A&O Shearman Elects Senior Leaders for Soon-to-Be Created Firm

The soon-to-be created A&O Shearman has selected Khalid Garousha, who currently serves as interim global managing partner of Allen & Overy, as senior partner of the new firm.

Leading the firm alongside Garousha will be Allen & Overy’s Paris managing partner Hervé Ekué, who will serve as managing partner of A&O Shearman.

Adam Hakki, currently senior partner of New York-founded Shearman & Sterling, has been appointed co-chair of the global A&O Shearman board and executive committee. Hakki will lead the firm’s US business as its chair and also continue to represent clients. Doreen Lilienfeld, Shearman’s global managing partner, will serve as co-managing partner of the US business and will also continue to represent clients.

Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling’s long-awaited merger is set to close on May 1. The firms announced their plan to merge in May 2023. Partners at both operations voted to approve it in October, with more than 99% of the votes cast at each firm in favor.

The combined firm will have about 3,900 lawyers and 800 partners across 48 offices.

Allen & Overy held elections to select the senior leadership of A&O Shearman, with eight candidates vying for the top managing and senior partner roles. Additional senior and other leadership appointments for the new firm will be drawn from both firms and announced later, the firms said.

“I am honored that the partnership has put its trust in me to lead A&O Shearman as its first senior partner,” Garousha said in a statement Friday. Hakki said he’s “very much looking forward to working closely with our soon-to-be new partners and leadership team.”