CMS has promoted 52 partners in its largest-ever global promotional round, up by eleven from 41 in 2020.

This year, the firm added 23 partners in the UK, including nine women, making up 44% of the global promotions. The number of new UK partners equals that of the new additions to the firm’s continental European network, which also gained 23 new faces this round across Germany (eight), France (five), Italy (four), Portugal (two) with one a piece in Belgium, Switzerland and Austria.

The successful UK candidates include five in Scotland: Catriona Aldrige (employment), Claire Wallis (real estate), Christopher Dickson (construction), Mike McColl (intellectual property) and Neeraj Thomas (real estate). 

Four lawyers were made up in the firm’s South American outposts – up by three from last year– including corporate M&A lawyer Ignacio Errazquin and environmental dispute resolution expert Stephan Luhrmann in Chile, with Carolina Cueva (compliance) and Giancarlo Schievenini (corporate M&A) joining the partnership in Peru and Mexico respectively. 

This year’s regional tally is rounded out by the promotion of corporate commercial specialist Alex Muchira in Kenya and Johannesburg-based corporate adviser Sihle Bulose

Penelope Warne, CMS UK senior partner, said the scale of the latest promotional round indicates “strength and confidence” in the firm’s global business network, especially considering the uncertainties caused by the pandemic. 

“We remain committed to providing opportunities for progression for all our people and these promotions reflect the firm’s diverse range of talent,” she added. 

Women accounted for 43% of the UK partner cohort and 37% of new partners globally, slightly down from last year’s gender balance percentage (41%), and ten percentage points below the 2019 record, which saw 47% of the spots go to women. 

Corporate led the charge in terms of practice areas for the second year running with 12 lawyers moving up the ranks. The next highest number of appointments went to the firm’s London-based insurance and reinsurance group with five new additions, followed by real estate (4) and employment and pensions (4). Promotions in the firm’s dispute practice took a backseat this year with only three lawyers being made up, down by half from last year’s six. 

Also this week, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer easily surpassed its newly set gender diversity target in its promotion round with women making up half of the 22-strong tally.

Click here for the full list of partners