Pinsents posts largest partner round for three years but female promotions dip

Pinsent Masons has lifted its 2018 partner promotion numbers after a slight dip last year, but the proportion of female promotions has fallen ahead of its target of a 30% female partnership by 2020.

The firm has made up 23 partners, effective 1 May, up from last year’s 16. A quarter of the promotions are female, sharply down from last year’s 68%, when Pinsents reached its 25% female representation target a year early.

Pinsents’ new target is for a 30% female partnership by 2020, and over the last three years 45% of its internal promotions have been female. The top 20 UK law firm’s current 400-plus partnership sits at just above 25% women.

Nearly a third of the promotions are based outside the UK, split between China, Australia, Germany, Dubai and France. The 1,600-lawyer firm opened offices in Madrid, Dublin, Johannesburg and Perth last year. Of the UK promotions, seven are in London. Seven of the promotions are in infrastructure, while six are in financial services.

Senior partner Richard Foley says it is the firm’s largest promotion round in three years, reflecting the firm’s sustained growth drive and international expansion. He adds: ‘[We] focus on investing in our people. We have worked hard to create both a level playing field, and an environment in which our people can develop the deep sector-specialism and innovative mind-set that characterises a Pinsents partner.’

hamish.mcnicol@legalease.co.uk