Internal promotions

Laterals

Intake as percentage of partnership 2005-06: 23

New female partners as percentage of intake 2005-06: 23

Firms recruited from: Clifford Chance, Coudert Brothers, Denton Wilde Sapte, Dorsey & Whitney, Hammonds, Harbottle & Lewis, McGrigors, Paul Hastings, Pinsent Masons, Shepherd & Wedderburn, White & Case

Equity structure: 133 equity partners, 296 non-equity partners

Practice area(s) most heavily promoted: Banking, corporate, real estate

* Figures supplied relate to the calendar year

DLA Piper’s explosive international expansion accounts for its exponential growth in laterals in 2005. Of the 73 laterals in 2005, 51 were overseas, as DLA Piper took on swathes of the now-defunct Coudert Brothers, as well as EY Law’s CIS network.

The 24 UK laterals included the Denton Wilde Sapte TMT team, but other than that the external hires were spread evenly across the sectors. TMT aside, no UK business group made more than one lateral hire in 2005 with the exception of commercial and projects, which made two. Only five of the UK laterals were outside London.

London got the most promotions in 2005 with 10, followed by Leeds with five and Birmingham with three. London has tended to get more new partners, but not by a long way. Manchester gets a good ratio of internals – it managed two in 2003, four in 2004 and two in 2005.

Corporate has promoted 12 in three years, but this was dwarfed by the lateral total of 44 over the same time period. But things look slightly less dramatic from a UK standpoint. In 2005 DLA Piper promoted three in corporate in the UK and had two laterals – only one of whom was in London. Banking has shown some growth around the regional network: from only one in 2003 and one in 2004, the firm promoted five in 2005, four of whom were in the UK – two in London, one in Birmingham and one in Glasgow.

Real estate has grown in fits and starts. There has been a fair flow of laterals every year, with two in 2003, four in 2004 and two in 2005, but internal promotions have been patchier; there were two in 2003, but none in 2004. 2005 was better, with four.

Intriguingly for a firm whose early success was built on business recovery and insolvency, that sector has seen lean times in growth. It made up three UK laterals in 2003, but since then has not brought in or promoted a single partner.

Equally, insurance – another traditional practice area – has not kept pace with other sectors. It managed one partner a year in 2003 and 2004 but none in 2005.