Herbert Smith has made a new appointment to its governing body, electing London corporate partner Alex Bafi to the firm's partnership council.

Bafi was voted onto the council earlier this month and will replace corporate partner Gareth Roberts as one of four City-based partners elected to sit on the nine-partner committee. He will take up his new position on 1 May.

Asia disputes head Mark Johnson was also re-elected to the council, which is the firm's primary governance body, dealing with issues of policy and strategy. It also has the power to delegate individual partners and committees to look at specific issues, such as flexible working.

The pair sit on the council alongside London corporate partner Scott Cochrane; dispute resolution partner Kevin Lloyd; contentious insurance and reinsurance head David Reston; and Madrid corporate partner Alvaro Sainz. The remaining members are senior partner Jonathan Scott, who also chairs the group, managing partner David Willis and chief operating officer (COO) John Mullins.

The group is always made up of the firm's managing partner, senior partner and COO alongside four seats for London, one for Europe and one for Asia. Around two of the positions on the council are up for election each year, with each member elected for a three-year term.

In addition to the council, Herbert Smith has an executive committee, chaired by Willis, and made up of the practice heads from the four main divisions: corporate, finance, disputes and real estate.