Eversheds has appointed litigation partner Paul Smith as the its new chairman following a partnership vote.

Smith was elected ahead of UK nuclear energy group head Robert Pitcher after the two emerged as the only candidates to replace John Heaps when he stands down next May.

Smith will continue as a practicing lawyer in the firm's environmental group during his four-year spell as chairman.

His practice focuses on multinational companies in relation to criminal investigations in the UK, Europe and North America.

As relationship partner to DuPont and Tyco, Smith has also been a key figure behind Eversheds' 'one-stop shop' partnership agreements with major clients.

"Paul's deep experience of both the firm where he has worked since its inception in the late 80′s and of the international legal market equips him very well for the role," commented Heap, who chose not to stand for re-election.

"On behalf of all Eversheds partners, I would like to congratulate Paul on his election success and look forward to working with him in the years ahead," added the firm's chief executive Bryan Hughes.

"The combination of his intimate knowledge of the firm, wide international experience and client relationship expertise makes him an ideal person to take on the role of chairman as the firm continues its global development."

Smith will inherit the position following a year of major restructuring at Eversheds. In January, the firm announced its sixth redundancy round in five years, putting 166 jobs at risk, including 82 fee earners.