Legal Business

Skadden’s London head Buck steps down as the City claims global management positions in energy and litigation

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom’s longstanding European head Bruce Buck has stepped down from his role as London head as the leading Wall Street firm also makes a series of senior appointments that have seen a shift in power to the City.

After 25 years as Skadden’s City head, London-office founder Buck (pictured) has been replaced by corporate partner Pranav Trivedi. Buck will continue to serve as the firm’s European head.

Trivedi has experience in advising on international corporate finance including initial public offerings and privatisations, cross-border M&A, joint ventures and private equity. He was previously head of Moscow and has now been replaced by corporate finance partners Dmitri Kovalenko and Alexey Kiyashko.

Other changes to the 1,735-lawyer white shoe firm’s leadership line-up include London-based Karyl Nairn QC and disputes partner David Kavanagh’s appointment as global co-heads of the firm’s international litigation and arbitration group alongside New York disputes partner John Gardiner.

London energy and infrastructure projects partner Doug Nordlinger has taken over as global head of the energy and infrastructure projects group, replacing previous head and energy partner Marty Klepper in Washington DC.

Buck joined Skadden in 1988 after the high profile M&A partner was headhunted to establish the London office and head the firm’s European operations. In 1990, he began to work more closely in Russia and has managed the firm’s Russian practice since the opening of the Moscow office in 1992. He is also the chairman and director of Chelsea Football Club and worked on the acquisition of the club by an investment vehicle for Roman Abramovich.

A spokesperson for the firm said that the move was ‘a natural evolution’.

jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk