Sunny Mann, new global chair of Baker McKenzie

Baker McKenzie has announced the election of Sunny Mann, a partner in the international trade, compliance and investigations practice, as its new global chair. Mann will take up the position in October, succeeding Milton Cheng.

Sunny Mann

Based in London, Sunny Mann leads the firm’s International Trade practice group, with global leadership. Throughout his career at Baker McKenzie, he has also worked in the Washington DC, New York, Sydney and Hong Kong offices.

Mann advises FTSE 100 and Fortune 100 companies on compliance, sanctions, export controls and anti-corruption regulations. In addition, he chairs the firm’s geopolitical risk working group and has led Baker McKenzie’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, advising a significant portion of leading global companies in the face of geopolitical disruptions.

Sunny is also a Visiting Professor at King’s College London, where he teaches a course on sanctions in the LLM program. For 15 years, he was a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe, a leading institute for European graduate studies, teaching an LLM course on Corporate Compliance.

He will be part of the Global Management Committee

As of July 1, 2025, Sunny Mann will be part of Baker McKenzie’s Global Management Committee. This committee will also include regional directors Alex Chadwick (EMEA), Colin Murray (Americas) and Steven Sieker (Asia-Pacific). As well as partners Scott Brandman (New York), Amar Budarapu (Dallas), Pamela Church (New York), Matthew Dening (Riyadh), Andre Gan (Kuala Lumpur), Karen Guch (London), Isabella Liu (Hong Kong) and Christian Vocke (Frankfurt).

Mann comments: “It is a tremendous privilege to have been elected by my colleagues to assume the position of global chairman of our great firm. Throughout its 75-year history, Baker McKenzie has excelled in helping clients manage the complexity of the cross-border environment. Given the levels of change and disruption we are experiencing worldwide, I am convinced that, thanks to our international presence, there is no firm better positioned to accompany our clients in the current challenges of the global environment. I am deeply grateful to Milton Cheng, our current Chairman, and to the outgoing team for their years of service and commitment. I look forward to working with the new Global Management Committee.

He also add “I am excited to collaborate with my more than 13,000 brilliant colleagues in over 70 offices around the world; it is this collective, global strength that fills me with optimism about our future. On a personal level, this is a very special time for me. Baker McKenzie has shaped me both as a lawyer and personally since I joined in 2000. In my 25-year career, I have had the privilege of working in five offices on four continents, supporting major clients on top-tier cross-border matters, and leading teams of exceptional lawyers and professionals around the world. This firm has given me so much, and it is an honor to be able to give back by serving as its global chair. The next few years will be exciting and full of opportunities – I can’t wait to get started.”

Milton Cheng

Cheng, the first Asian to serve as Chairman in the firm’s history, has led Baker McKenzie for nearly six years. His tenure has focused on strengthening client relationships globally and upholding the firm’s values. During his tenure, Baker McKenzie surpassed $3 billion in annual revenue for the first time in 2021. Also he has maintained a steady growth trajectory ever since.

For his part, Milton Cheng says, “I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished for our clients and our people over the past six years. I am excited about what lies ahead and have no doubt that Sunny will take Baker McKenzie to new heights, thanks to his impeccable track record of leading successful practices and promoting our core values. I look forward to working closely with him in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.”