Leading commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has revelaed the selection of Tas Quayum as chief operating officer.
Tas joins the firm as an experienced COO with a background in financial and professional services having previously worked at leading global investment banks, JP Morgan and Barclays Capital.
He formerly worked as COO for the professional services division of Smith and Williamson (now Evelyn Partners) and prior to that as COO of KPMG’s financial services, risk consulting and government and infrastructure businesses. He was most recently COO of Forresters, an international IP law firm.
Welcoming him to the firm, chief executive officer Peter Jackson said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Tas Quayum as chief operating officer at Hill Dickinson. He joins us at a time when the firm has experienced five years of successive growth during which time we have also added two new UK offices and more than 50 additional partners and legal directors to our global headcount.
“As a law firm that is constantly looking ahead to ensure our operating model remains fit for purpose in an increasingly competitive world, we appointed our first ever COO in 2016. It marked a transformative step for our business and now more than ever, as we continue to grow, it is a role that remains crucial to our ongoing success.”
Peter Jackson continued: “Finding the right candidate to combine the roles of high-level strategist with the ability to manage the day-to-day execution of our operations across all our offices and key business groups, both in the UK and internationally, was no mean feat. The board and I look forward to introducing Tas to our office heads and practice teams across the firm and setting in motion a number of exciting initiatives already planned for 2023.”
Tas Quayum said: “The opportunity to take up the position of COO at Hill Dickinson at this point in my career is something I was delighted to accept. I had seen from afar in recent years the success with which the firm has achieved sustained organic growth while maintaining a people-first culture that is the envy of many other law firms. I am proud to be part of a team that aims to shape and deliver continued commercial growth for Hill Dickinson and our clients in the coming months and years.”
Tas has operated at executive committee level for a number of years and was a member of the operations committee of both KPMG and Smith and Williamson. His strong project experience includes having led multiple front office projects, including the integration of the Barclays and Lehman Fixed Income Syndicate businesses.
He succeeds Hill Dickinson’s previous COO, Iain Johnston, who has chosen to step down from the role after seven years, while remaining very much involved in the firm as a director on the executive board.