SNR Denton has voted in new management for its UK LLP, with City energy head Matthew Jones to take on the new UK chief executive officer role.

The changes will also see legacy Denton Wilde Sapte chairman Martin Kitchen assume a new role as senior partner for the UK LLP, for which Brandon Ransley was recently named managing partner.

As previously reported by Legal Week, the overhaul comes as part of the integration of the transatlantic firm following Dentons' merger with US firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal last year, under the terms of which the two firms said they would closer align their management structures.

SNR Denton's partnership has also voted through changes to its remuneration system which will see UK partners move from a modified lockstep to a merit-based system like that used by the US partnership.

The firm has created a senior level management board called the policy and planning board, with overall responsibility to set strategy, formulate policy and manage the EMEA region. The board will work closely with the Jones and Ransley to manage the firm's activities across the region.

The policy and planning board for the UK LLP comprises Nigel Barnett (London), Jeremy Cohen (London), Neil Cuthbert (Dubai), Chris Denny (Milton Keynes), Leigh Hall (Doha), Richard Macklin (London), Christopher McGee-Osborne (London), Serge Sergiou (London), Scott Singer (London) and Marla Valdez (Almaty).

Elliott Portnoy (pictured) remains sole global chief executive after former co-chief exec Howard Morris stepped down from the role earlier this month to focus on an integration brief from the firm's New York office, taking on the title of global integration partner.

Portnoy commented: "This reflects our goal to adopt best practices as we build SNR Denton to be a different type of client-focused firm. With a number of key goals already achieved more quickly than anticipated, today's transitions further our leadership integration and more closely align our EMEA and US regions as we first envisioned."

Jones is currently the co-head of the energy, transport and infrastructure sector and head of the energy, infrastructure and project finance department in London.

He said: "I look forward to working with my colleagues to grow our global platform and further enhancing our firm's client capabilities globally."