Stephenson Harwood has elected a new senior partner, with City commercial litigator Roland Foord replacing Andrew Sutch after ten years in the role.

Foord's first five-year term will begin on 1 May, while Sutch will return to full-time fee-earning as corporate partner.

Foord (pictured), who qualified at Stephenson Harwood in 1985 and made partner in 1989, has served on the firm's partnership council and also its partner review panel.

Stephenson Harwood's senior partner acts as non-executive chairman, overseeing relationships between the firm's partners, chairing partner meetings and the partnership council, as well as holding an external ambassadorial role on behalf of the firm.

Foord will also continue with his client work alongside the senior partner role. Work he has handled at Stephenson Harwood has included being part of a team advising the former chairman of Kazakhstan's BTA Bank Mukhtar Ablyazov on a multibillion-dollar fraud case – an instruction which was passed over to Addleshaw Goddard last year.

Foord will work alongside chief executive Sharon White, who is serving her first term in the role. Unlike the chief exec role, which is made by appointment by the firm's board, the senior partner role is an elected position, with Foord seeing off competition from two rivals – one a fellow commercial litigation partner and one in marine and international trade.

Commenting on his appointment, he said: "I am very honoured to have been elected by my partners and I look forward to building on Andrew's achievements in the role, both in our plans for growth in a still difficult climate and in reinforcing our reputation for excellent client service."

Foord also leads the firm's professional services and art law teams.

The appointment comes after former chief executive Sunil Gadhia resigned from Stephenson Harwood earlier this month to join US firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in London as a litigation partner. Gadhia spent six years as CEO from 2003 to 2009 before handing over the reigns to White.