DLA Piper has appointed corporate partner Anastasia Kelly and litigator Michael Paulos as its new US co-managing partners, with the former becoming the first woman to lead the American business.

The duo will begin their roles on 1 January next year, at the same time as Roger Meltzer, chair of the corporate and finance practice, and Cameron Rains, co-chair of the global corporate practice, are due to take up their places as new co-chairs of the DLA’s US arm for a four-year term.