Legal Business

Partner promotions: Irwin Mitchell makes up 10 with 50% female ratio

Irwin Mitchell has promoted ten associates to its partnership, down on a record level of 13 last year but standing out among its peers for including an equal number of male and female lawyers.

The top 25 UK firm promoted five male and five female lawyers, three of which trained at the firm.

The latest round also sees the firm promote evenly between its business legal services and personal legal services divisions. On the business side, two real estate lawyers, two employment and one head of business development were promoted, while in personal services two lawyers were promoted in family law, one in court of protection, one in travel law and one in medical negligence.

The promotions have taken place across the firm’s London, Manchester, Birmingham, Sheffield and Leeds offices, with three apiece in London and Birmingham.

Irwin Mitchell said its promotion round comes as it ‘builds on a major recruitment programme which has seen more than 30 specialists recruited to partner-level positions right across the business.’

The promotions follows the launch of the firm’s Southampton office in April and a new Cambridge office scheduled to open in June, after the firm secured a £60m funding facility from three major banks.

Group chief executive Andrew Tucker said: ‘It is a sign of the strength and breadth of our business that we are able to promote ten or more people to partner positions for the second year running. One of the strengths of Irwin Mitchell is our diverse offering and this is a further demonstration of that, covering our services to both business and personal clients.’

All appointments will be effective from May 1.

jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk

Partner promotion list 2014:

Business legal services

Real estate, Christopher Perrin, Manchester

Real estate, Louise Cartwright, London

Employment, Christopher, London

Employment, Omer Simjee, Birmingham

Head of Business Development, Rosemary Thorpe, London

Personal legal services division

Family law, Alison Fernandes, Sheffield

Family law, Zoe Round, Sheffield

Court of Protection, Joanne Fraser, Leeds

Travel law, Amandeep Dhillon, Birmingham

Medical negligence, Lindsay Tomlinson, Birmingham