Clifford Chance (CC) has named M&A partner Guy Norman as the firm's new corporate chief after an uncontested election.

Norman will hold the term for a four-year period beginning on 1 May. The vote closed yesterday (24 February) afternoon.

He will replace current corporate chief Matthew Layton, who will take up the firm's global managing partner position at the same time.

Layton said: "Guy is particularly well placed to take on this role. During his years working in our corporate team in London and the Middle East, and through his secondments into clients and regulators as well as his lead role on a number of major client relationships, Guy has acquired important experience and insights that are invaluable to clients and to our team.

"I am confident that under Guy's leadership our leading international M&A and corporate practice will continue to go from strength to strength."

The news comes after the corporate practice was last week hit by the departure of private equity partner Kem Ihenacho to Latham & Watkins.

Ihenacho follows in the footsteps of former CC private equity chief David Walker and fellow private equity partner Tom Evans, who both joined Latham last year.

Norman relocated to the CC's Dubai office in 2010 with a brief to build the magic circle firm's Middle East corporate practice ahead of Dubai-based partner Simon Clinton's relocation to Singapore in 2011. He returned to London last year. He was made up as partner in 1998.

In recent years Norman has handled mandates including acting for Kraft Foods on its £10.2bn Cadbury takeover and Babcock on its £1.1bn bid for VT Group. He is also a key partner for the firm's relationship with Barclays, having advised the bank on deals including its $6bn auction of asset management business iShares in 2009.