Baker & McKenzie has appointed Julia Hayhoe global director, strategy implementation.
Julia is qualified as a solicitor and practised for a number of years as a commercial litigator, spending time on secondment to the in-house legal department of a large public company.
After obtaining an MBA, she moved into law firm business development at Clifford Chance then into management consultancy, where she was a partner with Hildebrandt (now HBR Consulting), in London, New York and Washington, DC, advising on professional services strategy, leadership and organisation design.
Since 2007, Julia has been the director of strategy and business development for Baker & McKenzie’s London office. In that period, the London office has risen to become a top-10 firm in the annual Acritas UK law firm brand survey.
In her new role based in London, Julia will be responsible for working with the chairman, chief operating office and executive committee in the implementation of the firm’s strategic priorities, spearheading special projects that are vital to achieving the firm’s strategic objectives and engaging with external organisations and consultants on key firm priorities.
Craig Courter, Baker & McKenzie’s chief operating officer, said: ‘Julia brings to this important role a deep understanding of both the legal profession and our firm, as well as a keen and insightful strategic sensibility. These are valuable talents at this time of rapid change in the business of law.’
Julia said: ‘Having worked extensively in professional services, I have a very clear understanding of the need not just to define strategy but implement it effectively. At Baker & McKenzie, we place great emphasis on understanding our clients’ changing needs and how we need to adapt to meet them through strategic and operational innovation.
‘I look forward to playing an important role in the firm’s continuing efforts to adapt and thrive.’
Julia has a postgraduate qualification from Columbia University in New York and an MBA from Manchester Business School. She qualified as a solicitor with the College of Law in Guildford and has an LLB from the University of Essex.
