Legal Business

Three in London: Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer makes up 17 in 2015 promotions round

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