Baker McKenzie has appointed Sydney based Partner, Anne-Marie Allgrove to the position of National Managing Partner, effective 1 July 2023 (for a 4 year term).
Anne-Marie is no stranger to leadership positions over her 28 years with the Firm, currently serving as Global Chair of the Intellectual Property and Technology Practice Group, Chair of the Inclusion & Diversity Committee (Australia), member of the Global Firm's Finance Committee and long-term member of the Australian Management Committee.Anne-Marie joined Baker McKenzie as a Summer Clerk and has worked in its offices in London, Paris, Singapore and Sydney. She has worked for large local and global clients across her many years with the Firm, working closely with partners across the globe.
Current National Managing Partner, Anthony Foley stated: "Anne-Marie exemplifies the best of Baker McKenzie. After growing up in different parts of the world and serving as an associate on the High Court of Australia, Anne-Marie joined us as a graduate and through her extraordinary talent, commercial acumen and hard work, she has become recognized by clients and the market as a leading lawyer in IP, data and technology. Anne-Marie is a globally connected, empathetic and inspiring leader, and she has been a pioneer in championing inclusion and diversity in our firm and communities. Anne-Marie's appointment comes at an exciting time for our firm and I'm confident that she will continue our growth and impact in the Australian market in years to come."
In response to her appointment, Anne-Marie first praised Anthony's leadership, stating: "Anthony has taken our Firm forward in great strides. Under his calm and considered leadership over the last six years, we have navigated a global pandemic, assembled and grown a first class group of lawyers and enjoyed multiple years of record revenue growth. On a personal level, I have worked for many years with Anthony and am grateful for his ongoing support."
When asked what being appointed to the role means, Anne-Marie responded: "It’s a great honor. We have a unique offering in the market supporting our local and global clients on their most significant projects leveraging the strength of our practice and industry specialists and our global platform. I am very proud of the Firm. I look forward to working with our people and clients to continue to support their (and the Firm's) growth and success in an ever changing market. I am excited for what the future holds and the opportunity to ensure others have the opportunities and successes I have had at the Firm."
When asked what it means to be the first female to hold the position of managing partner for Baker McKenzie in Australia, Anne-Marie stated: "Hopefully my appointment (and the recent appointment of other women to senior leadership roles in the legal profession) further contributes to normalizing the advancement of women to senior leadership positions. Whilst the first of something is of course notable, I look forward to a time when the gender of our leaders is completely unremarkable. That said, we have a long way to go and if my appointment helps to demonstrate what's possible for women in our Firm, or elsewhere, I am pleased."
Anne-Marie is recognized in Chambers as a leading individual and was named Best Lawyer of the Year for Privacy and Data Security in 2022 (The Best Lawyers in Australia), as well as Leading Individual for TMT: IT and Telecoms from 2012 to 2022 and Hall of Fame for 2022 (Legal 500).