Allen & Overy partner Khalid Garousha in Abu Dhabi was elected as senior partner of A&O Shearman effective May 1, the firms said. Paris-based Hervé Ekué, also from Allen & Overy, was elected managing partner.

The new leaders will step up at a pivotal moment for London-founded Allen & Overy and New York-founded Shearman, which said May is the target for completing the merger. The deal, first announced in May 2023, is poised to create a firm with more than 3,900 lawyers across 48 offices.

New York-based Adam Hakki, who is currently Shearman's senior partner, has been appointed co-chair of the global A&O Shearman board and executive committee, the firms said. Hakki will also be chair of the firm's U.S. business.

Doreen Lilienfeld, Shearman's global managing partner who practices in New York and Menlo Park, California, will serve as co-managing partner of the combined firm's U.S. business. Both Hakki and Lilienfeld will continue to represent clients, the firms said.

The deal gives Shearman, one of New York oldest and most prominent law firms, broader scale internationally, particularly after the firm saw a wave of departures in 2022 and early 2023. The merger will give Allen & Overy greater scale in the United States, especially in New York, where London-founded firms have long sought growth.

Garousha has served as interim global managing partner of Allen & Overy since September. He will take over as senior partner from Wim Dejonghe, who has served in the top spot since 2016.

Garousha has also been the firm's regional managing partner for the Middle East and Turkey, while Ekué is currently managing partner in Paris.

Allen & Overy held elections in February for the senior leadership positions. There were three Allen & Overy partners in the running for the senior partner role, and five that were vying to be managing partner, the firm previously said. Shearman lawyers were not in the running for the top roles.

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