TWO key senior appointments, including a new managing partner, have been made by commercial law firm Denison Till of York.

A major switch at the top has been triggered by the early retirement from law of Chris Barton, 50, who has decided to step down after five years as managing partner "to pursue other interests".

Alistair Duncan, a partner in the firm's corporate department, has taken over the managing partner role while Andrew Lindsay, a partner in the same department, has been appointed to a new post, head of practice development.

Mr Duncan, who joined the firm as a partner in 1985, has been a key figure in driving the success of the corporate department, which is the biggest of its kind in York and North Yorkshire and has enjoyed two successive record years, completing deals exceeding £95 million in 2005. Mr Lindsay, who has been a partner since 1992, is also president of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group of Geneva Group International, one of the world's top ten networks of independent lawyers, accountants, tax and management consultants, to which Denison Till belongs. David Grice remains the firm's senior partner, a post he has held since 2003.

Denison Till has 13 partners and eight departments covering commercial property, company/commercial, commercial litigation, construction, employment, ecclesiastical, insolvency and private clients.

Updated: 09:40 Thursday, May 25, 2006