Two candidates are standing against Pinsent Masons' encumbent managing partner Laura Cameron in a contest for the role, which could see the firm's two main leadership positions change hands in the space of a month.
The firm's head of property, Richard Griffiths, and UK head of employment and incentives, Helen Corden, are in the running against Cameron to be the next MP according to sources familiar with the matter.
The trio were accepted by Pinsents' nomination committee to stand as candidates, with the winner to begin their term on 1 November, one month after John Maciver succeeds Andrew Masraf as senior partner.
A veteran of Pinsents of more than 30 years, Cameron led the firm's risk advisory services group and became the first woman appointed to its global board before taking over as managing partner in May 2023 from John Cleland, who had served the maximum of two four-year terms in the role allowed by Pinsents.
With her support, her term has been shortened by the firm's decision to bring in a unified election calendar for the senior partner and managing partner roles.
Griffiths is a leading energy and infrastructure consents lawyer who joined Pinsents as a trainee in 2002 and made partner at the firm a decade later.
Corden has had a similarly lengthy tenure at the firm, having joined in 2000 and making partner in 2017. She focuses on complex and high-profile investigations and managing disputes.
A Pinsents spokesperson commented: "As Laura Cameron has completed her term, firm protocol requires an election process to take place for the role of managing partner. We will not be commenting further until the process has completed.”
Pinsents' managing partner has overall responsibility for the day-to-day management and operations of the firm globally, while the senior partner has ultimate responsibility for its leadership.
GLP understands Masraf, who took over as senior partner in October 2022, had sought a second term and that alongside Maciver contenders for the role included risk advisory services group head Jim Cormack KC, Middle East head Catherine Workman and Amsterdam office head Wouter Seinen.
The elections follow Pinsents reporting a modest 3.3% rise in revenue in the 2026 financial year to just over £700m, as profit per equity partner fell to £740k, having hovered at just below £800k for the previous two financial years after gains of 8% and 16% respectively in FY23 and FY22.
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