Norton Rose Fulbright (NRF) has unveiled a significantly smaller partner promotion round than in 2022 as its US rival Reed Smith moves in the other direction, making up six more partners than last year.

Some 36 lawyers have made the grade across NRF’s global network — down from 54 in 2022. That is one fewer new partners than Reed Smith’s 37-strong cohort, up from 31 last year.

As is becoming ever-more common among leading international law firms, both firms have accompanied their announcements with diversity data with Reed Smith revealing that one new partner identifies as non-binary, with women making up 44% of the total.

NRF, meanwhile, achieves gender parity, well exceeding an aspirational target set in 2020 for a minimum of 40% women across the firm.

NRF’s global chief executive, Gerry Pecht, said: “Four consecutive years of 40 percent women being promoted – including a 50/50 gender balance this year – is helping us to reach our gender diversity target, which includes 40 percent women in our overall partnership as well as in lawyer leadership roles.”

In regional terms Canada accounted for the highest proportion of the new partners, 11 lawyers making the grade across its offices in Montreal (three), Vancouver (three), Toronto (two), Calgary (one) and Quebec (one). That reflects the 2011 addition of leading Canadian firm Ogilvy Renault to the NRF network. There were nine promotions across the US, five in London, three in South Africa and one apiece in Luxembourg, Athens, Warsaw, Dubai, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Litigation and disputes benefited from the most promotions (12) closely followed by M&A and securities (10). 

Meanwhile, at Reed Smith the promotions were concentrated across the Pittsburgh-based firm’s US network as well as London, where eight lawyers made the grade, and Paris, which saw one promotion. The firm said 27% of the cohort were diverse.

While the firm doesn't publish diversity targets for partner promotions, its Mansfield Rule certified plus designation means at least 30% of those promoted are from underrepresented groups. 

The shortlist for the 2023 Women and Diversity in Law Awards will be published on Friday (11 January). Click here for more details.

The full list of NRF partners

Banking and finance  
Alex Blaney, London  
Felicity Brown, London  
Evi Platsidaki, Athens  
Tomasz Rogalski, Warsaw  

Corporate, M&A and securities  
Charles Bremner, Hong Kong  
Kassy Corothers, Calgary  
Melissa Gaul, Montréal  
Matthew Gregory, London  
Geoffroy Hermanns, Luxembourg  
Andrea Lejay, Vancouver  
Ben Montanez, San Antonio  
Nick Rimington, Melbourne  
Ai Tong, Shanghai  
Albert Weatherill, London  

Employment and labor  
Jennifer Nault, Montréal  

Intellectual property  
Allan Braxdale, Dallas  
David Yi, Toronto  

Litigation and disputes  
Gunnar Benediktsson, Calgary  
Julie Carlesso, Montréal  
Chris Conatser, Houston  
Purnel Gangiah, Durban  
Shabnam Karim, Dubai  
Alexis Kerr, Vancouver  
Natasha Naidoo, Johannesburg  
Stuart Neely, London  
Samuel Perron, Québec  
Peter Siegal, Washington, DC  
Romany Sutherland, Cape Town  
Stephen Taylor, Toronto  

Projects  
Christine Brozynski, New York  
Luke Edney, Dallas  
Jake Falk, Washington, DC  

Restructuring and insolvency  
Jenna Scott, Brisbane  

Tax  
Natasha Robertson, New York  
Martina Zanetti, Vancouver  
Shudan Zhou, New York

The full list of Reed Smith partners

UNITED STATES

Century City  
Nathan Rahmanou - Corporate  
Carla M. Wirtschafter - Regulatory Enforcement

Chicago  
Jillian L. Burstein - Intellectual Property  
David M. Cummings - Insurance Recovery   
Karlin E. Sangdahl - Commercial Disputes  
Idara E. Udofia - Entertainment & Media Industry

Dallas  
Amanda E. Brown - Labor & Employment  
Clark A. Donat - Commercial Disputes

Houston  
Arturo Muñoz Holguin - Energy & Natural Resources

Los Angeles  
Michael R. Kleinmann - Labor & Employment

New York  
Catherine R. Castaldo - Corporate   
Han Deng - Transportation Industry  
Michael S. Isselin - Entertainment & Media  
Eric S. Marder - Entertainment & Media   
Natsayi Mawere - Financial Industry  
Rose C. McClave - Real Estate

Philadelphia  
Susan K. Nieto - Corporate   
Vicki J. Tankle - Life Sciences & Health Industry

Pittsburgh  
Ryan A. Haddad - Energy & Natural Resources   
Max Louik - Insurance Recovery   
Mariah H. McGrogan - Labor & Employment

Princeton  
Cheryl A. Lagay - Financial Industry   
Gregory D. Speier - Transportation Industry

San Francisco  
James F. Hennessy - Life Sciences & Health Industry .

Tysons  
Ehsan Sanaie - Real Estate

Washington, D.C.  
Edwin J. Nazario - Energy & Natural Resources  
Manasi Venkatesh International Trade and National Security

UNITED KINGDOM

London 
Alexander M. Brandt - Shipping, Commodity and Insurance   
Maccailein Campbell - Financial Industry   
Daryl Cue - Corporate   
Katie Grace - Financial Industry  
Daniel Kyriakides - Real Estate  
Ravi Pattani - Corporate  
Oliver Rawkins - Commercial Disputes   
Laura Riddeck - Real Estate

CONTINENTAL EUROPE

Paris 
Benoît Bernard - Corporate