Fieldfisher has appointed John McElroy and Daniel Hayward as co-heads of dispute resolution, effective 1 April 2026, succeeding Colin Gibson after 13 years in the role. The appointments come alongside a broader round of 12 partner promotions across the firm, including four within the disputes practice.
McElroy (pictured, left) brings more than 20 years’ experience in complex commercial litigation and international arbitration, with a focus on financial services and contractual disputes. Hayward (right), the firm’s global co-head of international arbitration, advises governments, multinational companies and UHNW individuals on high-value cross-border disputes spanning areas including fraud, regulatory and shareholder matters.
The leadership changes reflect the continued growth of Fieldfisher’s disputes team, which includes more than 100 lawyers in the UK and around 200 contentious specialists internationally. The latest promotions include new partners across London, Hamburg, Madrid and Manchester, strengthening the firm’s capabilities in areas such as fraud, technology litigation and international arbitration.
McElroy said: ‘It’s a privilege to step into this role… we fully intend to build on that legacy as we scale our complex litigation and arbitration offering.’ Hayward added: ‘The breadth of work and talent across all levels in our group is striking… we’re even better placed to deliver decisive results for clients on high-ticket cross border matters.’
