Pinsent Masons has elected a new senior partner to succeed incumbent Andrew Masraf, who is stepping down at the end of his first term following a contested election.
Partner John Maciver, head of the firm's financial services sector, will succeed Masraf on 1 October. GLP understands Masraf sought to extend his term for a further four years and that other contenders for the role included risk advisory services group head Jim Cormack KC, Middle East head Catherine Workman and Amsterdam office head Wouter Seinen.
A spokesperson for the firm did not confirm the identity of the election candidates, commenting: "We had some very strong candidates in the process who remain valued leaders within our firm. As the process has concluded, we won’t be going into any further detail."
Masraf, a veteran of the firm of more than 30 years who had previously served as its global head of corporate and global head of transactional services, took over as senior partner in 2022 from Richard Foley, who had served the maximum of two four-year terms in the role allowed by Pinsents.
GLP understands Masraf's election for his first term was unopposed. A spokesperson for Pinsent Masons did not comment on whether he would return to practice at the firm at the end of his term as senior partner.
Masraf said: “Leading the firm for the last four years has been a tremendous privilege. Among turbulent times, the firm has remained focused on its long-term strategy and has made strides towards achieving our vision. Congratulations to John. I know that he will continue to inspire the business to break conventions, think differently and embrace our originality.”
During Masraf’s tenure, the firm's turnover increased from £531m in FY22 to £680m in FY25, while profit per equity partner rose in that time from £739k to just under £800k, having stalled in FY25 and FY24 following strong growth in the previous years.
The firm has also continued to expand its international footprint, most recently launching an office in Warsaw with partners hired from rivals including CMS and Dentons and signing a partnership with China Commercial Law Firm in the Qianhai Free Trade Zone.
Edinburgh-based Maciver joined Pinsents legacy firm McGrigors as a trainee in 1995 and spent his junior career with the firm in Scotland before stints at Clifford Chance and DLA Piper in London. He returned to McGrigors in 2008, four years before its merger with Pinsents, and has been influential in shaping the firm’s financial services sector strategy and embedding the use of legal technology into the practice.
Pinsents noted that under his leadership the financial services sector has grown by more than 20% in the last two financial years.
Maciver said it was "an honour" to be elected as senior partner, adding: "Our firm has globally recognised strength and depth across our key sectors, and a reputation for innovation and client service which we are rightly proud of.
"Our industry has evolved significantly over recent years, and that pace of change will continue. We have made, and will continue to make, the investments in people and technology which enable our clients to rely on us when the stakes are high."
Maciver said that Masraf was “held in the highest regard across our business” and thanked him for “his tremendous contribution to our firm over 33 years”.
Cormack, Workman and Wouter did not respond to requests for comment.
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