Crown Estate gets new legal head following revamp of its legal team

Crown Estate gets new legal head following revamp of its legal team

General Counsel Rob Booth steps down to move up as new head of assets, handing over charge to ex-Hogan Lovells chair Nicholas Cheffings as legal head and company secretary

The Crown Estate has undertaken a minor reshuffle with its general counsel Rob Booth stepping down to take over as the company's new head of assets. Booth handed over to the former Hogan Lovells chair Nicholas Cheffings, who replaced Booth as interim head of legal and company secretary.

Booth was designated to take over the leadership role for the organisation's marine business effective 21 June after being in the post for five years. Booth had been associated with the Crown Estate in various roles since 2012.

Cheffings, former global chair of Hogan Lovells, who acted for many years as a senior strategic legal advisor to the business, steps in as new group head of legal and company secretary on an interim basis.

Before joining The Crown Estate, Booth worked at the city law firm Herbert Smith Freehills as a senior associate. More recently, Booth played a central role in the Bionic Lawyer Project, an initiative working to support innovation, technology and equality in the legal profession.

"This is an incredibly exciting time for our marine business, as it plays its part in helping to unlock the potential of our seabed, for the benefit of the nation, and I'm very much looking forward to taking on this next challenge," Booth said.

Cheffings had a long stint with Hogan Lovell. He was a partner at the firm from 1999 to 2019 and served as global chair from 2012 to 2018.

"Having been client relationship lead for The Crown Estate for a number of years, I have developed a strong affection for, and affinity with, both the business and its people. It was not a difficult decision for me to accept the invitation to support them through this transition and enable Rob Booth to take up his exciting new role," Cheffings said.

According to a press statement issued by the company, the move came as The Crown Estate concluded a review of its purpose and strategy, to respond to the longer-term trends impacting the business and ensure it can continue to deliver sustainable commercial success in the long term. "This includes a number of additional changes to The Crown Estate's senior team, including Oli Smith, formerly Head of The Crown Estate's St James's portfolio, who will now take on a role as Executive Director of Operations. Judith Everett will take on a new role as Executive Director of Purpose, Sustainability and Stakeholder," the statement said.

Hogan Lovells has been a longstanding advisor to the Crown Estate and has also acted as its legal advisor for its offshore renewable energy business since 2017.