Squire Patton Boggs is gearing up for a leadership election, following EMEA head Peter Crossley's decision to step down at the end of this year.

Veteran litigator Crossley served two terms as managing partner of legacy UK firm Hammonds before its 2011 merger with US firm Squire Sanders & Dempsey.

In 2013, he was re-elected as European managing partner and was instrumental in the deal that saw the firm merge with Washington DC public policy and lobbying firm Patton Boggs a year later. He will remain at the firm as a partner after stepping down.

A Squire Patton Boggs spokesperson said: "Earlier this year, Peter Crossley informed the firm's partnership that he has decided to step down at the end of the year as the firm's managing partner for EMEA after 12 years in the role. His replacement will be chosen over the course of the next couple of months."

Squire Patton Boggs took in revenues of $929m (£703m) for the 2015 financial year, placing it 30th in the Am Law 100 rankings.

Prior to the 2011 merger with Squire Sanders & Dempsey, Hammonds was one of the UK's 25 largest law firms, with revenues of £118m. The post-merger firm was known as Squire Sanders Hammonds in the UK until the Hammonds name disappeared in a global rebrand as Squire Sanders in January 2012.

Election season is also currently upon partners at King & Wood Mallesons, following the surprise resignation of senior partner Stephen Kon earlier this month.

The firm will elect replacements during the next month for the senior partner and managing partner roles for the EMEA region, after William Boss stepped down as managing partner at the beginning of this year.