been at Lex Mundi member firm S. Horowitz & Co for 24 years, having joined as an articled clerk in 1996. She has been a partner since 2004 and specialises in banking and finance law, and commercial and corporate law.

Liberman said: “I am extremely excited and humbled at the opportunity to serve as the chair of Lex Mundi and further strengthen the organisation. Especially during the current global crisis, the ability to share experience and knowledge between top-tier firms around the globe and the ability to collaborate and work together for multinational clients is vital. Now, more than ever, Lex Mundi is enhancing the member firms’ ability to best serve their clients.”

Other new appointments include US firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath partner Angie Castille, who was named chair-elect, Swiss firm Pestalozzi partner Christoph Lang, who was elected secretary, and US firm Michael, Best & Friedrich partner Tom Miller, who was elected treasurer. 

Ricardo Arango, of Panamanian firm Arias Fabrega & Fabrega, and Michiel Pannekok, of Dutch firm Houthoff, were elected to Lex Mundi’s executive committee, where they will serve alongside Liberman, Castille, Lang, Miller, Haglund and Samaha.

Lex Mundi members also elected three new directors to the board: Edward Kim, of South Korean firm Lee & Ko; Kate McGlivray, of Canada’s Blake Cassels & Graydon; and Ross McInnes, of Australia’s Clayton Utz. All three will serve four-year terms.

The new appointments were made at the law firm network’s annual meeting this month, which was held remotely for the first time.

In March, the network Meritas named former Venable business development director Sona Pancholy as its next president.