Addleshaws: managing associates

Friday, April 4th, 2008, 12.35
Addleshaws: managing associates

The noteworthy fact about Addleshaws promotions this year wasn't that it promoted almost double the number it did last year, despite an economic downturn.

Nor, arguably, was it that the firm promoted more women this year than it did partners in total in 2007.

Instead, the noteworthy fact is that all bar one of those made up comprise the first generation of partners to have progressed from the managing associate position created last year.

The managing associate position, created in September (see story), includes pay and annual leave raises and, crucially, increased responsibility.

But most importantly, as this year's partnership announcement confirms, it is a step to being made up.

As managing partner Mark Jones clarifies: "Managing associate is a grade most associates would aspire towards. The expectation is that it is a phase on the road to partnership."

The role is essentially what other firms would call senior associate, although Addleshaws never had that label before.

And it follows on the back of the creation of the legal director role in 2004 - generally understood as a 'senior management alternative to partnership,' says Jones, although one of the new partners, Leeds private capital lawyer Pervinder Kaur, did come through the legal director route.

Newer lawyers at the firm might understandably have become a little bamboozled by the excessive career rungs.

But bar the slight confusion caused by the promotion of a legal director, the other eight lawyers made up this year demonstrate that when it comes to the managing associate tier, Addleshaws has put its money where its mouth is.

Partnership forecast:
Female: 35C
London: Hot
Corporate: Sunny
Everything else: Patchy

Previous Partnership 2008 blogs.

Slaughter and May: ladies, long hours and longevity - Thursday, April 10th
Russell Jones & Walker: More to the core - Tuesday, April 8th
A&O in the Middle East: one new partner, back-up on the way - Monday, April 7th
Clifford Chance: Popham puts his money where his mouth is - Monday, April 7th
Nabarro, Hunton & Hosseini - Friday, April 4th
Addleshaws: managing associates - Friday, April 4th
Nabarro promotions down (under) - Thursday, April 3rd
Hunton & Williams: The London eye - Thursday, April 3rd
The corporate partnership: Superwomen only? - Wednesday, April 2nd
Ashurst promotions: expectation management - Wednesday, April 2nd
Pinsents' Leeds' ladies take the lead - Monday, March 31st
Herbies...continued... - Thursday, March 27th
Herbies shakes things up - Thursday, March 27th
Macfarlanes predicts a good year - Thursday, March 26th
Burges Salmon talks the talk - Wednesday, March 26thTrowers promotions dwindle - Tuesday, March 25th
Wragges' ups the firm's real estate profile - Thursday, March 20th
Olswang's year of change - Thursday, March 20th
Camerons goes East - Wednesday, March 19th
Ince & Co: happy days for men in boats - Tuesday, March 18th
Freshfields refills partnership - Monday, March 17th