Slaughter and May appoints first chief operations officer

Slaughter and May appoints first chief operations officer

Jill Hoseason's selection completes a major overhaul of the firm's management structure

London-based law firm Slaughter and May has appointed Jill Hoseason as its first chief operations officer (COO). Hoseason has been working with S&M's (Magic Circle firm) rival Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's as global COO.

Hoseason, who will join S&M in February 2022, said, "I am delighted to join the firm. A change in management and the creation of these two new roles is an exciting challenge and I very much look forward to getting started."

Her appointment completes a major overhaul of the firm's management structure that brings it in line with the model adopted by other leading law firms.

The shake-up unveiled a few months ago, saw the firm vote in its first managing partner, litigation partner Deborah Finkler. She will take up the role in May 2022 when practice partner David Wittmann and executive partner Paul Stacey retire after completing their seven and five-year terms, respectively.

Hoseason will report to Finkler, providing managerial and operational support. Finkler will assume the functions of the practice partner in addition to the strategic elements of the executive partner's role.

Hoseason had joined Freshfields as head of Human Resources from PwC in 2008. She became COO in 2014 and global COO in 2017.