Irwin Mitchell has appointed a new London managing partner following the retirement of chairman, senior partner and London head Michael Napier.

Serious injury specialist Alison Eddy (pictured) has been appointed by the firm's board for an open-ended term, becoming the UK firm's first female regional managing partner.

She joined Irwin Mitchell in 1995 from Thompsons Solicitors to help found its London office, and is now planning to build up the firm's City practice, with real estate and corporate finance singled out as targets for growth. 

Eddy, who describes herself as a strong advocate of flexible working, commented: "We as a firm should be very positive in the way we respond to requests for flexible working – we now have the ability to work remotely and this is the way to retain and promote female talent – it's the way forward."

Napier, who retired at the end of April, spent 40 years at Irwin Mitchell, 29 of them as senior partner. He leaves the firm after a management overhaul ahead of the firm's planned conversion to an alternative business structure (ABS), with the senior partner role transferred to a chairmanship and managing partner John Pickering renamed group chief executive.

The firm was among the first to set out its intention to convert to an ABS, but is still waiting to receive its licence from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.