Mills & Reeve has appointed Justin Ripman as senior partner and Claire Clarke as managing partner.

Mr Ripman and Ms Clarke, who have served on the Mills & Reeve board since June 2012, will take over from Mark Jeffries and Guy Hinchley respectively in June next year.

Mr Ripman joined Mills & Reeve in 1991 and is a private tax and landed estates expert. He has previously headed-up the firm’s private tax team and has played a key role in building private client work as a core sector.

Ms Clarke, who is Mills & Reeve’s first female managing partner, joined the firm in 1996 and has been a partner since 1999. A corporate lawyer focusing on education and business clients, she is also leader of the firm’s corporate and commercial services division.

She has recently been involved in driving forward board initiatives around partner performance and development.

Mr Hinchley will remain a partner, working on a number of projects to utilise the skills and experience he has gained over the last eight years as managing partner.

This will include delivering the firm’s growth plans in Leeds and Manchester.

Mr Jeffries, who has been with Mills & Reeve for 35 years and was also managing partner from 2001-2007, will also continue with the firm as a consultant, which will include work in the health sector and on client care and development programmes.

Mr Ripman said: “Both Claire and I would like to thank Mark and Guy for handing us the reins of a firm that is financially well managed, has a strong culture, a wish to focus on quality work, and where all staff are treated fairly and with respect.

“This is a firm that has just posted a healthy turnover of close to £80 million and good profit.

“However, we are operating in a fiercely competitive market and we need to make sure that we continue to differentiate ourselves from other law firms.”

Ms Clarke added: “Growth will continue to be carefully managed but we are determined to build further on the successful merger with George Davies in 2013 and continue to grow our Manchester office.

“We are also keen to see our Leeds office become closer to full service and, as we continue to look to do more work for our world-class clients our international offering, which now accounts for approximately 20 per cent of our business, certainly remains an important focus.”