City lawyer Fiona Woolf has won a four-way vote to be named as Deputy Vice-President elect by members of the Law Society Council.

Ms Woolf, a partner at CMS Cameron McKenna, is the longest-serving member of the current council, having joined in 1987 as one of the City of London constituency representatives.

With 45 votes, she won out over standards board chairman Andrew Holroyd (Merseyside & District), who received 22 votes; Paul Marsh (Surrey), who received 15 votes; and Derek French (Birmingham & District), who received two votes.

Ms Woolf established Camerons' energy practice in 1985 and was awarded a CBE for her work on electricity systems restructuring.

She said: 'This is a crucial time for the legal profession with Sir David Clementi's review.

The experience I gained working on structural change projects will help me prepare the Society and solicitors' profession for what could be a complex period of reform.'

Under Society rules, she will take up the position at the annual general meeting on 15 July unless 500 members object to her selection by 7 May.