CMS has promoted 54 partners in its latest promotions round, including 13 across the UK.
The latest round includes 28 women, 52% of the total – its highest proportion to date. Women made up 48% of last year’s 56-strong round and 41% of 2024’s cohort of 54.
The firm’s latest clutch of promotions span 29 cities across the UK, Europe, Asia, South America and Africa.
Like last year, some 35 new partners are spread across the firm’s network of continental European offices, seven in Germany, five in France and another in Sweden, where the firm joined forces with 150-lawyer firm Wistrand in late 2023 in a move that handed it offices in Stockholm and Gothenburg.
Meanwhile, the UK partner tally was down by nine from last year to 13. There were six in London across corporate M&A, dispute resolution, insurance and TMT, and two promotions apiece across Manchester, Edinburgh and Aberdeen and one in Sheffield. The promotions come ahead of a leadership transition in the UK, where global infrastructure, construction and energy disputes practice co-head Adrian Bell is set to take over the managing partner role from Stephen Millar next month.
Elsewhere there were three promotions in South America, where employment lawyer Fernanda Muniz Borges and finance specialist Karine Evangelista Araújo Oliveira moved up in São Paulo and aviation lawyer Sandra Chicoma got the nod in Peru.
There were also two promotions in Nairobi, Kenya, and one in Hong Kong, where Amy Wen Wei was made up in the dispute resolution team. Last August CMS added to its Hong Kong bench with the hire of a seven-lawyer team from BCLP the firm said would boost construction, infrastructure and real estate coverage across the Asia Pacific region.
As in previous years the firm’s corporate and corporate/M&A practice saw the most promotions, with 10 this time round, alongside eight apiece in dispute resolution and employment, five in banking and finance, four each in real estate and tax, three each in finance and TMT and two in commercial. The remainder of the promotions were spread across diverse areas including public law, IP, insurance and reinsurance, aviation and competition, among others.
Charles Currier, senior partner for CMS UK, said: “Congratulations to all our new partners. They have each demonstrated a commitment to exceptional client service, collaboration across borders and a drive to innovate.
“This cohort reflects the outstanding quality and diversity of talent across our firm. We’re proud to welcome them to the partnership and look forward to the leadership they will bring in the years ahead.”
CMS’s annual partner promotions take into account promotions that take effect between 1 April 2025 and 1 April 2026.
It follows CMS reporting last July that it grew revenue 5.9% in 2024 to €2.07bn off the back of increased corporate, disputes, real estate and tax work. The firm does not disclose its profits or profit per equity partner.
A full list of the new partners can be found here.
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