Global legal firm unveils 54 top-tier lawyers as partners in its 2022 roster
A leading global law firm has announced the promotion of 54 lawyers and directors across various practice areas and locations worldwide, effective January 1, 2022. The promotions span 11 practice areas, with litigation and disputes, corporate, M&A and securities, and banking and finance being the most represented.
The promotions include several notable individuals, such as Rachel Chan and Daniel Ng in the litigation and disputes practice area in Hong Kong, Marianne McMahon as the new general counsel in London, and Alberta Yan in the corporate, M&A and securities practice area in New York.
In addition to these, the firm has promoted 23 women lawyers, accounting for 43% of the total promotions. This is a significant step towards gender diversity in the firm's leadership.
The promotions also extend to other regions, with announcements in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, and Canada. In Canada, Robin Acworth, Véronique Barry, Scott Boucher, and others received promotions in various practice areas across Calgary, Québec, Vancouver, Ottawa, and Montréal.
In the United States, Rafe Schaefer and Joseph Drapalski were promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area in Houston and Los Angeles respectively. Eric Green was promoted in the intellectual property practice area in Austin, and Darren Smith and Darren Millas in the banking and finance practice area in Houston.
In the United Kingdom, Matthew Buckle, Laura Kiwelu, and Helen Fairhead were promoted in the litigation and disputes, projects, and banking and finance practice areas respectively. Anna Rudawski was promoted in the information governance, privacy and cybersecurity practice area in New York.
The promotions also include Helen Fairhead in the antitrust and competition practice area in London, Rebecca Winthrop in the bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency practice area in Los Angeles, Alex Zekkos in the banking and finance practice area in London, and Nicolas Sirtoli in the corporate, M&A and securities practice area in London.
In other parts of Europe, Annabelle Wheeler was promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area in Munich and London, and Bernd Dreier was promoted in the corporate, M&A and securities practice area in Munich. Veit Sahlfeld was promoted in the banking and finance practice area in Hamburg.
In Australia, Kate Green and Harriet Oldmeadow received promotions in litigation and disputes in Sydney and Perth respectively.
In South Africa, Paul Cartwright was promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area, leading to a director position instead of a partner.
Gerry Pecht, the Global Chief Executive of the law firm, congratulated the promoted lawyers and praised their industry knowledge, business acumen, and innovative solutions.
The promotions mark a significant milestone for the firm, reflecting its commitment to fostering talent and driving growth. However, it's important to note that while these promotions represent progress, the representation of women in partner promotions in global law firms has historically been underrepresented, with incremental increases year over year.
For more specific data on the representation of women in partner promotions in global law firms for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021, it would be necessary to consult dedicated industry reports from entities like the American Bar Association, Law360 Diversity & Inclusion reports, or specific law firms’ diversity disclosures.
The promotions in the banking and finance practice area include Alex Zekkos in London and Darren Smith and Darren Millas in Houston, USA. The firm's promotions of 23 women lawyers, accounting for 43% of the total promotions, is a significant step towards gender diversity, especially in leadership roles.
