PARTNERSHIP 2008: Hammonds: Brum, building, a baby and a barrister
Tuesday, April 15th, 2008, 10.45
Hammonds: Brum, building, a baby and a barrister
Baltis and the Bullring are arguably the things most closely associated with Birmingham - lawyering comes in third at best.
So why on earth has Hammonds made seven of its 19 partner promotions there?
Looking at the breakdown is a clue. Three of the seven new partners are in the urban regeneration field: property and construction.
The other four are all in arenas that are needed once regeneration has taken place: commercial, employment, pensions and tax strategies.
In short, Hammonds is tooling itself with a one-stop shop for regeneration and beyond in Brum. Doesn't exactly fit with the firm's vision to become more European, but then a good gig is a good gig, right?
Melanie Williams, one of the new property partners, claims that the Birmingham lawyers don't work separately from their European counter-parts. "We have dealings with them such as going to Mipim," she says.
Hmmm, quite.
Williams says that she was inspired to become a lawyer as a child.
"My parents divorced when I was very young and came under the care of a female barrister. When I saw how she had managed to make a great career for herself I knew I could too," she explains.
A stalwart Brummie, she confirms Birmingham is a growth office due to that city's regeneration boom, but denies that work hailing from outside the region is only from businesses keen to cut cost on low-priority projects by sending them outside London.
"If the talent is in Birmingham then that's where the work will go - it's not just about saving money," she concludes.
Partnership forecast:
Brum: Sunny
Regeneration: Heatwave
Women: Cloudy with breaks of sunshine
Europe: Patchy showers
Previous Partnership 2008 blogs.
Bird & Bird promotions: only two birds - Monday, April 14th, 2008
Eversheds Paris: female partners multiplying - Monday, April 14th, 2008
Eversheds female promotions dwindle - Friday, April 11th, 2008
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 26thTrowers 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
