Withers has made up fewer lawyers to partner this year, reducing its round from seven to five, at the end of an intense period of international growth for the private client heavyweight.
The new partners will join the firm’s established London, Milan and San Francisco offices, with three in the City, and one each in the US and Italy. Two of the promotions came in the firm’s tax and wealth planning team, with the remaining three being spread across the firm’s family, real estate, and disputes practices.
All promotions took effect on 1 July and bring the firm’s overall partner headcount to 160.
Withers made up seven lawyers in 2014, with the majority of promotions being made across the firm’s tax and wealth planning team in Hong Kong, New Haven and London, while there were eight promotions in 2013. A spokesperson for the firm said that there was no specific reason for this year’s reduced promotions, with each candidate ‘judged on their strengths and business case, which causes variance from year to year’.
Managing director Margaret Robertson (pictured), who was re-elected to serve another three-year term last month said: ‘I am delighted that this group of talented lawyers has been put forward for partnership, and their leadership skills will be invaluable at this exciting time of growth for the firm. All of them are key members of their respective teams and well deserve their appointments.’
Withers has expanded extensively this past year. Most recently, the firm launched a Tokyo tax practice – Withers Japan, Zeirishi Houjin (Withers Japan) – in June, and hired Morrison & Foerster’s Singapore-based Eric Roose to head up its regional corporate tax practice.
That same month, the firm launched three new offices in the US with the hire of a nine-partner team – the majority of which come from McKenna Long & Aldridge.
The firm also boosted its corporate, litigation and IP law capabilities in the US with the hire of an 11-strong team in April. This came after the firm launched a presence in Australia, creating Withers SBL through an alliance, in December 2014.
Jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
The new partners are:
Giulia Cipollini, tax and wealth planning, Milan;
Brett Frankle, family, London;
James Martell, real estate, London;
Stephen Ross, litigation & arbitration, London; and
Vimala Snow, tax and wealth planning, San Francisco
