Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) has appointed corporate partner Jinal Shah as its next UK managing partner.

Shah will succeed Segun Osuntokun, who has held the role since 2018 and will take up the new post of global senior partner in January.

Shah steps up to the management role after a relatively short stint at BCLP, which he joined in 2021 from Orrick, where he made partner in 2012.

During his time at BCLP, Shah has been instrumental in leading teams across a variety of high-profile deals for clients including Angel Trains, one of the UK’s largest rolling stock companies, Carrefour, the French multinational retail group, French pay TV operator Canal+ and Ocado Group. 

With a broad sectoral practice than spans private and public companies, financial institutions and private equity funds, his is a mainstream corporate practice which majors on acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures and strategic investments, as well as associated regulatory advice. 

He regularly acts in the infrastructure and TMT sectors, with an emphasis on cross-border and domestic M&A, and specialises in acting for clients buying and selling operating infrastructure businesses.

“I’m honoured to assume the responsibility of leading BCLP’s UK offices and appreciate the confidence that our firm’s leadership has expressed in me taking this position,” he said. “Segun has done a remarkable job leading our UK business and I am eager to build on these successes and get started in this new role.”

Co-chairs Lisa Mayhew and Steve Baumer said: “Jinal has made a significant impact within our global corporate and finance transactions team, helping to bring significant new clients to the firm and leading collaborative cross-practice and cross-border teams on multiple high-profile deals. We are confident that as the UK managing partner, his leadership will be equally as impactful.”

The appointment is the latest of a series of management changes at the firm, triggered by the terms of its partnership agreement, which called for a transition from firmwide co-chairs to a single leadership structure in 2024.

In July, the firm announced that Baumer would become global CEO from the start of 2024 when Mayhew will step down.

A wider leadership shake-up has seen London-based Carol Osborne appointed global leader of the firm’s corporate and finance transactions practice and Nazir Dewji take over from Chris de Pury as global leader of real estate team. De Pury, meanwhile, has been appointed head of strategic growth. 

Earlier this month, the firm unveiled 24 new partners. Also this month, Shah’s own practice group recruited private equity partner Russell Van Praagh from McDermott Will & Emery.