Robert Finch (Lord Mayor)

Sir Robert Gerard Finch (born 1944 in Ootacamund, India – 31 March 2016) was a British businessman, lawyer, and Lord Mayor of London from 23 July 2003 to 22 July 2004.

Insignia of a Knight Bachelor

Born in British India, Finch was educated at Felsted School and the College of Law. He joined Linklaters in 1969, progressed to Partner in 1974,[1] and Head of Real Estate from 1997 to 1999.[2] Linklaters' most Senior Partner, he left the firm on 1 July 2005 to become Chairman of property developer Liberty International,[2] overseeing its transition to a REIT when the status was first introduced.

He was Alderman for the City Ward of Coleman Street, having first been elected to represent Coleman Street in 1992. He became a Sheriff in 1999, Master of the Solicitors' Company in 2000, and Lord Mayor of London in 2003.[3]

Wren's Temple Bar new location in Paternoster Square was declared open by Lord Mayor Finch in 2004.

In 2008, following a change to the voting system to the Court of Aldermen, he was successfully challenged by a previously unheard-of young lawyer, Matthew Richardson (now Alderman), in a close-fought campaign.[4] Finch admitted to having overspent on the campaign, by not declaring the use of Liberty's company car and chauffeur. When challenged, in Finch and another v Richardson (2008), a judge ruled that ignorance of the law could constitute by virtue of inadvertence a defence in electoral law: a point that hitherto existed in Scots law and Northern Ireland law, but not in English law.[5]

Finch was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2004 for "services to the City of London".[1]

He died on 31 March 2016 at the age of 71 after a short illness.[6]

Footnotes
  1. Davey, Jenny (27 August 2005). "'If you think I've come here to set the record for the shortest chairmanship of a FTSE 100 company, you must be mad'". The Times. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  2. Westacott, Gemma (20 June 2005). "Sir Robert Finch quits Linklaters for Liberty". The Lawyer. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  3. Stephenson, Natalie (21 November 2003). "The Lord Mayor's show". Property Week. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  4. Russell, Jonathan (5 April 2008). "Forget Boris and Ken, it's Finch vs Richardson for Alderman". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2008.
  5. "Finch and another v Richardson (2008)". WLR Daily. Incorporated Council of Law Reporting. Archived from the original on 2009-07-23. Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  6. FINCH
Civic offices
Preceded by
Sir Gavyn Arthur

Lord Mayor of London
2003–2004		 Succeeded by
Sir Michael Savory
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