Global Law Firm Baker McKenzie Announces Promotions and Embraces Gender Diversity
Our site highlights 54 international lawyers as partners in the 2022 class.
In a significant move, global law firm Baker McKenzie has announced the promotion of several lawyers across various practice areas and locations, effective January 1, 2022. A total of 54 lawyers have been promoted to partner and director positions, marking a significant expansion of the firm's leadership team.
The promotions cover 11 practice areas, with the litigation and disputes practice area leading the way with 18 lawyers, followed by corporate, M&A and securities with 10. Other practice areas receiving promotions include banking and finance (9), intellectual property (4), employment and labor (3), tax (3), real estate (2), projects (2), antitrust and competition (1), bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency (1), and information governance, privacy and cybersecurity (1).
Darren Smith has been promoted in the intellectual property practice area, based in Houston, United States. In the projects practice area, Laura Kiwelu has been promoted in London, United Kingdom, while Zayba Drabu and Matthew Buckle have been promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area, also in London. Jared Kaplan has been promoted in the corporate, M&A and securities practice area, based in New York, United States, and Blake Redwine in the same practice area, based in Dallas.
Veit Sahlfeld has been promoted in the banking and finance practice area, based in Hamburg, and Alex Zekkos in London, United Kingdom. Eric Green has been promoted in the intellectual property practice area, based in Austin, United States, and Daniel Ng in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in Hong Kong. Justin Coddington has been promoted in the tax practice area, based in Houston, United States.
Claudia Posluschny has been promoted in the employment and labor practice area, based in Munich, and James Lockwood in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in London. Victoria Corder has been promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in New York, United States, and Robin Acworth, Véronique Barry, Scott Boucher, Brian Chau, Matthew Choi, Jenna Anne de Jong, Russell Dufault, Alison FitzGerald, Caroline Jodoin, Jonathan Lafrance, Brigitte LeBlanc-Lapointe, Jennifer McPherson, Brian Milne, Fahad Siddiqui, Joshua Sprague, Nikita Stepin, Tim Stewart were promoted in various practice areas in Canada.
Dimitri Millas has been promoted in the banking and finance practice area, based in Houston, United States, Rachel Chan in the corporate, M&A and securities practice area, based in Hong Kong, Fiona Henderson in the banking and finance practice area, based in New York, United States, Rebecca Winthrop in the bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency practice area, based in Los Angeles, United States, Anna Rudawski in the information governance, privacy and cybersecurity practice area, based in New York, United States, Joseph Drapalski in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in Los Angeles, United States, Helen Fairhead in the antitrust and competition practice area, based in London, United Kingdom, Nathan Baum in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in Dallas, United States, Geraldine Young in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in Houston, United States, and Louisa Roe in the real estate practice area, based in London, United Kingdom.
In addition to these promotions, Kate Green and Harriet Oldmeadow were promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area in Sydney, Australia, and Annabelle Wheeler has been promoted in the litigation and disputes practice area, based in Munich/London. Alberta Yan has been promoted in the corporate, M&A and securities practice area, based in New York, United States, and Kimberly Cheeseman has been promoted in the employment and labor practice area, based in Houston, United States. Rebecca Abou-Chedid has been promoted in the projects practice area, based in Washington, DC, United States.
Gerry Pecht, the Global Chief Executive of the law firm, praised the promotions and the gender diversity of the firm. The firm has set a gender diversity target of 40% women, 40% men, and 20% flexible (including women, men, or non-binary persons) by 2025 across key areas such as leadership roles, lawyer promotions, lateral additions, and senior business services hires. This move aligns with evolving Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) commitments and regional regulatory requirements.
Sources:
- Baker McKenzie
- The American Lawyer
- Bloomberg Law
- Irish Times
- The Financial Times
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