Gender Gaps Persist in Dealmaking Partner Hires Across the UK
Despite broader progress in gender diversity across the legal sector, a recent Financial Times article highlights the continued underrepresentation of women in senior partner roles within the UK’s most lucrative practice areas.
In corporate and finance practices - often among the highest-billing groups at commercial law firms - women continue to make up only a small share of lateral partner hires. While gender parity has improved across other areas of law, deal-focused roles such as private equity remain disproportionately male.
Macrae’s London Private Equity report reinforces this trend, showing that only 15% of private equity partner hires between 2020 and May 2025 were women. The data suggests firms are still struggling to address persistent barriers to equity in the most competitive and time-intensive areas of practice.
The article also explores the underlying factors shaping this imbalance - from the demands of transactional work and limited inclusive networking opportunities to differing approaches in how lawyers present their book of business during the hiring process.
As firms continue to invest in talent and leadership, the challenge remains not only in improving gender diversity overall, but in ensuring equal access to the highest-profile opportunities.
Read the full article by Suzi Ring for the Financial Times here.
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