Norton Rose leads rash of new partner appointments

NORTON Rose has appointed a record number of partners. The firm is to make up 14 partners on 1 May, bringing the total number of partners at the firm up to 117.

Managing partner Roger Birkby said the appointments strengthened the firm's "core practice areas" of project and asset finance, corporate finance, and international securities.

Other practices to announce partnership appointments last week were Lovell White Durrant, which is making up 15 partners, boosting its partner count to 142, Eversheds, with a tally of 16, and Ashurst Morris Crisp, with 11.

All of Lovells' appointees are in their 30s, the youngest being banking specialist Jonathan Holland and project finance specialist Samantha Sears, who are both 32.

Eversheds, which will have 287 partners once its appointments are ratified, said the figures demonstrated the firm's "continued growth throughout the country".

There were five promotions in the Birmingham office, three in Leeds, two in London and one each in offices in Nottingham, Manchester, Norwich, Cardiff and Bristol.

Ashursts' elevation of 11 of its fee earners to partnership status will take its partnership total to 84.