After a month of voting, Clifford Chance (CC's) senior partner elections have come to a close, with Amsterdam managing partner Jeroen Ouwehand securing something of a surprise victory over Paris chief Yves Wehrli in the final round.

While some London partners may be breathing a sigh of relief that they can draw a line in the sand and return their attention to their daily business, others recognise that this line in the sand may in fact be a starting point from which continental Europe can begin to assume a more dominant position in the magic circle firm's hierarchy.

At the outset of the race, Ouwehand was seen as a definite underdog compared to the likes of former London managing partner David Bickerton, insurance head Katherine Coates and former capital markets chief David Dunnigan, given his much lower profile among the City partnership.

One ex-partner said: "In some ways it's high time CC had a European senior partner, but Ouwehand wasn't a frontrunner. I was surprised Bickerton fell by the wayside, and Yves, as they were both quite likely winners."

Former continental Europe managing partner Wehrli was originally seen as the bigger threat to the City-based contenders, but the fact that the final round saw two Europeans go head to head meant an expected block vote failed to materialise.

A CC partner said: "This will be the firm's first non-London-based senior partner, but the interesting thing is that London partners are comfortable with and voted for that. All of the London candidates were strong candidates too, but the partnership still voted for someone outside of London."

Will CC need the number of lawyers in London that it has today post-Brexit? Almost certainly not

The appointment "puts a European stamp on the firm" according to one ex-partner, and in the short-term it appears that Ouwehand will remain based in Amsterdam, with no immediate plans for a relocation, although more travel will be inevitable as he communicates his leadership vision to the wider firm.

Those working on the continent attest to his credibility, with one ex-CC partner describing him as "very sensible" and "well respected", while internally Ouwehand's personality has been compared to that of charismatic US politician Beto O'Rourke.

The continental ex-partner added: "Jeroen has a very direct management style. He's also switched on about development and trusted within the partnership – I'd go so far as to say he's inspirational."

Other leadership roles he has held during his time at the firm have included serving on the firm's partner selection group from 2010 to 2015, while he also heads the continental Europe litigation and dispute resolution practice.

The challenges presented by Brexit and the importance of maintaining strong links with the continent will not have been lost on the partnership, with Ouwehand himself noting that his focus will be to "ensure that we are constantly challenging ourselves to anticipate and respond to changing global and economic realities".

As one former European partner asks: "Will CC need the number of lawyers in London that it has today post-Brexit? Almost certainly not. Will CC need more lawyers in continental Europe? Almost certainly yes.

"Someone who sits at the centre of Europe but not in France or Germany is necessary to head the firm's transformation. If they aren't, the firm will not be well positioned in post-Brexit reality."