HSF Kramer promotes 25 partners as London leads post-merger

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has promoted 25 lawyers to partner, with London producing the largest single-office cohort of seven new partners. 

The round is the first post-merger for the newly combined firm, now operating a transatlantic platform and broader global footprint.

The new London partners are:

Christopher Cox – Commercial Litigation, Class Actions, Reputation Management 

Sam Cundall – Energy 

Ian Mack – Planning 

Nic Patmore – Financial Services Litigation

Sophie Thompson – M&A 

Alex Wright – Corporate Real Estate 

Richard Wright – Private Equity Infrastructure

The promotions take effect on 1 May 2026.

The spread

Seven of the new partners are based in London, up from five in the previous year, reinforcing London’s significance following a relatively lean round for HSF in 2025 ahead of the merger.

The firm has also added 35 lateral partners globally since the combination announcement in November 2024.

Across the wider round, Australia accounted for the largest regional share, with 10 promotions spread across Sydney and Melbourne, while additional partners were made up across Asia, Europe and the US.

The promotions follow the firm’s recent announcement of a new London HQ at the Broadgate Estate, underlining its continued focus on the City as a core hub.

What they said

Global chief executive Justin D'Agostino said: "In this momentous year for our firm, these promotions show the depth of talent across our network, underscore our position as a global legal powerhouse – and reflect our commitment to investing in our people.”

Chair and senior partner Rebecca Maslen-Stannage said: “Our newly promoted partners exemplify our future focus. They will help ensure that we continue to have the depth, breadth and experience to deliver the very best service for our clients.”