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Taylor Wessing taps King & Wood for COO Reid following MP resignation

Just days after the resignation of King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) European practice head William Boss, Taylor Wessing has announced it has hired KWM chief operating officer (COO) Rachel Reid.

One of the core team that led the merger negotiations between SJ Berwin and King & Wood Mallesons in 2013, Reid will join Taylor Wessing to take the COO post in early February. 

After five years at the firm, Reid officially stepped down at the end of October and has been succeeded on an interim basis by the KWM Australia COO, Tim Finlayson.

On Friday (15 January) it emerged that KWM is holding managing partner elections for Europe after Boss, who will officially step down from his role at the end of April, said he was leaving to concentrate on his real estate practice full time. The practice includes clients such as Marks & Spencer, The Crown Estate and Battersea Power Station.

Meanwhile, Taylor Wessing has also hired Liz Bunce-Grundy from Cushman & Wakefield, to join as international HR director. Bunce-Grundy had been international HR director at the surveying firm and a member of the global management committee and European board. The HR specialist returns to the legal sector having previously served as global and UK HR director at Clifford Chance for four years, and prior to this as head of global employment policy and systems at Allen & Overy.

Taylor Wessing managing partner Tim Eyles said: ‘It’s great to be welcoming two such heavy hitting professionals. Their combination of international experience and track record of delivering large scale innovation will be invaluable as we pursue our ambitious growth strategy in such a fast-paced market.’

sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk