Covington & Burling has a new chief. Last week, the venerable Washington, D.C., firm elected Timothy Hester to chairman in a consensus vote among the 168 partners.

He’ll replace outgoing Chairman Stuart Stock on Jan. 1. Stock served as chairman for six years, during which time the firm’s gross revenue and net profits both more than doubled. When being re-elected for a term beginning in 2006, Stock told the partnership he would serve two years of the four-year term.