December 11, 2007
Duncan Weston announced as next CMS Cameron McKenna Managing Partner
Following a vote of the firm’s partnership, Duncan Weston has been appointed as CMS Cameron McKenna LLP’s next Managing Partner.
Duncan Weston will succeed Dick Tyler on 1 May 2008, when Dick Tyler’s second term as Managing Partner comes to an end.
He has been with CMS Cameron McKenna (joining McKenna & Co) since 1993, becoming a 
Partner in 1995. Between 1993 and 1998, he was head of the firm’s Prague office. During this time, the firm achieved an excellent reputation as one of the best legal firms in Prague and gained work from many clients. The Czech practice of CMS Cameron McKenna is highly rated in real estate, corporate and M&A, private equity, privatisations and financial services. Clients include Advent International, Czech Government, Erste Bank, Bank Austria Creditanstalt, Mid Europa Partners, UBM, Standard Life Investments Ltd., RREEF (Deutsche Bank Real Estate Opportunities Group), and Mayfield Group.
Duncan Weston is currently Managing Partner of the firm’s Central and Eastern European (CEE) office network with offices in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine. He is also Client Lead Partner for major private equity clients in the region. During his time as CEE Managing Partner the firm’s practice in the region has grown dramatically. Fee income has tripled, the firm merged with Eastern European commercial law firm Hayhurst Robinson at the start of 2006, and new offices have opened including expansion this September into Kyiv, Ukraine. CMS Cameron McKenna’s network of offices in eight countries, with over 300 lawyers, makes it a pre-eminent law firm in Central and Eastern Europe. Duncan has specialist legal expertise in privatisation, cross border M&A and private equity investment and joint ventures.
“I am delighted to take on this role and am grateful for the support of my partners,” commented Duncan Weston. “Dick has been an excellent Managing Partner and is a tough act to follow. My initial priority will be to build on our recent success, to enable us to achieve our three-year objectives.”
Senior Partner, Richard Price, said, “Dick has done a terrific job. Duncan will be a great Managing Partner and I look forward to working alongside him to build on the significant progress we have made over the last few years. We are in excellent shape and are very excited about the future. Our partners have made a great choice in Duncan.”
At the start of November, the firm announced half-year results that showed a turnover of £103 million. This was 21 per cent up on the previous year. CMS Cameron McKenna’s three-year strategy targets include growing the firm aggressively to achieve a turnover of at least £250 million by 2009 and building on the firm’s existing footprint in order to enhance its distinctive European offering.
Managing Partners at CMS Cameron McKenna are appointed for terms of four years, with a maximum tenure of two terms. Dick Tyler will have served for two terms by the time he steps down next year. Profits per partner have doubled over the period of his tenure.