Eversheds Sutherland has appointed 22 partners across its European and international network in its latest round of promotions, marking a return to rounds near the 20-lawyer mark after two consecutive years of larger groups. 

This year’s tally – which doesn't include its US business – is down by 16 from last year’s bumper round, which saw 38 lawyers being made up in the firm’s largest round since the 2017 merger between UK-based Eversheds and Atlanta firm Sutherland Asbill & Brennan went into effect. 

The new partner cohort represents a notable decrease in geographic coverage than in previous years, with all but one of the promotions coming out of the firm’s locations in Europe and the UK. 

Eleven lawyers were made up across the firm’s European offices, with two promotions in both Munich and Stockholm, and one apiece in Brussels, Paris, Rotterdam, Vienna, Hamburg and Madrid. 

In the UK, the promotions were spread across the firm’s bases in London (7), Cardiff (1), Manchester (1) and Birmingham (1). The firm highlighted that one in ten of its new UK partners are of an ethnic minority, supporting its goal of having 10% of UK partners be minority ethnic by 2025. 

The final spot went to corporate specialist Rhys McWhirter in Hong Kong. The firm’s African network was left out of the latest round after six lawyers were elevated to the partnership in South Africa last year. 

The gender balance figures were similar to last year, with nine women moving up the ranks, representing 41% of the new partner class. This year, all of the appointments to the firm’s human resources practice group, which covers employment and pensions, were women: Anique Bitterlich-Straver (Rotterdam), Laura Brook (London), Celine Wauters (Brussels) and Tulay Cakir (Vienna). 

In terms of practice areas, Eversheds’ corporate and commercial practices got a boost this year, combining for eight promotions, followed by employment and real estate, which gained 3 partners apiece. 

The firm’s dispute resolution team saw its lowest number of appointments in the last two years with just 2 lawyers being made up, following from 9 in 2020 and 8 in 2019. 

Eversheds Sutherland’s international CEO Lee Ranson commented: “My warmest congratulations to our 2021 partners and legal directors on their successful promotions. Despite the many and varied challenges of the last 12 months, they have all found a way to continue their fantastic commitment to their clients, colleagues and teams.”

Seventeen lawyers were also promoted to legal director in the UK and Hong Kong, the firm said. 

The promotions across Eversheds’ international network come four months after the firm announced its US promotional round, which saw nine lawyers being made up across the firm’s offices in New York, Atlanta, Austin and Washington DC. 

Earlier this month, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer easily surpassed its newly set gender diversity target in this year’s partner promotion round with women making up half of the 22-strong tally

Click here to read the full list of new partners.