Ashurst has announced that London-based Ben Tidswell has been elected chair of the newly integrated global firm for a five-year term, with effect from 1 November 2013.

Ben Tidswell joined Ashurst in 1993 and has been a partner in the London-based dispute resolution team since 2000. He has been a board member of Ashurst LLP since 2007.

Elections for the vice chair and board will take place shortly; in line with firm policy that chair and vice chair be appointed from alternate sides of the merger, only Australian candidates will be eligible for the vice chair position.