Norton Rose has today announced Wayne Spanner will take the helm as managing partner from 1 January 2012. 

Spanner is currently practice group leader in Australia and global practice leader of the global employment and labour practice. He played a central role in the Australian practice’s integration with Norton Rose Group.

Boyd will remain as group deputy chief executive, Norton Rose Group.

Peter Martyr, group chief executive officer, Norton Rose Group said Spanner has a strong track record of providing strategic, commercial and managerial advice. "[He] led a strong list of candidates for the role and I look forward to working with him as we move to the next stage of our global development.”

Boyd, meanwhile, said it is "tremendous to have someone with the rare combination of legal and managerial skills needed to drive the Australian practice through an unprecedented time of change in the legal services industry".

He said Spanner has the trust of other partners, and has demonstrated the strategic skills needed to grow the practice. 

The new top man himself, Spanner, said: “I am excited about the opportunity to lead NRA and strengthen our new ties with Africa and Canada and also further develop NRA’s footprint in the most dynamic region in the world, Asia".

Spanner was made partner in 2000, practice group leader in 2008 and global practice leader in 2011.