Reed Smith names veteran Paris partner
Following nearly five years in the role, José Astigarraga steps down as chair, succeeded by Peter Rosher
A new arbitration practice leader, Paris-based partner, Peter Rosher has been appointed by Reed Smith, taken over from José Astigarraga. Astigarraga joined Reed Smith in 2017 and began his duties as the firm’s arbitration practice leader.
Astigarraga’s arbitration offering worldwide has expanded substantially over the past five years, with Rosher taking the helm of a practice that is rapidly expanding. More than 100 lawyers work on the firm’s arbitration group, with many of them specializing in different industries.
Rosher has been involved with the arbitration of international commercial and investment treaties for nearly 30 years. Among his past roles include being a founding member of Paris Arbitration Week as well as vice-president of arbitral lobbying group Paris, Home of International Arbitration – where he has served for past seven years as secretary general. The French Arbitration Association has also appointed him on board.
Global litigation department chair Peter Ellis thanked Astigarraga for his “strong leadership and keen strategic focus” in raising the firm’s profile. In addition to being a partner, Astigarraga will remain in Miami.
The disputes team, which plays a key role in the firm’s global dispute-handling ability, is a major component of the firm’s 2024 strategic plan, and Ellis says he was pleased that Rosher has accepted the position, saying he had “shown remarkable leadership qualities since joining the firm.”
Rosher noted that the firm is well-positioned across the key arbitral centres of the world. He has also emphasized its sectoral approach and expertise in arbitral disputes. Due to his marvellous efforts, José was able to lay down exceptional foundations, on which he plans to build further.
In Rosher’s view, Astigarraga’s leadership should be built upon three different ways. Firstly, it should continue to develop its regional and sector-specific strategies. Secondly, the company will expand its presence in emerging markets, like India and Francophone Africa and new fields, like the metaverse. A third improvement is that it will add new arbitral talent.
They both joined the firm in 2017. Astigarraga left his own firm, Astigarraga Davies, which he ran for 17 years and joins Rosher from Pinsent Masons, where he worked as a partner for more than two years.
In 2021, Simon Greer was promoted in London, along with other disputes partners. Suzie Savage was promoted in partnership in 2022, along with other disputes partners.
Tim Cooke and his team from Stephenson Harwood were hired in 2021 in Singapore, James Willn also from Stephenson Harwood in the Middle East. Those new hires in 2019 led to the addition of Baker McKenzie partner James Duffy from New York and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer counsel Ben Love.
Meanwhile, Reed Smith’s construction disputes partners Vincent Rowan and Shareena Edmonds were hired by King & Spalding in January 2021. However Love left Reed Smith to join Boies Schiller & Flexner as a partner in September 2021.
Reed Smith has also lost three successive commodities partners to HFW in Singapore, as disputes specialist Dan Perera joined Peter Zaman, a former Reed Smith Singapore managing partner. Barry Stimpson and Jessica Kenworthy, former Reed Smith shipping partners, left Reed Smith for Squire Patton Boggs in November 2019.