Howard Kennedy FSI – the product of the pending tie-up between Howard Kennedy and Finers Stephens Innocent (FSI) – has confirmed a number of management roles at the merged firm.

FSI head of corporate Ashley Reeback will carry out the same role at the new firm following completion of the merger on 1 November.

Howard Kennedy's Craig Emden will head up the combined firm's litigation team after serving as Howard Kennedy's litigation head for the past 20 years.

Discussions are ongoing over the leadership of the remaining practices as the two firms prepare to create a combined 88-partner business with total turnover of about £45m. 

Howard Kennedy chief executive Mark Dembovsky (pictured), who will lead the new firm under the same corporate structure, said merger talks with FSI managing partner Paul Millett had gone smoothly.

Following the talks, it was decided that a seven-person integration committee will be formed to oversee the settling-in process for the first year.

This panel will then be trimmed to four to comprise the firm's long-term management committee.

Dembovsky and Millett will both sit on the integration committee alongside Emden, Howard Kennedy corporate head Michael Harris, Howard Kennedy property head Jason Lewis, and two as yet undecided FSI partners.

Dembovsky refused to rule out further mergers in future, stating the firm needed to remain flexible, adding: "If that involves further lateral hires or further mergers, we'll be open to all those possibilities."