Watson Farley & Williams, TLT and Scottish firm Brodies are the most recent firms to announce their partner promotions with both Brodies and TLT expanding their rounds while Watson Farley nearly halved the number of lawyers it made up.
Watson Farley’s promotion round is almost half of last year’s total when the firm made up 13 associates. Of the seven new partners, three were made up in London, the same as last year, and one each in the firm’s Frankfurt, Hong Kong, New York and Paris offices, bringing the total number of partners to 140.
This year’s promotions went into effect at the start of the month (1 May) and included two female associates being promoted, with one based in Paris within asset finance and another in London’s corporate team. Other practice areas that saw promotions were corporate, disputes, finance and tax.
TLT, on the other hand, promoted two more than 2014’s level, making up six lawyers to partner and bringing the firm’s total partner headcount to over 100 for the first time.
The promotions, which went into effect on 1 May, were in the firm’s commercial services, and banking and lender services groups, with lawyers based in Belfast, Bristol, London and Manchester.
TLT also promoted to 12 associates to legal director. ‘This year’s promotions demonstrate continued growth across all our UK offices and core areas of expertise,’ said TLT senior partner Robert Bourns. ‘Success depends on our clients recognising value in what we do and our people collaborating to better support each other and deliver effectively for our clients.’
Meanwhile, Scottish law firm Brodies has also had a large round of promotions, making seven up to partner, while promoting nine to a newly-created managing associate role.
All seven promotions were made in different practice areas and took the total partnership headcount to 89. Last year the firm made up just four to its partnership.
Christine O’Neill, chairman of Brodies, said: ‘Our newly promoted partners have impressed our clients, demonstrated excellent legal and leadership skills, and are attuned to the marketplace and future direction of the sectors they serve.
‘This new position [managing associate] acknowledges that a number of our experienced associates are already performing important management roles across the firm in delivering our client services. This may include managing teams or being the lynch pin for the delivery of transactions.’
The 2015 promotions are as follows:
Watson Farley Williams:
Ravinder Sandhu – corporate, London
Andrew Ward – disputes, London
Andrew Waters – disputes, London
Daniel Pilarski – tax, New York
Alexia Russell – finance, Paris
Frederik Lorenzen – finance, Frankfurt
Christoforos Bisbikos – finance, Hong Kong
TLT:
Alice Gardner, corporate
James Chadwick, banking and financial services litigation
Paul Gair, banking and financial services litigation
David Gardner, technology and IP
Richard Houliston, banking and restructuring
Sian Ashton, commercial disputes
Brodies:
Tom Boulton-Jones, corporate
Laurence Douglas, retail & leisure, real estate
Matthew Farrell, business disputes and asset recovery
Charles Livingstone, public law and regulatory
Marion MacInnes, banking and finance
Chris McDaid, commercial real estate
Murray Soutar, land and rural business
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk