Norton Rose has appointed Australia chair Adrian Ahern as the new global chairman of the Norton Rose Group, as preparations for its June merger with Texas firm Fulbright & Jaworski gather pace.

Ahern will succeed Norman Steinberg as head of the firm’s global supervisory board, which currently includes 14 members across the group, in addition to Steinberg. Ahern will also take up a non-exec position on the global executive committee.