DLA Piper has appointed Manchester-based partner Liam Cowell to succeed Sandra Wallace as the firm's UK managing partner.

Cowell, a finance and projects partner, is the managing partner of the firm's northwest offices as well as the finance and projects group. He will take up his new role from 1 January 2019.

Birmingham-based Wallace, who took up the role of UK managing partner in 2015 for a three-year term, will continue in her role as joint managing director for the UK & Europe alongside Jan Meents.

Cowell, who has been a partner at the firm since 2004 and became northwest managing partner in 2014, said: "I would like to thank Sandra for her substantial contribution to our UK business and the firm as a whole. The firm has been on a fantastic journey over the last few years and I look forward to extending our strong track record in the UK as we embark on the next stage in the firm's evolution."

Wallace added: "Over the course of his long career at DLA Piper, Liam has garnered the respect of his colleagues, clients and peers, and possesses the leadership attributes, client skills and focus on growth and profitability [necessary] to steer our UK business towards our goal of being the leading global business law firm.

"This is a pivotal time in the legal industry and our economy as a whole, and I am confident that Liam's collaborative approach, alongside his drive and bold ambition for the firm, will take our UK practice from strength to strength."

Alongside Cowell's appointment, the firm is also making changes to its international executive team, which will come into effect when recently re-elected international managing partner Simon Levine starts his new term in the new year.

Munich-based Meents will be transitioning from managing director of clients and sectors to the role of joint managing director for the UK and Europe.

Real estate finance partner and Milan-based joint managing director for Europe Olaf Schmidt will take on the role of managing director for practice groups.

City corporate partner Charles Severs will become managing director for Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and will also take on the newly created role of executive partner, which will see him support the executive team and the wider firm in handling important ad hoc matters that arise during the year.

Paris partner Stephane Lemarchand, global co-chair of the firm's intellectual property and technology group, is also joining the executive team as managing director of clients and sectors, taking over from Jan Meents, while Jacqueline King will join the team as chief operating officer.