London-headquartered Clyde & Co has promoted six lawyers in the firm’s insurance group to partner.
All six are based in London: four men and two women, with the professional and commercial disputes group taking three promotions, with the rest split between a variety of practice areas.
The firm cited client demand as the driver for the promotions, outside its usual May promotions round. Three partners were promoted in last year’s off-cycle insurance round.
New partners Jonathan Lawrence, Lesia MacCormack and Ivan Wilkinson join the professional and commercial disputes team. Lawrence defends lawyers in malpractice claims and advises on regulatory matters and disciplinary proceedings. MacCormack specialises in professional indemnity, malpractice claims and regulatory defence for solicitors and others.
Wilkinson has specialised in pensions and complex professional liability disputes for more than 20 years, including claims against lawyers over tax and corporate finance advice. He serves on the Association of Pension Lawyers’ dispute resolution committee.
Other promotions include Chris Cowland of the property and liability team, who advises insurers on policy wording, product development and complex, often multi-jurisdictional property and casualty coverage.
Charlotte Davidson, meanwhile, splits her practice between construction professional negligence claims and insurance disputes from a defence and coverage perspective involving D&B contractors, global consultants, engineers, architects and other construction professionals.
The final promotion went to Rob King in the firm’s energy insurance and infrastructure group, which covers shipping and construction law. He advises insurers on first- and third-party losses in traditional and renewable energy.
Ian Roberts, chair of its UK insurance practice, said: “Against a challenging economic backdrop, demand for our insurance expertise continues to grow as clients navigate an increasingly complex risk environment. These promotions reflect that demand and our continued investment in the capabilities our clients need.”
He added: “Investing in the next generation of leaders is central to how we serve our clients, giving them the continuity, depth of expertise and fresh thinking they need, while creating clear opportunities for our people to build their careers with us.”
Roberts concluded: “That is reflected in this year’s promotions, with four of our six new partners having begun their careers with us as trainees. Each has built a strong reputation through their commitment to clients and colleagues, and I’m delighted to see them take this next step.”
The six promoted lawyers join the ranks of more than 500 partners, of whom 28 were promoted in the last annual round, up from 25 the year before, with insurance elevations featuring prominently in both years.
The off-cycle promotions follow a period in which the firm has seen both exits and arrivals across other sectoral groups, with several stand-alone arbitration partners electing to join new firms. Churn has also hit the firm’s aviation practice, with both senior departures and experienced hires.
Legal recruiter Edwards Gibson said in a summer report that Clyde & Co had among the City’s highest partner attrition rates in the first half of 2026, while the firm’s revenue rose 2% and profits fell 10%.
However, its 2,000-strong UK insurance group – arguably its flagship practice – was unaffected; the only notable departure was three partners joining DAC Beachcroft in Dubai.
Previous exits include former senior partner and global head of insurance Simon Konsta to DAC Beachcroft, among other DAC hires – most of whom hailed from legacy Berrymans Lace Mawer – while Clyde & Co’s regional insurance practice has seen several exits to Weightmans over the last two years.
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