DWF promotes five to partnership in 44-strong round

The promotion round focused heavily on litigation with two litigators promoted to partner and nine to associate. The litigation partners are regulatory specialist Vikki Woodfine and family law specialist Elspeth Kinder.

Joining the duo in the partnership are public sector specialist Colin Murray, tax specialist Jon Gould in the firm’s corporate team and Edinburgh commercial real estate lawyer Robin Watt.

None of the five trained at DWF. Gould trained at Linder Myers and joined the firm from Newcastle firm Hay & Kilner in 2012. Woodfine trained at legacy Squire Sanders but joined Aaron & Partners on qualification, moving to DWF in 2009.

Kinder trained and qualified at now-defunct firm Cobbetts and moved to DWF in 2007. Murray joined DWF in 2013 from Trowers & Hamlins while Watt was previously an associate at DWF’s 2012 merger partner Biggart Baillie. 

Managing partner Andrew Leaitherland said the firm was committed to “developing talent at all levels of the business” as well as “rewarding the broad range of contributions” made by the firm’s people.

In total 23 lawyers were promoted to associate level. The round also had a heavy focus on insurance and real estate, which gained seven and five associates respectively. DWF also promoted two lawyers to associate within its corporate team.

The firm also promoted 11 people to director, which is the firm’s equivalent of partner. This included commercial directors Chris Gee, Douglas Jefferies, John Dorney, Julie Agnew and Kevin Feehan as well as insurance directors Catherine Kober, Helen Coates, James Stevens and Nicola Dunk.

The remainder of the promotions were within the firm’s partnership.