Dechert has appointed employment partner Jason Butwick as its new London managing partner, as longstanding City chief Steven Fogel steps down from the firm's partnership.

Butwick (pictured), who will take up his new role next month (31 March), qualified at Dechert in 1994 and made partner in 2000. His employment practice has a particular emphasis on the financial services sector.

He replaces longstanding London head Fogel, who joined legacy UK firm Titmuss Sainer & Webb as an articled clerk in 1974 and became senior partner in 1998.

He played a key role in the merger between the UK firm and Dechert in 2000, in what was one of the first-ever transatlantic law firm mergers. Following the tie-up he became London managing partner, joint global head of the real estate practice and a member of the merged firm's policy committee.

He will continue as a counsel at Dechert.

Fogel commented: "Jason is joining a strong leadership team under Andy Levander, our chair, and Dan O'Donnell, chief executive, as well as the deputy chairs, including London's own Peter Astleford with a responsibility for international development."

Dechert has made a series of investments in Europe over the last 12 months after last March recruiting DLA Piper's co-head of litigation and regulation Neil Gerrard and European head of corporate crime and investigations Jonathan Pickworth.

The hires were followed in the autumn by the addition of DLA's trade chief Miriam Gonzalez and LG structured finance partner Charles Malpass.

Earlier this year, the firm secured the recruitment of Antony Dutton – one of Norton Rose's leading litigators – and also hired a team to launch an office in Frankfurt.