Macfarlanes makes up no women in six-strong promotions round

Macfarlanes has promoted six lawyers to its partnership in London, making up no women for the first time in three years.

Litigation duo James Popperwell and Gideon Sanitt have both been promoted, with Popperwell joining the firm in 2013 from Debevoise & Plimpton. Senior counsel Sanitt meanwhile joined Macfarlanes in 2012 after a five-year career at Linklaters.

On the corporate side, Macfarlanes-trained lawyer Justin Hope has made the cut, along with M&A colleague Alexander Green.

The firm has also promoted tax senior solicitor Peter Abbott, who trained at Macfarlanes and was a visiting attorney at Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz, as well as real estate lawyer Nick Barnes.

Four out of the six lawyers trained at the firm, but Macfarlanes has promoted no female lawyers for the first time since 2012.

Last year, Macfarlanes appointed two women out of five, with three women promoted in a bumper 2014 round of nine.

The year 2013 saw female lawyers account for 50 per cent of the promotions, while none were made up in 2012.

Senior partner Charles Martin commented on the lack of female promotions, saying that this year was a “large group by historic standards but one that is uncharacteristically and disappointingly lacking in women.”