Paul Taylor has stepped down as London senior partner of national insurance firm Berrymans Lace Mawer in favour of Charlotte Capstick, the head of the firm's professional indemnity team.

In a statement issued on Wednesday (10 October), the firm said that Taylor, who will remain as national senior partner, was stepping down from his London role in order to free him up to concentrate on developing the firm's national and international strategy.

"I am proud that my fellow partners have asked me to continue as national senior partner and lead BLM. We want to not only face but benefit from the opportunities arising from a changing insurance market – both nationally and internationally," said Taylor.

Taylor has been national senior partner since July 1999 and has headed up the London office since the firm was formed by a merger in 1997.

However, the firm has suffered a number of senior departures in recent years and has also been hit by a wave of cost cutting measures from its main insurance clients.

Last year Berrymans lost 19 partners, mainly outside its core insurance practice. The firm's London office was also suspended for six months from handling high-volume claims litigation work from Axa.

In May this year the firm formed an alliance with 14 partner City-based commercial firm Druces & Attlee, and in June a proposed merger with the insurance department of Bristol-based Cartwrights broke down.