Arbitration specialist Edward Poulton has been elected managing partner of Baker McKenzie’s London office – the largest in its network. 

Poulton will start his three-year term in July when he succeeds Alex Chadwick, who is stepping down from the role a year early to take a more senior post as CEO of the global giant’s Europe, Middle East and Africa operations. Poulton, who edged out global antitrust and competition head Samantha Mobley for the role, has been with Bakers for two decades, including ten years as a partner in the firm’s dispute resolution practice.  

His arbitration experience ranges from contract and M&A disputes to specialist claims in the banking sector and investment treaty claims. He sits as an arbitrator in ICC and LCIA arbitrations, and chairs the steering committee for the firm’s global international arbitration practice group.  

He has been a member of the firm’s London management committee since 2018, and has played a key role in the firm’s coronavirus response team as the pandemic unfolded over the last year.

He said: “We are at an exciting juncture in the evolution of our office, having experienced significant growth and success over the past five years, particularly in our transactional practice groups. I want to pursue that growth path, at the same time as we continue to adapt to working and living with the Covid-19 pandemic.” 

He added that we was “looking forward to taking the reins as we finalise plans for our move to our new offices at 280 Bishopsgate in 2023". 

Meanwhile, Chadwick, a veteran tax partner who has served as managing partner of the firm’s London office since 2016, is succeeding Brussels-based competition specialist Fiona Carlin as head of EMEA. 

He spearheaded the firm’s planned move to its new City office, which it hailed as a “significant milestone” in its long-term plans to further expand its London office, which has 400 lawyers amid a team of 1000 professionals. 

In June last year, a trio of London partners took up key roles at the firm. London derivatives partner Matthew Denning was named chair of the firm's banking and finance practice, Helen Bradley was named capital markets chair and Karen Guch was named global private equity chair.