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Charles Russell Speechlys has appointed Duncan Eadie as director of information technology.
Eadie was formerly IT director at Foot Anstey and in 2015 was made an equity partner at the UK top 100 firm. He is still one of the few UK IT directors to be awarded partner status.
Eadie’s previous roles have included IT manager at White & Case for a year between 2002-03; and Head of IT for London, CIS and the Middle East at Baker McKenzie between 2003 – 08. Before White & Case he was senior international business liaison manager at Norton Rose Fulbright.
James Carter, managing partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, said: “Technology is a key element of the firm’s strategic positioning and client proposition. We look forward to having Duncan at the helm of our technology change and innovation projects and I warmly welcome him to the firm.”
It’s not often we mention what IT directors do in their spare time, that could be dangerous. But Eadie was notably a member of the first British team to cross the Penny Icecap in the Canadian Arctic and has completed expeditions crossing Greenland and to the North Pole, resulting in his book Cold Feat: A Journey to the North Magnetic Pole.
He takes over from Sam Luxford-Watts, who was only appointed as permanent IT director in January 2018 after working on an interim basis for a few months.
Before that the role was held by Rob Cohen, who is now CEO of Futurae, a consultancy specialising in risk management and IT merger due diligence and restructuring.
Speaking to Legal IT Insider about his new role Eadie, who started at Charles Russell on 11 June, said: “It’s obviously a great firm and they are a considerable size after their merger three and a half years ago. They are looking to take their technology to the next level and all the things I’ve done before in an international setting.”
He adds: “The legal environment is becoming more competitive with a greater focus on technology and it is a great place for technology to flourish.”
