Deloitte has hired Allen & Overy partner Michael Castle as its new managing partner for Deloitte Legal in the UK, having last year announced that it will offer legal advice alongside technology-enabled delivery and process optimisation.
Castle will be the first permanent lead partner for Deloitte Legal, and will begin in the role in February 2019, based in London.
Castle joins after spending more than two decades at A&O, where he was a partner in the banking practice. As managing partner at Deloitte Legal, Castle will make use of capabilities from across Deloitte and develop new ways to take legal solutions to the market. This will combine legal advice with legal managed services, technology and consultancy to provide solutions to clients looking to optimise the management of their legal operations.
Deloitte first announced plans to expand its legal services last year. Since then, the UK team now numbers 60+ client-facing practising lawyers and 125+ other fee earners who are already delivering regulated legal activities, with recruitment set to continue throughout 2019. Globally, Deloitte Legal has 2,500 professionals operating in 85 countries.
Commenting on the appointment, Matt Ellis, managing partner for tax and legal, Deloitte North West Europe, said: “We have sky-high ambitions for Deloitte Legal in the UK, and this is why it is excellent to have someone of Michael’s calibre at the helm to build our presence and grow our distinctive suite of legal offerings.
“Michael brings a wealth of experience and it is clear to see that his leadership and understanding of the legal market and appreciation of legal technology will only benefit the rest of the team and our clients. We have an ambitious, talented team that looks set to grow rapidly as we ramp up our recruitment across Deloitte Legal.”
Castle said: “Deloitte Legal is ideally placed to fill the digital gap in the legal market and provide legal solutions to tackle these complexities head on. By drawing not only on our legal expertise, but also on our deep understanding of the latest technology and tried-and-tested ways of improving processes, we can help legal departments improve efficiencies and increase the value they deliver back to their business.”