Sunny Mann has been named Baker McKenzie’s global chair, succeeding Milton Cheng in the role. Mann, a London-based partner in the firm’s international trade, compliance and investigations practice, will begin his four-year term in October 2025. 

In addition to London, Mann has also worked in the firm’s Washington, New York, Sydney and Hong Kong offices.  

Mann advises clients, including numerous FTSE 100 and Fortune 100 businesses, on compliance and investigations with respect to trade, sanctions, export controls and anti-bribery rules. He also chairs Baker McKenzie’s geopolitical risks taskforce and oversaw the firm’s support to clients responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The team was at the forefront of the market, having advised around one-quarter of each of the Fortune 100, FTSE 100, CAC 40 and DAX 40 communities on geopolitical disruption, including responding to the Russian invasion and the ongoing trade and tariff wars. 

Mann will sit on the firm’s global management committee, which, effective July 1, 2025, will also include regional chief executives Alex Chadwick (EMEA), Colin Murray (Americas) and Steven Sieker (Asia Pacific), and partners Isabella Liu (Hong Kong), Matthew Dening (Riyadh), Andre Gan (Kuala Lumpur), Scott Brandman (New York), Amar Budarapu (Dallas), Pamela Church (New York), Karen Guch (London) and Christian Vocke (Frankfurt). 

Milton Cheng, the firm’s Hong Kong-based chair, said: “I am extremely proud of what we have achieved for our clients and our people in the past six years. I am excited for the years to come and have no doubt Sunny will take Baker McKenzie to even greater heights, leveraging an impeccable track-record in building and leading a successful practice while championing our core values. I look forward to working closely with Sunny in the next few months to ensure a seamless transition.” 

The first Asian to hold the chair position in the firm’s history, for nearly six years, Cheng has guided Baker McKenzie through a period of sustained revenue growth, the hiring of many high-profile laterals, and significant innovation, and has focused his efforts on deepening client relationships around the globe and upholding the firm’s values, the firm said in a statement. During his tenure, Baker McKenzie’s global annual revenue passed the US$3 billion mark for the first time in 2021.