Chinwe Odimba-Chapman

Chinwe Odimba-Chapman studied law at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LLB, 2000) and joined Clifford Chance in 2002 as a trainee. She was admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales in 2004 and became a partner in 2018. Since her appointment as Office Managing Partner for London and Co-Regional Managing Partner for "One Europe" effective January 1, 2025, she became the first Black leader of Clifford Chance's flagship London office, marking a significant milestone for the firm.

Odimba-Chapman specializes in both contentious and non-contentious employment law and advises international clients on various employment law issues, particularly in a cross-border context. She has served as Global Head of Talent since 2021. She advises the firm's corporate, banking and private equity clients on all areas of contentious and non-contentious employment law in the UK and on a cross-border basis. Her fee-earning responsibilities include advising on M&A transactions and serving major clients including Permira, CVC, Morgan Stanley and EasyJet.

Odimba-Chapman has been named amongst Cranfield University's 50 women to watch and recognized as one of EMpower's 100 Ethnic Minority Executives for 2019. She has also been named as one of the Lawyer's top 100 lawyers and featured as FN100 Most Influential Women in European Finance 2025. She co-founded the Clifford Chance Black & Minority Ethnic network in 2015 with the primary aim of making BME issues a business priority for management, and she co-founded the Firm's ethnicity network (REACH) and is now an executive sponsor for the network.

Career history

• Office Managing Partner for London / Co-Regional Managing Partner for One Europe (2025–present)
• Global Head of Talent (2021–2025)
• Partner, Employment Law (2018–present)
• Senior Associate, Employment Law (2004–2018)
• Trainee Solicitor, Clifford Chance (2002–2004)

What Chinwe Odimba-Chapman could bring to her London Managing Partner role: Drawing on over two decades at Clifford Chance, her expertise in cross-border employment law and experience managing global talent strategy positions her to enhance the firm's competitive position in the UK and European markets. Her documented commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion—including founding REACH and spearheading BME initiatives—combined with her leadership of the firm's talent strategy and recognition as a leading female lawyer and ethnic minority executive, suggests she will prioritize inclusive culture and retention while maintaining market leadership. Her work with major private equity and banking clients, alongside her mentoring and advocacy roles, indicates a collaborative approach to stakeholder management suited to office leadership.