Baker & McKenzie has promoted a new London managing partner following the appointment of current head Russell Lewin to the firm's primary executive body.

The appointment of Lewin to the eight-partner global executive committee hands the London managing partner role to corporate partner Gary Senior.

Lewin, who replaces UK corporate partner Gabriel Fisher on the board, was selected for the position as one of the two European representative roles by the firm's nomination committee. The appointment was finalised after a firm-wide partnership vote earlier this month.

Both positions offer a three-year term with Senior officially taking on the London brief from 1 September and Lewin to join Bakers' executive at the firm's annual partnership meeting in New York on 11 October.

"Europe is now the largest part of the firm in terms of size and turnover and after five years as the managing partner of London I want to bring some benefit to the global business," commented Lewin.

Senior, a partner at the firm since 1992, had been on the four-partner London management committee for the last four years, responsible for know-how, training and practise issues.

"My objective is to maintain the momentum and progress we have made over the last few years. Corporate is an important area to us and we want to maintain that," he said.

Lewin's appointment to the global giant's primary management body will be seen as a sign of the London practice's influence within Bakers' international network.

The 300-lawyer office is the firm's largest single practice, generating nearly £100m in fees in 2001.

Click on 'e-mail news' at legaldirector.net to be alerted to breaking news stories.