Elections for a new managing partner will take place in March.
Frawley will return to being a partner in the insolvency group.
His replacement will likely come from members in the new divisional director positions, which were created when Frawley cut the firm’s UK management team.
The divisional directors on the firm include finance partner Rodney Dukes, private equity partner Tim Eyles, and IP partner Charles Lloyd. These three will be on the international management board with Frawley.
HR director Jonathan Croucher has become practice director, which is a double role, consisting of chief operating officer and HR director.
Wessing has re-elected its senior partner Martin Winter to serve another three-years.
Winter said, “[Frawley] has done a great job. In this rapidly changing market five years is a long time in the life of a law firm… with 270 partners, 1,300 in staff, and 12 offices in six jurisdictions the firm is a very different entity from 2004 when Michael took over. He has played an outstanding role in achieving these developments.