Showcasing 54 lawyers on a global scale as part of the 2022 partner class on our site.
In a significant move, global law firm XYZ has announced the promotion of 54 lawyers to partner and director positions, effective January 1, 2022. The promotions span 11 practice areas, reflecting the firm's commitment to fostering growth and expertise across its diverse portfolio.
Notable Promotions
Some of the notable promotions include Geraldine Young, who has been promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area in Houston. Gerry Pecht, Global Chief Executive of XYZ, praised Young for her industry knowledge, business acumen, and innovative solutions. Rebecca Winthrop, Rebecca Abou-Chedid, and Laura Kiwelu have been promoted to the projects practice area in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and London, respectively.
In the corporate, M&A and securities practice area, Alberta Yan and Blake Redwine have been promoted in New York and Dallas, respectively. Helen Fairhead has been promoted to the antitrust and competition practice area in London, and Dimitri Millas to the banking and finance practice area in Houston.
Gender Diversity in Promotions
While specific 2022 data on the proportion or trends of women promoted to partner globally is not available, the legal profession is actively advancing gender diversity at senior levels. Women, including partners and managing partners, are increasingly recognized for leadership roles at major law firms. For instance, Michelle David became Chair at Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa in 2022, after a decade as partner, exemplifying progress in women attaining senior global law firm positions.
Twenty-three of the 54 promoted lawyers are women, representing 43% of the total. This includes Geraldine Young, Rebecca Winthrop, Helen Fairhead, and Kimberly Cheeseman, who have been promoted in the United States, United Kingdom, and South Africa.
Regional Promotions
Promotions have also been made in other regions. In Australia, Kate Green, Harriet Oldmeadow, and Nick Sinclair received promotions. Veit Sahlfeld was promoted to the banking and finance practice area in Hamburg, Germany. In South Africa, lawyers receive promotions to director instead of partner.
In Johannesburg, Paul Cartwright was promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area. In London, Marianne McMahon was promoted to the general counsel position. In Munich, Claudia Posluschny was promoted to the employment and labor practice area, and Annabelle Wheeler to the litigation and disputes practice area.
Practice Area Diversity
The promotions span 11 practice areas, with 18 lawyers in litigation and disputes, 10 in corporate, M&A and securities, 9 in banking and finance, 4 in intellectual property, 3 each in employment and labor, tax, real estate, and information governance, privacy and cybersecurity, 2 in projects, and 1 each in antitrust and competition, and bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency.
In Houston, Denton Nichols, Rafe Schaefer, and Justin Coddington were promoted to the litigation and disputes, intellectual property, and tax practice areas, respectively. Darren Smith was promoted to the intellectual property practice area in Houston, while Daniel Ng was promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area in Hong Kong.
In Austin, Eric Green was promoted to the intellectual property practice area, and in London, James Lockwood, Matthew Buckle, and Zayba Drabu were promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area. Fiona Henderson was promoted to the banking and finance practice area in New York, and Alex Zekkos to the banking and finance practice area in London.
In Munich/London, Annabelle Wheeler was promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area. In Los Angeles, Joseph Drapalski was promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area, and in New York, Jared Kaplan was promoted to the corporate, M&A and securities practice area.
In Hamburg, Veit Sahlfeld was promoted to the banking and finance practice area. In New York, Anna Rudawski was promoted to the information governance, privacy and cybersecurity practice area, and in London, Louisa Roe was promoted to the real estate practice area. Nathan Baum was promoted to the litigation and disputes practice area in Dallas.
The promotions reflect XYZ's commitment to nurturing talent and fostering growth across its global practice areas, while also advancing gender diversity and broader diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
- Gerry Pecht, Global Chief Executive of XYZ, commended Geraldine Young for her promotion in the banking and finance practice area, acknowledging her industry knowledge and business acumen.
- In the banking and finance practice area, Dimitri Millas and Fiona Henderson have been promoted in Houston and New York, respectively, showcasing XYZ's dedication to fostering growth and expertise in this sector.
