In its latest partner promotions, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has made up its fewest number of partners in the City since 2009, with just three lawyers making the cut out of a 17-strong round.
The first round to be revealed by a Magic Circle firm for 2015, it does not reach the levels of 2011 and 2012, when Freshfields made up 20 partners, but does represent an increase on the 15 partners made up in 2014, and the 14 in the year before. In London, the number is the lowest since 2009 when the firm made up corporate partners Piers Prichard Jones and Jennifer Bethlehem.
Out of the 17 promotions, nine have been promoted across Europe with the three in London joined by one each in Vienna, Düsseldorf, Moscow, Madrid, Brussels and Frankfurt. The firm’s Hong Kong office benefited from the most promotions with four associates being made up, as well as two in Tokyo/Singapore, one in Dubai and, despite its recent push into growing its presence in the US, just one in New York.
In terms of practice breakdown, like last year, the largest beneficiary was the Magic Circle firm’s disputes practice where there were five promotions once again, followed by finance and corporate with four each; one covering disputes and employment, pensions and benefits; one dedicated to employment; and one each in antitrust, competition and trade; and real estate.
The new appointments take effect on 1 May 2015. Senior partner Will Lawes commented: ‘This year’s new partners are a fantastically talented and very international group with outstanding track records of working with our key clients. I am confident that their contribution will further enhance our client offering and help enormously to grow our global business.’
The full list of partners by practice area and location is as follows:
Antitrust, competition and trade
Sascha Schubert, Brussels
Corporate
Richard Bird, Hong Kong
Philip Li, Hong Kong
Victoria Sigeti, London
Alison Smith, London
Dispute resolution
Stephan Denk, Vienna
Nicholas Lingard, Singapore/Tokyo
Erin Miller Rankin, Dubai
Olivia Radin, New York
Wolrad Prinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont, Düsseldorf
Dispute resolution/Employment, pensions and benefits
Akiko Yamakawa, Tokyo
Employment, pensions and benefits
Andrew Murphy, London
Finance
Daniel French, Hong Kong
Michael Josenhans, Frankfurt
Anna Nersesian, Moscow
Richard Perks, Hong Kong
Real estate
Fernando Soto, Madrid
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
