London and Washington D.C., 4 February 2021 – Global law firm Hogan Lovells has appointed Paris partner and current Regional Managing Partner for the EMEA region, Marie-Aimée de Dampierre, to be the next Chair of Hogan Lovells, effective 1 May 2021.

Marie-Aimée will serve in the post for three years, taking over from Hamburg Intellectual Property (IP) partner Leopold von Gerlach who, after completing a three-year term, has decided to return to his practice.

The Chair is a member of the Board and oversees the Hogan Lovells ethos and standards; nurtures the firm’s culture around the world; exemplifies the commitment and behaviors expected of partners in serving both clients and the firm; and plays an advisory role in relation to partners as required. The role of Chair can be held for up to two three-year terms.

Marie-Aimée has previous experience on the Board, having been elected to an At-Large seat in 2015, where she served until joining the firm’s International Management Committee (IMC) in 2018 when she was appointed Regional Managing Partner for Continental Europe. She became Regional Managing Partner of the EMEA region in July 2020. She has also previously held the position of Chair of the Hogan Lovells Global Diversity & Inclusion Committee (2018).

Previous to her leadership roles on the Board and IMC, Marie-Aimée was head of the Paris Intellectual Property, Media & Technology (IPMT) team, and was also Paris Office Managing Partner from 2010-2018. In her 22 years at Hogan Lovells, her practice as an IP litigator has focused on the life sciences & health care, consumer, media and technology industries and she has also contributed to several of the firm’s market leading people development programs.

Commenting on the appointment of Marie-Aimée, current Chair Leo von Gerlach said: “Marie-Aimée has made a huge contribution to our firm, and taking on the role of Chair is a natural next step for her and for Hogan Lovells. She is a great ambassador for diversity and inclusion at the highest ranks and is ideally placed to support firm management in delivering on our strategic priorities.”

Marie-Aimée commented: “Through the combination of my Intellectual Property practice and the leadership roles that I have held I have experienced first-hand the true strength and diversity of our global firm. The impact of the global pandemic has brought unprecedented change to our people, our business and our clients, and highlighted the importance of innovating to stay connected. I am proud and excited to guide the Board as we navigate the new normal and continue to support our people and deliver a first-class service for our clients.”