Continuing the trend of increased partner promotions this year, Simmons & Simmons has promoted 13 lawyers to partner in its biggest round since 2011. Meanwhile Charles Russell Speechlys made up five in its first round since its merger.
Simmons’ promotions round is much expanded on last year, when eight lawyers made the grade, with nine being made up in the City alone in 2015. By practice, the firm moved to promote lawyers servicing the finance sector with three financial markets litigators made up alongside lawyers from its financial services and financial markets teams. Also in the UK, Alistair Hill, who helped to launch the firm’s banking practice in Bristol in May 2013 when he joined from Linklaters, was made partner.
While there were three lawyers made up in continental Europe last year, the firm focused on the Middle East and Asia this time around. There was a double promotion in Hong Kong, with employment lawyer Sarah Berkeley and corporate specialist Seung Chong joining the partnership, while Dubai-based financial markets lawyer Ahmed Butt was made up after helping to launch the firm’s second office in Saudi Arabia through its alliance with Hammad & Al-Mehdar.
Simmons’ senior partner Colin Passmore, said: ‘These promotions are fully in line with the firm’s business plan and they recognise the range of talent that exists across our practice areas that has been key to our growth over the past few years. I am particularly pleased that over half of our new partners joined the firm as trainees.’
Elsewhere, Charles Russell Speechlys made up five lawyers in its first round since its merger in November. The firm promoted lawyers across its private client, real estate, corporate, restructuring and commercial practices. Christopher Page, senior partner at Charles Russell Speechlys, said: ‘The merger has made this a very busy year, but we have never lost sight of fact that it is the quality and dedication to client service of our people that drives our continued success.’
The new partners at Charles Russell Speechlys:
Sally Ashford, private client, Guildford
Suzi Gatward, real estate, London
Jonathan Morley, corporate, Cheltenham
Hanh Nguyen, corporate restructuring and insolvency, London
Jonathan Walters, commercial, London
The new partners at Simmons & Simmons:
Angus McLean, intellectual property, London
Ania Rontaler, corporate, London
Emma Sutcliffe, financial markets litigation, London
Nick Colston, financial services, London
Paul Baker, financial markets litigation, London
Robert Allen, financial markets litigation, London
Stephen Moses, litigation, London
Vicky Wickremeratne, employment, London
Nick Skerrett, tax, London
Alistair Hill, banking, Bristol
Ahmed Butt, financial markets, Dubai
Sarah Berkeley, employment, Hong Kong
Seung Chong, corporate, Hong Kong
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
