One of the most prominent figures in Birmingham's legal and business community is stepping down from his role after ten years.
Steve Allen will leave his post as the head of law practice Mills & Reeve in the city at the end of May when he will be succeeded by Jayne Hussey - the first woman to take on the role in the history of the practice's Birmingham office.
He is not severing his ties with the practice though as he will continue as a partner specialising in commercial litigation and arbitration.
Under his stewardship over the past decade, Mills & Reeve's Birmingham office has seen turnover increase and staffing numbers rise to 290 employees.
In April, he was named partner of the year at the Birmingham Law Society Legal Awards and recently finished a spell as president of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce.
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He is also a visiting fellow at Aston University which also awarded him an honorary degree last year in recognition of his contribution to commercial law.
Mr Allen said: "Acting as the head of office for the past ten years has been one of the most enjoyable and fulfilling experiences of my career and I am immensely proud of everything the firm has achieved.
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"Jayne's reputation, track record and commitment to the region speaks for itself and is a shining example of the Mills & Reeve approach, making her a perfect fit to lead the firm."
Ms Hussey is a partner in the commercial team who also spearheads the firm's national mid-market strategy and a resources programme aimed at helping in-house legal teams.
She joined Mills & Reeve in 2015 and is a specialist in commercial contracts with experience of advising businesses on complex supply chain arrangements, including outsourcing contracts, manufacturing arrangements and logistics arrangements.
She also sits on the Confederation of British Industry's regional council for the Midlands.
Ms Hussey said: "I am honoured to take the position of head of the office where I will aim to build on the success of Steve's leadership over the past decade to support and engage further with the business community across the Midlands region.
"We are fiercely proud of our reputation and work across the Midlands and my focus will be on maintaining and growing that in the years to come."