Clifford Chance takes magic circle lead with 27 promos

Fellow magic circle firms Allen & Overy, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and Linklaters promoted 23 (30 March 2012), 20 (28 March 2012) and 23 (23 April 2012), respectively.

Continuing a trend seen in recent years, Clifford Chance’s London office has received a relatively small share of the new crop, with just four of the new partners making the grade in the firm’s Canary Wharf headquarters. Last year four London lawyers were made up (4 May 2011) while in 2010 the number was five (4 May 2010) and in 2009 it was three.

Managing partner David Childs said that the firm had sought to promote in “critical markets in the West as well as in those regions experiencing high levels of growth”. As a result, the firm’s Middle East practice has received five new partners - one in Abu Dhabi, three in Dubai and one who works across Dubai and Riyadh - while the São Paulo office has received two.

Across Continental Europe Frankfurt, Munich and Warsaw have each gained two new partners while Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Madrid, Moscow and Paris have gained one each.

In terms of practice areas, the firm has returned to its traditional finance focus, with that practice group gaining the largest share of the new partners at 10. This is followed by corporate at seven and litigation at four. The capital markets and tax, pensions and employment groups have each received three new partners.

Last year the firm favoured corporate, with eight of the 23-strong crop based in that practice group against six in capital markets and five in finance. The year before, all three practice groups gained six partners.

Commenting on this year’s promotions, Childs said: “Becoming a partner at Clifford Chance is highly competitive. These new partners combine excellent legal skills with strong commercial nous and have proven themselves to be valuable contributors to the wider life of the firm through enhancing our knowledge, developing our people and supporting our pro bono work.”

The lawyers take up their new positions on 1 May.

The promotions in full are:

Americas
Jason Myers – New York, capital markets
Mark Pesso – New York, finance
Anand Saha – São Paolo, capital markets
Christopher Willott – São Paolo, finance

Asia Pacific
Jean Yu – Beijing, corporate
Francis Edwards – Hong Kong, finance
Ashvin Seetulsingh – Hong Kong, finance*

Continental Europe
Quirine Eenhorst – Amsterdam, tax, pensions & employment (TPE)
Florian Mahler – Düsseldorf, finance
Jan Grabbe – Frankfurt, TPE
Markus Muhs – Frankfurt, corporate
Epifanio Perez – Madrid, finance
Alexander Anichkin – Moscow, TPE
Tim Schreiber – Munich, litigation & dispute resolution
Thomas Weitkamp – Munich, finance
Diego de Lammerville – Paris, litigation & dispute resolution
Marcin Cieminski – Warsaw, litigation & dispute resolution
Andrzej Stosio – Warsaw, finance

London
Marie Berard – litigation & dispute resolution
James Boswell – finance
Melissa Fogarty – corporate
Caroline Sherrell – corporate

Middle East
Rupert Harper – Abu Dhabi, corporate
James McCarthy – Dubai, corporate
Stuart Ure – Dubai, capital markets
Debbie Walker – Dubai, finance
Omar Rashid – Riyadh/Dubai, corporate

* Ashvin Seetulsingh will be relocating from London to Hong Kong on promotion.