Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom has promoted just one London lawyer to partnership in this year’s US-centric round of partner promotions.
The US top 5 Global 100 firm has promoted eleven lawyers in total, up three from last year, with the bulk of the promotions falling in the US: three in New York; one in Los Angeles; one in Washington DC; and one in Chicago. The remaining two were in Hong Kong.
The promotions were spread across various practice groups, including two in cross-border investigations and litigation, two in mergers and acquisitions, and one each in SEC enforcement and tax controversy. This year the firm made up just one female.
After a dip last year, the number of promotions takes the 1,735-lawyer firm back to 2012 levels, when it also made up eleven lawyers.
The promotions come as a number of US firms have considerably swelled their partnership ranks in London, in some cases promoting an equivalent number of City partners to the Magic Circle firms. In the most recent rounds Latham & Watkins promoted four partners in its City base, White & Case promoted five and Kirkland & Ellis promoted seven London partners.
Separately, Morgan Cole, which will shortly merge with Blake Lapthorn, has promoted two partners, with succession wills and tax lawyer James Greig being made up in Oxford and commercial lawyer Jason Richards who will work across the firm’s Oxford and Cardiff offices.
Morgan Cole chairman Bruce Potter said: ‘As a firm, we recognise that the success of our business is totally dependent upon attracting and developing the very best people. Both James and Jason have impressive track records and are known for their exemplary approach to client work. All of those who have been promoted very much deserve their success.’
The promotions come ahead of the firm’s merger with Blake Lapthorn, set to go ahead on 1 July to form Blake Morgan, a 120-partner firm with a joint revenue of £72m, projecting it into the top 50 UK firms.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
