Sidley promotes five in London following partnership shake-up

Sidley Austin has promoted five lawyers to partner in London as part of a 52-strong round globally.

The London cohort includes finance lawyers Lewis Atherton and Carry Chen, corporate real estate lawyer David Horan, M&A specialist Ed Perry and capital markets lawyer Omar Shafi.

The promotions take Sidley’s London partner count to 65.

The round is the US firm’s first since introducing a salaried partner tier earlier this year, and follows Sidley's traditional December-announced partner promotions, which saw 29 lawyers elevated globally, including three in London.

The firm is understood to be returning to a single annual promotions round from next year.

Partnership evolution

The move reflects a broader trend across the legal industry, with firms increasingly using non-equity tiers to retain talent while keeping tighter control of their equity ranks to better reward star performers.

Sidley is among a growing number of elite firms to adopt the model. In April, Skadden announced its first partner class under a new non-equity structure. The New York heavyweight promoted 55 lawyers globally in April, up from 22 the previous year, including nine in London.

What they said

“This group of newly-elected partners reflects an extraordinary depth of talent and dedication,” said Yvette Ostolaza, chair of Sidley's management committee.

Brian Fahrney, chair of the firm's executive committee, said the promotions reflected Sidley's commitment to developing lawyers with "exceptional business acumen" who deliver strategic advice to clients.

“We are grateful for their dedication to the firm and excited to celebrate this well-deserved accomplishment,” he added.