Simmons & Simmons’ senior partner election process has gone to a second stage of voting after a week-long poll resulted in two candidates finishing neck-and-neck for the top spot.

Former managing partner David Dickinson and Italy managing partner Richard Slater are now the only remaining candidates to replace Janet Gaymer in the role, after senior litigator Philip Vaughan and the Rotterdambased partner Ralph Kroener were knocked out of contention.