Top UK firms pick up their game on female partner promotions

The effort to increase gender equality in the highest ranks of leading law firms seems to be paying off, with female partner promotions at the top 10 firms up by more than a third in the last year. 72 women were promoted to the partnership of the top 10 UK law firms, up 36 per cent from last year’s figure of 53, above an overall rise in partner promotions across the group of 13%. Among magic circle firms, there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of women promoted to partnerships, with 16 women elevated to partnership status this year, compared with 16 last year. Association of Women Solicitors chair Joy Van Cooten said: “We are pleased that the number of female partners is increasing but there is still a long way to go. Sixty per cent of new entrants into the profession are women and this is not reflected in the partner numbers.”

Top UK firms pick up their game on female partner promotions legalweek.com Fri, Jun 29, 2012