Top-25 UK firms Simmons & Simmons and Gowling WLG have followed suit on a series of strong partnership promotion rounds, making up 15 and 10 respectively.
Simmons promoted 15 lawyers to partner, eight of which were minted in London. The round is a significant increase on last year, when nine lawyers were promoted across the firm – a decrease from 12 the previous year – with only four promoted in the City.
Of the 15 promoted this year, six are women, seeing the firm make good on its commitment to have at least 30% of all promotion rounds comprised by women.
In London Adam Brown, Chris Owen, Elizabeth Williams and Priya Nagpal were all given the nod to become partners of the firm’s disputes practice, which received the lion’s share of the firm’s promotions with six new partners. Cathryn Bean, meanwhile, was promoted in the firm’s employment practice, while Kathryn James and Alex Ainley were promoted in the London financial markets practice. Jonathan Spencer was made up in the firm’s Bristol disputes practice.
Fourteen of the promotions were across Europe and the Middle East. The sole Asia-Pacific promotion was corporate lawyer Claudia Yiu in Hong Kong.
Gowling, meanwhile, has doubled its UK LLP’s 2018 promotions round to make up 10 partners this year.
In the UK, the firm promoted two partners to the real estate practice, three to its dispute resolution group, two in pensions, and one each in EU, trade and competition and commercial, IT and outsourcing. In France, employment lawyer Gaëlle Le Breton was made partner.
The promotions are up on last year, when five were promoted, and follow four lateral hires across different practice groups over the last year.
Gowling chief executive David Fennell (pictured) commented: ‘Our new partners are all outstanding lawyers and business advisers, with a wealth of expertise in their respective areas, consistently delivering a first class service to our clients. Their diverse skills and experience will enhance Gowling WLG’s support to clients around the world and the continued growth of the firm.’
thomas.alan@legalbusiness.co.uk
Simmons & Simmons promotions in full:
Adam Brown – dispute resolution, London
Alex Ainley – financial markets, London
Cathryn Bean – employment, London
Chris Owen – dispute resolution, London
Elizabeth Williams – dispute resolution, London
Kathryn James – financial markets, London
Ed Smith – employment, London
Priya Nagpal – dispute resolution, London
Jonathan Spencer – dispute resolution, Bristol
Christopher Goetz – corporate, Munich
Gijs ter Braak – corporate, Amsterdam
Paul Tjiam – dispute resolution, Amsterdam
Maria Tomillo – financial markets, Madrid
Simone Lucatello – financial markets, Milan
Claudia Yiu – corporate, Hong Kong
Gowling WLG UK LLP’s partner promotions in full:
Daniel Leather – Housing, Development and Regeneration
Toni Weston – Planning
Catherine Naylor – Commercial Litigation
Helen Davenport – Commercial Litigation
Sam Beighton – EU, Trade and Competition
Kieran Laird – Projects
Jocelyn Paulley – Commercial, IT and Outsourcing
Christopher Stiles – Pensions
Joanne Tibbott – Pensions
Gaëlle Le Breton – Employment
