Partnership promotions at leading City and international firms are being made at a similar pace to last year, a spate of beginning-of-year announcements suggests. Three top-30 firms today announced figures exceeding or equalling last year's promotion round. 

Top 10 firm CMS announced the promotion of 65 new partners globally, an increase on last year’s promotions round. The appointments span 28 cities across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with women accounting for almost one third of the promotions.

A total of 16 partners in three cities across the firm’s UK offices have been promoted to the firm’s partnership, including seven women.

Penelope Warne, senior partner, CMS UK, said: 'The promotions extend across a broad range of countries as well as practice and sector groups, reflecting the industries and geographies in which our clients are based and operate. It’s also a reflection of the investment and support the firm provides to its people enabling them to thrive and reach their full potential.'

CMS has 78 offices in over 40 countries and more than 5,000 lawyers. 

Addleshaw Goddard announced 20 promotions to its partnership, including nine in the City. The number is equal to last year’s record number of partner promotions, taking the total number of partners across the firm’s offices internationally to 369.

The firm has been actively growing its partnership and in the past year has promoted and laterally recruited 50 new partners in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia.

Charles Penney, senior partner, said: 'Our footprint continues to grow with the opening of our four new European offices last year and another soon to open this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We continue to pursue recruitment very actively, but as important to us as part of our growth strategy is providing opportunities to our home-grown talent.'

Meanwhile Macfarlanes announced eight partnership promotions and Farrer & Co three.