Mishcon de Reya unveils new leadership team

Mishcon de Reya has appointed employment head Daniel Naftalin as its new managing partner, alongside a new-look leadership team.

Naftalin will take over from James Libson in the summer, following a transition period. Mishcon said he was elected by partners “with a strong mandate”.

Libson has spent six years in the role since his appointment in 2020. His tenure included steering the firm through the pandemic and being in post when Mishcon decided to pull the plug on a closely watched plan to float on the London stock market in 2022, a move it attributed at the time to unfavourable market conditions. He was also at the helm during Mishcon’s 2023 merger with tech specialist Taylor Vinters.

He leaves the firm following a record set of financial results announced in September, with revenue reaching £330 million and profits up 14% to £110 million. In November, Mishcon stepped up its international expansion, announcing launches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Leadership refresh

Naftalin will serve as managing partner supported by an executive partner team of white collar crime specialist Johanna Walsh and real estate litigator Daniel Levy.

The appointments come as Mishcon has been actively freshening up its leadership. In September, the firm unveiled a new five-year strategy and appointed former NatWest chief executive Dame Alison Rose as independent non-executive chair to oversee its delivery.

Naftalin joined Mishcon in 1998 and has been a partner since 2004. Walsh joined Mishcon as a partner in 2019 and leads the firm’s white collar crime and investigations team. Levy, who joined in 2006, founded and leads the real estate litigation team and has served on both the management and operations boards.

What they said

Libson said: “I am delighted that Daniel has been elected as the new managing partner. His deep understanding of and commitment to the firm is unrivalled, and he has exciting plans to continue to grow Mishcon de Reya as an outstanding law firm.”

Naftalin said he was “delighted and excited” to have been elected, adding that he wanted to guide the firm to “a successful, profitable and sustainable future” in an increasingly competitive market.