London dominates the latest promotions round at Reed Smith, with a quarter of the 24 newly-made partners at the US firm based in the City, while Morrison Foerster has promoted one in London in a round of 12.
Six associates were made up to partner in Reed Smith’s London office, three more than in Chicago, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, which each received three promotions to partner. While it is one fewer than the seven made up in London last year, the City has again accounted for at least a quarter of partner promotions.
The promotions, as was the case in 2015, largely centred on those servicing the firm’s financial services clients. London lawyers Monica Dupont-Barton, who specialises in acquisition and leveraged finance, and real estate debt and securitisation lawyer Angelina Soon made partner in the firm’s financial services industry group. Tom Webley makes partner as a member of the banking and financial services litigation and regulatory groups after picking up a string of Libor and forex manipulation work.
Data privacy and information technology lawyer Kate Brimsted, M&A lawyer Andrew Clark and pensions specialist William Sutton were also made to partner.
Reed Smith made fewer partner promotions in 2016 than in previous years, with 22 out of 24 promotions made up in the UK and the US. Hong Kong was the other recipient of partner promotions, as Angel Ng and May Wong were made up. Last year there were also promotions in Abu Dhabi and Shanghai.
At Morrison Forrester capital markets lawyer Scott Ashton made the cut in a global round of 12. Ashton specialises in private placements and public offerings of debt and equity, and is recommended by the Legal 500 for debt capital markets. The firm made up one other partner in Europe, with Berlin technology partner technology transactions making the grade, while one partner was made up in Tokyo, and the remainder in the US.
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
Reed Smith’s promotions in full:
Kate Brimsted, London, IP, Information & Innovation
Andrew Clark, London, Corporate
Monica Dupont-Barton, London, Financial Services
Angelina Soon, London, Financial Services
William Sutton, London, Pensions
Tom Webley, London, Banking and Financial Services Litigation
Angel Ng, Hong Kong, Corporate
May Wong, Hong Kong, Corporate
Jesse Ash, Washington DC, Life Sciences
Siddesh Bale, Chicago, Corporate
Gregory Chase, New York, Shipping
Kevin Dreher, Chicago, Insurance Recovery
Rick Etter, Pittsburgh, Labour & Employment
Kerry Halpern, Philadelphia, Corporate
Justin Kontul, Pittsburgh, Financial Industry
Sara Lima, Philadelphia, State Tax
Michelle Mantine, Pittsburgh, Global Regulatory Enforcement
Brendan McNallen, San Francisco, Energy & Natural Resources
Edward Mullen, Richmond, Regulatory Enforcement
Nipun Patel, Philadelphia, Commercial Litigation
Matthew Petrillo, Chicago, Energy & Natural Resources
Christopher Sheaffer, New York, Corporate
Peter Stuhldreher, Houston, Labour & Employment
Julia Trankiem, Los Angeles, Labour & Employment
Morrison Foerster’s promotions in full:
Alexis Amezcua, San Francisco, Commercial Litigation
Scott Ashton, London, Capital Markets
James J. Beha II, New York, Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White-Collar criminal defence
Noah Carr, Tokyo, Corporate
Matthew Chivvis, San Francisco, Intellectual Property Litigation
Kristina Ehle, Berlin, Technology Transactions
Enrico Granata, New York, Corporate
Erik Knudsen, Denver, Corporate
Diana Kruze, San Francisco, Intellectual Property Litigation
John Pintarelli, New York, Restructuring and Insolvency
Shannon Reaney, Palo Alto, Patent Counselling
Elizabeth Sluder, Los Angeles, Project Finance
