Holman Fenwick Willan has elected a new managing partner, with the firm's global head of shipping and transport George Eddings set to take up the role next year.

Eddings, whose new role was approved by partners earlier this month, will take over from current managing partner Greg Gray when his term comes to an end in March 2013.

He has been at Holman Fenwick for the duration of his career since 1981, including a nine-year period from 1985 to 1994 in the firm's Hong Kong office.

It is not yet clear whether he will continue as practice head alongside his new management role.

The news comes after a spate of expansion for the shipping firm in recent years, with revenue almost doubling over the last five years from £61.6m in 2005-06 to £112.5m in 2010-11.

Meanwhile, the firm took on 25 new lateral partner hires in the 2010-11 financial year, with total partner count standing at 144 as of 1 May 2012.

Over the last 12 months Holman Fenwick has also outlined plans for a number of other internal changes which are expected to come into effect this year, including reducing its lockstep from six years to five and introducing a mandatory retirement age of 62.

Under the proposed new system, partners will start at 10 points and progress two points each year to reach 20 points after five years.

Other law firms to have recently carried out management elections include Linklaters, which last month confirmed the controversial re-election of managing partner Simon Davies, while Berrymans Lace Mawer recently chose Mike Brown to replace long-running senior partner Terry Renouf.