The boy David

If Herbert Smith were a person, they would probably be described as diligent, sincere, down-to-earth, slightly dishevelled, shy of the limelight, and certainly more keen on Asian than European climes. Likewise its new managing partner David Willis, who arrives for the Legal Business interview with his lunch in a brown paper bag and his grey hair only marginally more coiffed than Boris Johnson’s.

A 49-year-old corporate partner who has been with Herbert Smith his entire career, Willis has always adopted a relaxed demeanour whilst remaining firmly in the shadows at press parties. The contrast to larger-than-life senior partner David Gold, who can strike fear into his own partners let alone his adversaries, is stark.

Willis is chilled out, and insiders say he is totally undaunted by Gold’s sometimes abrasive personality, and more than willing to challenge him. A rainmaker who has led the financial institutions group for the last year and served as managing partner of the firm’s Asia operations for four years until 2001, Willis has won internal respect through hard work on big deals. Now he is stepping out of the shadows, and in his first interview since taking on the top job, he tucks into his sandwich with gusto despite having received no indication from his PA as to its contents.

‘David’s style is sleeves rolled up and tie loose, if at all,’ corporate partner James Palmer says, who first worked for him as a junior associate in the 1980s. ‘He’s almost the embodiment of a Herbert Smith partner: very meritocratic, very straightforward, very open and very honest. Anyone who works with him will tell you he’s incredibly loyal to his team. If there’s an issue, he’ll say: “Let’s talk about it over a beer or a coffee.”’

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