Only 27% of the total number of new partner promotions across the top 50 were female this year — amounting to 161 new female partners compared to 424 male partners.
On average women made up only 29% of each firm’s new partner promotions, with this figure falling further still at a number of firms.
Notably, Macfarlanes failed to make up any women to its partnership this year, as did Stephenson Harwood,
In contrast, Trowers & Hamlins and Slaughter and May have bucked the trend and this year led the way for female promotions. Both announced that three-quarters of their new partners for 2008 were women — equating to three out of four new partners at each firm.
Addleshaw Goddard and Field Fisher Waterhouse also promoted significantly more women than men, with just over two-thirds of each firm’s promotions female. Charles Russell was the only other top 50 firm where women made up more than half of the new promotions, with seven new women partners out of 13.
Other City firms making up above-average numbers of female partners include Herbert Smith (33%), Ashurst (35%), Berwin Leighton Paisner (40%), Denton Wilde Sapte (42%) and Olswang (40%).
Field Fisher managing partner Moira Gilmour told Legal Week: “In general there is a consciousness that the profession needs to be more flexible about how we apply criteria for partnership.
“We are seeing more women partners as firms realise that they need to offer the increased flexibility women often require. Certainly, women are taking high-profile positions in-house and they fail to see why they should not be dealing with high-profile women in private practice.”