Ashurst has named a fresh London leadership team with the appointment of co-managing partners Lynn Dunne and Logan Mair, replacing the outgoing Ruth Harris, whose two-year term ends this month.

Dunne is currently head of the firm’s EMEA contentious financial services group, including its contentious restructuring and insolvency group, while Mair is a partner in its London projects team and a former member of Ashurst’s board and executive team.

Paul Jenkins, the firm’s global managing partner, said: “Both Lynn and Logan have exceptional leadership and client skills. They are highly talented lawyers with exemplary track records in delivering for the business, their teams and their clients. Their combined experience and expertise will be invaluable to the leadership of our London office.”

Dunne has been a partner at Ashurst for just over a decade, having joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, where she also spent just over 10 years. Her practice focuses on banking disputes, internal and regulatory investigations and insolvency and restructuring disputes. Mair, meantime, is an almost 30-year Ashurst veteran, joining the firm as an associate back in 1994. His practice focuses on infrastructure and public sector outsourcing projects, with a particular expertise in advising on distressed projects that need restructuring. 

Real estate finance partner Harris concludes her two-year term at the end of April having spent more than half of it navigating the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Jenkins praised Harris for leading the London office during a 'particularly challenging time', highlighting her tireless energy and compassionate and decisive leadership.

Back in April last year, the firm stood out from many of its rivals by delaying partner promotions scheduled for 1 May as part of its ‘Stronger Together’ programme in response to the Covid-19 crisis.

Meanwhile, Ashurst has been expanding globally. Earlier this month, it hired a trio of senior renewable energy lawyers in Australia from Baker McKenzie, including the co-head of its renewable energy practice Paul Curnow. He was accompanied by fellow Bakers partner Kate Phillips and special counsel Zoe Hilson, who joins Ashurst as a partner.

Last month the firm also announced plans to open in Dublin to maintain its EU competition law practice following the UK’s exit from the 27-nation bloc. Five of its London-based competition lawyers will initially split their time between the UK and Dublin.