SJ Berwin has elected its new managing partner, with corporate partner Rob Day set to take the helm next month (1 November).

Day, who was the favourite to take the top job, saw off competition from fellow corporate partner Perry Yam to win the final vote, which closed earlier today (22 October).

The third candidate for the post, London litigator Hilton Mervis, was eliminated in a first round of voting that closed last week.

Day will replace current managing partner Ralph Cohen in the post after Cohen decided to step down part-way through his third term in office to return to full-time practice in the firm's EU & competition department.

Cohen has been managing partner for eight years and was last re-elected for a three-year term in 2009. Day, who has been a partner in the corporate department since 2002, served as interim managing partner for six months last year while Cohen took a sabbatical.

Commenting on his appointment, Day said: "I am proud to have been elected by the partners of SJ Berwin. I have a clear strategy for the firm which I will be discussing in further detail with my partners and our clients over the week ahead."

Jonathan Blake will remain as SJ Berwin's senior partner. Cohen and Blake were both reappointed to their roles for a three-year term from 1 May 2009.

Cohen has been managing partner since 2002 but took on a beefed-up role after standing against Blake for the senior partner post in 2005 when the firm was looking for a replacement for longstanding senior partner David Harrel.

SJ Berwin is currently in advanced merger talks with US law firm Proskauer Rose. The New York firm also elected new management in the last month, when corporate partner Joseph Leccese was named as chairman, replacing Allen Fagin, who is stepping down on 1 January.