UK top 40 firm announces corporate specialist Thompsell as senior partner after contested election

Field Fisher Waterhouse has named corporate partner Nicholas Thompsell as its new senior partner following a contested election.

Thompsell saw off competition from dispute resolution partner Stephen Gibbs to replace Jon Fife in the role.

Fife, who had held the position for five years, stepped down from the partnership on 1 May after 38 years with the firm. He will remain with Field Fisher in a part-time capacity as an interim move towards retirement.

Thompsell, whose initial three-year management term started on 1 May, joined Field Fisher in 1992 from Slaughter and May, making partner shortly after. In addition to serving as senior partner, he will continue to sit on the firm's finance committee.

Field Fisher has been expanding significantly in recent years, bringing in five lateral partners so far this year alone. Most recently, the firm hired corporate partner Tim Bee from Addleshaw Goddard, while also picking up a three-lawyer planning team from Bevan Brittan, tax partner Derek Hill from Herbert Smith and media partner Tim Johnson from SJ Berwin.

Last year, Field Fisher reported stellar financial results, with the firm's revenues jumping by 30% to £88m, while profits per equity partner saw a similar jump of 27% to near £750,000.

Thompsell said: "We have been incredibly successful in recent years and as the firm grows it gets more difficult to maintain that ethos of collegiality. An important part of the senior partner's job is to be one of the guardians of that ethos."

Last week, fellow top 40 firm Travers Smith appointed employment head Andrew Lilley to succeed Chris Carroll as managing partner. Lilley will take the helm on 1 January 2010, when Carroll's third term as managing partner expires