Eversheds has named a quartet of new senior office partners, with Pamela Thompson appointed as its new City office chief.

The other new appointments are in the firm's Newcastle, Nottingham and Cardiff offices.

Thompson, who is joint head of the firm's UK financial services team, takes over from pensions partner Anthony Arter, who has held the role for the last five years. Arter is retiring from the partnership but will continue working for the firm as a consultant.

Meanwhile head of shipping Stephen Mackin will assume the role of Newcastle senior office partner, taking the reins from previous postholder and restructuring partner Paul Dutton, who will now undertake a broader role within the Northern corporate restructuring teams.

In Nottingham, employment partner Mark Fletcher will take over from commercial partner James Fry, who has held the role for nearly six years, while in Cardiff, real estate partner Kathryn Roberts will replace Alan Meredith, who steps down after 14 years and will retire from the firm at the end of the month.

The appointments come into effect on 1 May.

Eversheds chief executive Bryan Hughes said: "The role of senior office partner is a vitally important and [while] Alan, Anthony, James and Paul have performed the role in their own individual ways, they have all delivered on behalf of the business and created and maintained a necessary team ethos in their localities.

"I would like to record my thanks for everything that the [senior office partner] team have done over the years, it is very much appreciated. And of course, the very best of luck to their successors!"

The news comes as Eversheds announced it is reviewing voting rights for its fixed-share partners after asking them to contribute 25% of their annual earnings to the firm.

The firm has called on 164 fixed-share partners to make the contributions in response to changes to how HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) determines the employee status of partners at limited liability partnership (LLPs).