Cleary Gottlieb promotes 31 new partners

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has elevated 31 of its lawyers to the positions of partner and counsel, effective January 1, 2027. This year's appointments include 15 new partners and 16 counsels, further evidencing the firm's ongoing commitment to nurturing legal talent. Following last year's record-breaking promotions, these changes will increase the total number of worldwide partners to 257 and counsels to 57. “At Cleary, we recognize that our people are at the core of ensuring success for our clients,” said Cleary Managing Partner Jeff Karpf. “I’m extremely proud to see another record year of partner and counsel promotions. These talented lawyers advise our clients on their most complex and commercially important business matters and represent the excellence and ambition of our firm.”

The newly promoted lawyers reflect Cleary Gottlieb's extensive global reach, with individuals based in various cities, including New York, Washington, D.C., California, São Paulo, London, Brussels, Paris, Rome, Milan, Cologne, Abu Dhabi, and Hong Kong. They provide critical legal services to a diverse clientele that includes leading corporations, asset managers, financial institutions, and governments. The promoted lawyers specialise in a range of practices including corporate law, funds, antitrust, litigation, and regulatory matters.

In New York, notable promotions include Jonathan Povilonis, who takes on the role of partner in Capital Markets, and Jaehwan Park, who becomes a partner focusing on IP, Technology & Data. Washington, D.C. welcomes multiple new partners, among them Matthew Bachrack and Elsbeth Bennett, both specialising in antitrust. California sees new partner appointments for Pierre Allegaert and Natalia Rezai, both recognised for their expertise in M&A and Capital Markets respectively.

Across the EMEA and Asia regions, Lanto Sheridan gains partnership status in London focusing on antitrust, while Brussels welcomes three new partners, including Ruben Foriers and Jean-Sébastien Rombouts, both specialising in M&A. The firm also promotes significant counsel roles across its network, including Philipp J. Kirst in Cologne and Timofey Neklyudov in Abu Dhabi, highlighted by their depth of expertise in antitrust and M&A transactions. This comprehensive promotion round showcases the firm’s strategic emphasis on delivering multifaceted legal insights essential for their clients' success on a global scale.