SNR Denton has kicked off a search for a new UK chief executive, as the transatlantic firm prepares to overhaul its global governance structure and amend its partnership deed in line with forthcoming changes to partner pay.

Former Denton Wilde Sapte chairman Martin Kitchen has been named as the merged firm's interim UK chief executive, with the firm hoping to have a shortlist of candidates for the role by the end of the month.

The move comes after Legal Week reported last week that Washington DC-based Elliott Portnoy (pictured) is to become the  merged firm's sole global chief executive, with UK-based global co-chief Howard Morris stepping down to take on an integration brief based in the firm's New York office.

In addition to the UK management change, SNR Denton intends to overhaul its global governance model, with changes planned to both the names and line-up of the firm's existing two-tier governance structure, which comprises a joint board of directors and a global advisory committee.

Final proposals for the new-look teams have yet to be compiled; however, Portnoy hopes to give partners the chance to vote on the plans at the end of the month, at the same time as approving changes to the partnership deed that will officially allow for the alignment in partner remuneration scheduled to take place from 1 May.

The changes will see UK partners moving from a modified lockstep to a merit-based system like that used by the US partnership. The combined firm is likely to retain both full equity and fixed-share partners, with the legacy US firm's current three-tier partnership moving onto the same two-tier system.

Commenting on the governance overhaul, Portnoy said: "The final proposals are being put together by a team of partners at the moment but it will likely see us make some changes to the composition and functions of our boards and the people on them. It is premature to say what those changes will look like but the proposals that are being discussed would see a management board with representation from all parts of the firm."

The merger between legacy Dentons and legacy Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal went live in September last year.