Promotions down at Mayer Brown as two make partner in London

Mayer Brown as two make partner in London" />Mayer Brown has responded to the economic slump by making up just two new partners in London, in contrast to the 10 promoted last year.

The firm has invited construction litigator James Fielden (pictured) and insurance specialist Andrew McGahey to join the partnership in the latest round of promotions.

Globally, there were 27 new partners, down from 43 in 2007.

Last year, nearly a quarter of the firm's promotions were in the City office, while this year's promotions make up just seven per cent of the whole.

Mayer Brown chairman James Holzhauer said of the new partners: "We're confident they will play an important role in the firm's continued growth and success."

Outside of the UK, there were five new partners in Washington DC; four in Chicago; three each in Frankfurt, New York and Hong Kong; two in Los Angeles and one each in Palo Alto, Paris, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Houston.

The litigation practice won the largest portion of new partners, with 11 promotions.

McGahey joined the firm in 1998 and focuses on policy coverage matters for financial institutions, while Fielden arrived 1997 and has experience in international and domestic engineering and disputes.