The percentage of women promoted to partner in 30 top firms has gone down from 38% to 32%, or fewer than one in three, an analysis of partnership announcements by
Legal Cheek claimed.
According to the publication, the top 10 firms among those they analysed “shoulder the majority of the blame.”
The number of women newly promoted to partner fell over 25% to 77, it said, citing
Norton Rose Fulbright and Allen & Overy as the biggest decliners at 37% and 33% respectively.
From 19 in the past promotion rounds, Norton Rose Fulbright promoted 12 women recently while A&O promoted six, down from the previous nine.
Curiously, in terms of numbers, Norton Rose Fulbright was cited to be among the top promoters of women.
DLA Piper and CMS Cameron McKenna were the other firms cited with 14 and 12 recent women partner promotions respectively.
“Proportionately, DAC Beachcroft, Eversheds,
Pinsent Masons, Withers, Simmons and Simmons, Clyde and Co, Irwin Mitchell and
Holman Fenwick Willan were the only eight firms in which women comprised at least 40% of the new partnership intake,”
Legal Cheek also wrote.
Nonetheless, it should be noted that – as was stressed by Berwin Leighton Paisner managing partner Lisa Mayhew in an interview with
Legal Week – many firms maintain that they promote based on merit and not just on gender alone.
