DWF has re-elected current managing partner Andrew Leaitherland to a second three-year term.

Leaitherland, who was elected unopposed, will lead the firm until 2012 after being originally appointed as the firm's first managing partner in January 2006.

Leaitherland (pictured) said: "We have a strategy in place to become a top 30 firm by 2010 and our clear focus will be to try to deliver on that and are hoping to push our turnover to around £62m in the coming year."

Outlining key areas of growth for his second term at the helm, he added: "Like everybody else we are trying to focus on litigation, both on the insured and the uninsured side, and we hope to increase our offering over the next six months to the back end of the summer.

"We are also trying to beef up our under-represented transactional areas such as corporate and look at areas where there are obvious groups. We need to live up to our billing as a full service firm."

During his time as managing partner at the DWF, Leaitherland has overseen the firm's merger with fellow northwest firm Ricksons in January 2007 and the launch of the firm's London office last year.

The firm will continue to grow its London branch this year with six partners and nine assistants poised to join from Weightmans.