The Lawyer Career Report

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Clarke Willmott

Internal promotions

Overall	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
	3	3	3

2005-06: Employment 1, clinical negligence 1, litigation 1
2004-05: Private client 1, private property 1, plot sales 1
2003-04: Real estate/construction 1, corporate 1, litigation 1

Laterals

Overall	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06
	5	8	12

2005-06: Property 6, family 1, construction 1, litigation 3, company/commercial 1
2004-05: Planning 1, property 5, insolvency 1, private client 1,
2003-04: Property 3, litigation 1, corporate 1

Intake as percentage of partnership 2005-06: 26

New female partners as percentage of intake 2005-06: 47

Firms recruited from: Laytons, Pinsent Masons

Equity structure: 27 equity partners, 30 non-equity partners

Practice area(s) most heavily promoted: Property

For the past three years, Clarke Willmott has been on a lateral spree, with 25 hires compared with nine internal promotions. Since the firm�s head office changed to Bristol, the move has been reflected in the partnership promotions.

In 2005-06 all the internal candidates have been from Bristol, while Bristol also accounted for five of the 12 laterals. As the firm starts to attack the eastern market outside its Devon home, Southampton and Birmingham were also given three lateral partners apiece.

Most of the lateral firepower has been concentrated in property-related disciplines - 12 of the total of 25 over three years. However, homegrown partners in 2005-06 majored in contentious areas of business - employment, clinical negligence and dispute resolution.