Irish lawyer Aedamar Comiskey has been elected as the new senior partner of global law firm Linklaters LLP, becoming the first woman to lead the group.
Ms Comiskey, who currently serves as the firm’s global head of corporate, will take up her five-year term on July 1st. She succeeds current senior partner Charlie Jacobs.
A University College Dublin graduate, Ms Comiskey (54) is originally from Monaghan. Among her high-profile deals, according to the Law Society Gazette, was advising Dixons on its £4 billion merger with Carphone Warehouse in 2014.
“I am hugely proud to have been elected the firm’s first female senior partner,” Ms Comiskey said. “It is an honour and a privilege. Thank you to my colleagues for their trust and confidence in me. I intend to deliver on the vision set out in my manifesto.
“I want Linklaters to stand out as the law firm with the best minds in the business from truly diverse backgrounds, contributing different perspectives to solve the complex challenges facing business and society today.
“And as we launch out of lockdown, our focus will be on fostering drive, ambition and creativity from our high-performing teams across the world, to deliver outstanding results for our world-class clients.”
Mr Jacobs said Ms Comiskey, who was elected in a ballot on which all three candidates were women, would be “a terrific next senior partner” who would lead the firm “with confidence and distinction”.
“I have known Aedamar for her whole career at Linklaters,” he said. “I have so much admiration for her client focus, strategic thinking and leadership skills not to mention her energy and passion for our people, culture and communities.
“I know she will lead the firm with confidence and distinction, and I shall follow with great interest the direction in which she takes the firm during her term.”
Ms Comiskey joined the firm as a trainee in London 29 years ago and was elected partner in 2001. She leads the firm’s relationship with seven of its largest international clients across a broad range of sectors.
She was recently recognised by Financial News as one of the 20 Most Influential in Legal Services 2021.
