Ashurst names 25 in record partner promotions round

Ashurst names 25 in record partner promotions round

Corporate and funds groups are still dominating the transactional market

Featuring its highest number of promotions to partners to date, UK law firm Ashurst named 25 lawyers as partners in its latest round.

Most of the new batch of attorneys come from the firm's Australian offices, while the rest hail from Europe. The new list is markedly more impressive than the two preceding ones, where 14 were recognized in 2021 and 15 the year before.

12 women participated in this round, 48 percent of the total, a decrease compared to the last two rounds where 78 percent and 66 percent of the members were female. Since 2014, the firm has promoted 80 women into its partnership, or nearly half the total.

A majority of Ashurst's promotions (56 percent) have been awarded to lawyers within its corporate and finance and funds and restructuring groups. According to Paul Jenkins, Ashurst's CEO, strong client demand and the ongoing strength of the transactional market are driving the promotions.

In addition to Francesca Downes, Jacob Gold, Dallan Pitman and Molly Woods who are among the ten City lawyers getting the nod, four others who are in the corporate transactions practice were selected. As part of the London cohort, Briony Holcombe and Matthew Pentecost were promoted to global loans, with each of the global markets, restructuring, special situations and insolvency, transportation and infrastructure and disputes groups getting a promotion.

Additionally, Annamaria Pinzuti was included on Annalisa Santini's team in the financial services department in Milan along with the M&A and joint venture specialists.

A lawyer was also hired for the IP/media team and one for the dispute resolution unit in the world loans team, which was promoted to Campbell Johnston in Melbourne. Gwladys Ngo Tedga Yagla completed the group of promotions in Melbourne with her role leading the risk modernisation group within the risk advisory component of Ashurst's consultancy team.

A Sydney-based director known for his expertise in risk analytics, Matthew Worsfold, was also included in the advisory group. There was also a lawyer each in the transportation and infrastructure, tax and dispute resolutions teams in Sydney, as well as Nathan Belgrave, head of the firm's New Law division Ashurst Advance in the Asia Pacific.

In Brisbane, construction disputes attorney Michelle Yeo has advanced in that group, where she is joined by financial regulation lawyer Samantha Carroll and employment lawyer Tamara Lutvey.

Finally, the only promotion in the firm's Madrid office has gone to tax lawyer Ricardo Garca-Borregón, which had seen its asset management and investment funds chief depart in February for local rival Pérez-Llorca.

Ashurst chairman Karen Davies, who last year became the first woman to lead the firm, called the new partners "a group of exceptional lawyers with outstanding talent, skill and experience."

Our firm is welcoming the largest cohort of new employees in its history, which demonstrates our commitment to investing in the firm's future and the confidence we have about the opportunities ahead," she said.

A number of lateral hires have been made by Ashurst over the past year, which reported a 10 percent revenue increase in the 12 months through April of £711m and a 15 percent PEP growth of just over £1m past year. Olivier Dorgan, the disputes partner at the Paris office, joined along with two associates from Hughes Hubbard & Reed in April. In May, derivatives attorney Julia Lu moved to the New York office from Crowell & Moring, shortly after securities partner Lloyd Harmetz moved from Morrison & Foerster to the Paris office.

Matthew Blycha, a construction arbitration specialist and former managing partner of HFW's Perth office, bolstered the firm's Australian disputes practice last year.

Following is the complete list of promotions:

Nathan Bellgrove, Ashurst Advance Delivery, Sydney

Richard Bulmore, RSSG, London

Samantha Carroll, Finance Regulatory, Brisbane

Francesca Downes, Corporate Transactions, London

Ricardo García-Borregón, Tax, Madrid

Jacob Gold, Corporate Transactions, London

Laura Hillhouse, Transport & Infrastructure, Sydney

Briony Holcombe, Global Loans, London

Campbell Johnston, Global Loans, Melbourne

Joanna Lawrence, IP/Media, Melbourne

Tamara Lutvey, Employment, Brisbane

Gwladys Ngo Tedga Yagla, Ashurst Risk Advisory, Melbourne

Samuel Outtridge, Transport & Infrastructure, London

Matthew Pentecost, Global Loans, London

Annamaria Pinzuti, Energy & Resources, Milan

Dallan Pitman, Corporate Transactions, London

Annalisa Santini, Global Loans, Milan

Morgan Spain, Dispute Resolution, Melbourne

Thomas Storer, Dispute Resolution, Sydney

Ciaran Vinaccia, Global Markets, London

Tim West, Dispute Resolution, London

Steve Whittington, Tax, Sydney

Molly Woods, Corporate Transactions, London

Matthew Worsfold, Ashurst Risk Advisory, Sydney

Melissa Yeo, Dispute Resolution, Brisbane