Legal Business Blogs

Partner promotions: Withers ups the ante in latest round with seven made partner

Withers has increased the number of lawyers promoted to partner, adding seven in its latest promotion round, with just one partner made up in the City.

The promotions are an increase on last year’s cohort, when the firm added five new partners. The new partners come from six of the firm’s global jurisdictions, as Withers’ continues to invest internationally following a period of rapid expansion.

The appointments included one London promotion, with Nicholas Vaughan made a partner in real estate in the firm’s City office.

In Asia, two partners join the Hong Kong team, in family planning and tax, while one joins its Singapore litigation and arbitration team. The firm made up two US promotions, in Rancho Santa Fe, and Greenwich, Connecticut. It also made up another in Geneva. Withers’ wealth planning and tax team was the biggest beneficiary of the latest promotions round, with four associates made partner across four jurisdictions.

The private wealth specialists now boast 165 partners worldwide, with the partners taking up their new roles on 1 July.

Managing director Margaret Robertson (pictured) said: ‘This group of new partners showcases the skills and diversity of Withers’ lawyers, as well as our truly international reach. They are all leading lawyers in their fields and will be invaluable in helping us to integrate our teams following the investment we have made in our significant global expansion in 2015 and 2016.’

The past 12 months has seen Withers continue its international expansion, launching a tax practice earlier this year in Dubai, hiring EY’s Middle East and North Africa private client head Stijn Janssen.

The firm has also grown in recent years in Australia, Japan and the US. Withers launched its Tokyo office in June last year, hiring Morrison & Foerster’s Singapore-based Eric Roose to head up the regional tax practice.

The new partners are:

Marissa Dungey, wealth planning and tax team, Greenwich

Samantha Gershon, family team, Hong Kong

Laurence Ho, wealth planning and tax team, Hong Kong

Lim Hui Ying, litigation & arbitration team, Singapore

Rebecca O’Toole, wealth planning and tax team, Rancho Santa Fe

Ian Perrett, wealth planning and tax team, Geneva

Nicholas Vaughan, real estate, London