McDermott Will & Emery London managing partner Andrew Vergunst has stepped down from the role, with City corporate partner Hamid Yunis taking the helm.

Vergunst has been head of the US firm's City office since 2016. He joined the firm in 2009 from tax firm Maitland, to launch the US firm's London private client practice.

Yunis took up the post of London head last week (1 January). He formerly led the firm's UK healthcare practice, having joined the firm in 2016.

Vergunst will remain on the firm's management and compensation committee and will return to practicing law full time.

Meanwhile, corporate head Mark Davis has left the firm's partnership to become a consultant for the outfit. Corporate and M&A partner Rupert Weber has assumed the position. He joined McDermott as a partner from Linklaters in 2004.

The US firm's most recent partnership promotion round saw it make up two City lawyers – corporate associate Linda Zeman and private client counsel Lynsey McIntyre – out of 28 total promotions globally.

McDermott only made up one lawyer in London in 2017 within a 19-strong round.

Recent hires for McDermott have included Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner structured finance partner Rachel Kelly and counsel Kerry Pettigrew in August, as well as DLA Piper City real estate partners Laurence Rogers, Neville Wright and Tom Calnan.

Several other firms have undergone management changes in recent months.

In November, Travers Smith elected tax partner Kathleen Russ as its first-ever female senior partner, while Simmons & Simmons reappointed managing partner Jeremy Hoyland for a third consecutive term after an uncontested vote.