Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has named corporate partner Julian Long (pictured) as its new London managing partner, succeeding Mark Rawlinson who stepped down from the role in December.

The appointment will run for a three-year term.

Long became a partner at Freshfields in 1995 and was appointed London head of corporate in 2011. Previously, he was sector group leader for the consumer, health and retail group.

He will stand down from his current role as head of the London corporate department in due course.

Commenting on his appointment, Long said: "At a time when our clients face so many challenges, and at the same time significant opportunities, I genuinely believe that we can support them with a remarkable level of consistency and breadth of client offering across our London office."

Will Lawes, Freshfields senior partner, added: "We are hugely grateful to Mark for all that he has done as London managing partner. Under his stewardship, London has performed extremely well in challenging markets. On the people side, he has been an excellent champion of our people engagement initiatives and taken a major role in driving forward our very important inclusion and diversity agenda. We are lucky to have him now concentrating fully on his client work as the transactional markets recover.

"We are fortunate to have a strong successor in Julian. The London corporate practice has continued to perform well under his wise leadership. His outstanding client relationship and people skills will help us to get the most out of the excellent capabilities of the London office."