Hogan Lovells has elected Washington-based litigation co-head Craig Hoover to its firmwide board.

He replaces Gernod Meinel, who left Hogan prior to the Lovells merger along with 18 other Berlin-based partners to set up new independent firm Raue, which officially launched on 1 May.

Meinel was the managing partner of legacy Hogan & Hartson's German offices and sat on the firm's executive committee.

Hoover, who also heads up the firm's class action practice in Washington, will serve a two-year term on the board, which is made up of 12 members including eight regional and 'at large' representatives plus John Young and Claudette Christian, the co-chairs of the newly-merged firm.

The top-level board works closely with the firm's international management committee, which is chaired by co-CEOs David Harris and Warren Gorrell and has responsibility for partner hiring, promotions and access to the firm's equity ranks.

The committee oversees all of the firm's operations including client and business development, practice management and expansion.

Last week (21 May) Hogan Lovells opted to restart its associate lockstep and marginally increase associate salary bands for the financial year ahead.

The new bands will see newly-qualified (NQ) lawyers now take home £60,000, a small increase on last year's adjusted rate of £59,000. Prior to last year's pay freeze, legacy Lovells NQs earned £65,000.