Law firm CMS has appointed Matthias Lichtblau as executive director, effective 1 December 2013.
Currently director of business development and communications at CMS Germany, Lichtblau will take over from Matthew Gorman who has held the position since 2007.
In his new role, Lichtblau will work closely with CMS executive chairman Cornelius Brandi and will lead the CMS team based in Frankfurt.
Lichtblau, who is 45, has held his current role since 2007. Previously, he spent seven years at Clifford Chance, starting as a business development manager. Having moved into the European regional management team, he was promoted to head of business development for Germany.
Brandi says: “With his track record of outstanding achievement in his previous roles, I am delighted that Matthias Lichtblau has accepted this position. His strong leadership, his deep experience of our industry and knowledge of CMS will be a great asset to us. For Matthias, the role offers a great opportunity to assume a leading role at the centre of our successful organisation.
“Matthew Gorman leaves us after six successful years during which he developed a firm-wide service function in Frankfurt, building up the business development, marketing, technology, training and finance functions. He played a leading role in the establishment of the CMS Academy, our firm-wide training program and chaired the CMS Quality Committee. Matthew, who is leaving us for personal reasons as he is emigrating with his family to New Zealand, has been a highly valued colleague and a true champion of CMS. The executive team of CMS and I wish him all the very best for the future.”
Lichtblau says: “After six years with CMS Germany, I am very excited to be moving into the role of executive director of CMS, with its broad geographic scope, its ambitious plans and its new challenges ahead. The next few years will bring some significant changes both to the business of law and to CMS and I am looking forward to being part of the team that tackles these challenges.”
