Burges Salmon talks the talk

Wednesday, March 26th, 2008, 12.10
Burges Salmon talks the talk

Burges Salmon has long talked the talk about growing its own, and this year’s promotional round is further proof that it also walks the walk.

The firm’s largest group of promotions yet, it will see six associates joining the equity on 1st May.

The latest round follows the promotion of five associates to the partnership last year, and of four associates the year before that. And this against a total of just two lateral hires in the same period.

However this year’s promotions are not entirely in line with the firm’s stated priorities.

Unveiled in October, the firm’s strategic vision is investment in its core practices of corporate and commercial, litigation, banking and property, and growth in specialist units such as the firm’s environmental, renewable energy, nuclear, agriculture and rail groups.

Yet while those core practices have done well from the latest promotional round, the specialists have seemingly seen little benefit.

Of the core groups, the commercial practice saw two new partners; the corporate group a further two partners, and the banking and finance and joint commercial disputes/construction practice an additional partner each. But environmental? Renewables? Agriculture? Rail? None.

The consolation for at least two of those groups, however, is a lot of crossover from the new partners.

Camilla Usher-Clark, who joins the corporate practice, brings experience of working with the Carbon Trust and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority - both major Burges Salmon clients - and will work closely with both the environment and energy teams.

Equally Mark Shepherd, who also joins the corporate group, brings a client list which includes alternative energies business ITM Power; John Houlden, promoted in the commercial practice, advises energy watchdog Ofgem, and new banking and finance partner Graham Soar lists the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as one of his key clients.

So while the latest promotions hold little good news for the firm’s rail or agriculture groups, energy and environment have more to be pleased about than it might at first appear.

Partnership prospects:
Corporate: Sunny
Commercial: Sunny
Agriculture: Overcast

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 26th
Trowers 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