Linklaters senior partner and chair leaves firm after 31 years
Jacobs shared 'a few lessons' he will take into his new role as Co-Head of the UK Investment Bank at J.P. Morgan
Linklaters senior partner and chair, Charlie Jacobs, left the firm after 31 years on 30 June, with Aedamar Comiskey taking over as Linklaters’ first ever female senior partner.
Jacobs, a corporate lawyer who was senior partner and chair for five years, is set to start a new role as Co-Head of the UK Investment Bank at J.P. Morgan.
He shared some parting words on his LinkedIn profile: “Yesterday was my last day at Linklaters after 31 years at the Firm and the end of my five year term as Senior Partner and Chair.
“I felt nostalgic walking out the doors of Silk St for the last time yesterday evening, but I leave with a lot of gratitude and joy and countless fond memories of my time at Linklaters which will remain with me for a lifetime.
“The next generation will drive Linklaters forward, and I am excited to see where that journey takes them. I am delighted to be passing the flame on to our first ever female Senior Partner, Aedamar Comiskey and I know that under her leadership this amazing firm will be guided on the right course into the future”.
Jacobs also shared “a few lessons” he has learnt since he started as a trainee solicitor in 1990:
“1. Treat everyone you meet with respect and a smile and a please and thank you. It’s amazing how far that takes you in an organisation.
2. Believe in yourself. Be self-aware. Recognise where you could be better and work on that and complement yourself with people who have skills you don't have.
3. Be careful not to surround yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear as opposed to what you need to hear.
4. We are in a client business and we need to never take them for granted. Be careful that we are not spending too much time talking about ourselves and not enough time talking about our clients and how we can help them.
5. Lastly, find time to breathe and think. The pandemic has taught us to never take our health or wellbeing or that of our loved ones for granted”.
He said the “simple tips… are not always easy to stick to” but that he would carry them with him in his new role.