Cleary makes up one London partner as global promotions fall to 15

Cleary Gottlieb has promoted 15 lawyers to partner worldwide, including one in London, in a smaller round than last year’s 20-strong intake.

Antitrust lawyer Lanto Sheridan is the sole London partner promotion, down from two last year when litigator Paul Kleist and private equity lawyer Joanna Roberts made the cut.

The firm has also promoted 16 counsel, with all appointments taking effect on 1 January 2027. The round will bring Cleary’s global partnership to 257, alongside 57 counsel.

Smaller partner intake

The 31 promotions across partner and counsel ranks compare with 32 senior appointments last year, comprising 20 partners, 11 counsel and one senior attorney.

This year’s cohort spans 12 locations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. New York accounts for nine promotions across both ranks, while Washington DC, California, Brussels, Paris and Rome each have three.

Managing partner Jeff Karpf said: “At Cleary, we recognize that our people are at the core of ensuring success for our clients,” adding that the promoted lawyers advise on clients’ “most complex and commercially important business matters”.

Sheridan’s practice covers EU and UK competition law, including merger control, antitrust investigations and private damages litigation. He joined Cleary in 2016 and has represented clients before the European Commission, the Competition and Markets Authority and the UK courts.

London expansion

Sheridan's promotion follows a significant departure from Cleary’s European competition practice earlier this year.

In May, Kirkland & Ellis hired four antitrust partners from the firm, including London-based Henry Mostyn. The Brussels departures included EMEA competition co-head Robbert Snelders, alongside Thomas Graf and Conor Opdebeeck-Wilson.

Cleary has meanwhile continued investing in its London private capital offering. Funds partner David Christmas joined from Fried Frank in May, bringing experience in alternative fund formation and GP-led secondaries.

Announcing Christmas’s appointment, London partner and executive committee member Tihir Sarkar said the office’s partner headcount had doubled since 2021.

Antitrust and M&A lead

Antitrust and M&A dominate this year’s partner promotions, offering a glimpse of Cleary’s investment priorities. Each accounts for four new partners, together making up more than half of the 15-strong intake, followed by capital markets with two.

Sheridan’s fellow antitrust promotions are Washington DC lawyers Matthew Bachrack and Elsbeth Bennett, and Rome’s Fausto Caronna. The four new M&A partners are based across California, Brussels and Milan.