LB100 top-30 firms Taylor Wessing, Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) and Dentons have all announced their Spring partner promotions covering the UK and beyond.
For Taylor Wessing, it is an increased UK round compared to last year when just one lawyer was made up to its London partnership. This year, the firm has promoted three lawyers to its partnership, with a further five being made up to senior counsel.
Among those being promoted is Katie Chandler, a dispute resolution lawyer who joined Taylor Wessing as a trainee in 2005. Chandler acts for clients spanning the retail, technology and life sciences sectors. Lerika Jourbet, who joined Taylor Wessing from Slaughter and May in 2013, has been promoted into the firm’s banking and finance practice. Edward Story, another Taylor Wessing lifer, has been elevated to partnership in the firm’s corporate division.
Taylor Wessing managing partner Tim Eyles commented: ‘Their original thinking and willingness always to challenge and be challenged are qualities we value just as highly as their technical skill and client relationships – and indeed which we think add to the latter.’
Despite the growth on last year’s partner promotions, the three elevated this year contrasts with the 16-strong UK round Taylor Wessing unveiled five years ago, although 15 of those came in non-UK offices.
Elsewhere, HFW has promoted eight new partners, but with just one in the UK. Alex Kemp, a litigator in the marine sector, is the sole lawyer promoted in London. Last year, the firm made up two lawyers in the capital.
The remaining seven new partners have been made up internationally, with three in Australia, two in Dubai and one each in Houston and Singapore.
Similarly, Dentons has recorded a slump in its London partner promotions, elevating five this year compared to seven in 2017. In a global round that saw the firm promote 36 new partners, Tessa Blank, Simon Elliot, Christopher Graf and Christopher Thomson were made up in London, while Jane Miles was promoted in Milton Keynes.
Early signs are mixed for partner promotions generally this year, with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer announcing yesterday (4 April) it had promoted a modest five lawyers to its London partnership. However, Linklaters increased the size of its promotions round for the fifth year in a row, adding 27 lawyers to its partnership. Similarly, Slaughter and May saw a dip in the number of promotions, while Hogan Lovells and Pinsent Masons recorded increases.