This week, Financial News released its flagship 100 Women in Finance list for 2025.
This year’s edition recognised some of the leading female lawyers who are breaking new ground in an industry where top roles remain dominated by men.
Women currently make up 53% of all lawyers but only 32% of equity partners in law firms, according to data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
From managing partners to heads of practice areas, here are the lawyers that made this year’s list:
Penny Angell, UK managing partner, Hogan Lovells
Farmida Bi, chair, Europe, Middle East and Asia, Norton Rose Fulbright
Alison Brown, executive partner, US growth and strategic integration, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer
Sabina Comis, global managing partner, Dechert
Aedamar Comiskey, senior partner, Linklaters
Karen Davies, global chair, Ashurst
Georgia Dawson, senior partner, Freshfields
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Denise Gibson, UK managing partner, A&O Shearman
Natasha Harrison, founder and managing partner, Pallas Partners
Claire Keast-Butler, London co-partner in charge, Cooley
Emily Monastiriotis, managing partner, Simmons & Simmons
Yen Sum, global chair of private capital practice, Latham & Watkins
Sandra Wallace, deputy managing partner, DLA Piper
Law firms push for Italian expansion
Milan is becoming a small London. The Italian finance hub is enjoying a boom in private equity and an influx of wealthy individuals.
To tap into the buoyant market, law firms are racing to bolster their offering in Milan. Ropes & Gray, White & Case and Charles Russell Speechlys are among those that have launched new offices or expanded their teams on the ground this year.
They are even picking up work advising on the art collections and succession plans of the ultra rich that have relocated to the country.
For Nicola Saccardo, head of the Italian practice at Charles Russell Speechlys, the decision behind its Milan expansion was two-fold. “It was [driven] by the fact that wealthy people are relocating to Italy from abroad. At the same time, we want to assist Italian families with their private capital needs on an international basis,” he said.
As White & Case partner Michael Immordino put it: “I’ve been working in Italy for 35 years. It was always viewed as the bad boy of Europe, and it’s nice for a while that it’s the good boy of Europe.”
Slaughter and May leads on Shawbrook IPO
This week, digital bank Shawbrook, owned by BC Partners and Pollen Street Capital, confirmed its plans to float in London in a boost to the City.
Magic Circle firm Slaughter and May is advising Shawbrook and Pollen Street Capital, alongside Cravath, which is working on US law matters.
Kirkland & Ellis is acting for BC Partners while Linklaters is representing the banks underwriting the float.
Simon Nicholls, co-head of corporate at Slaughter and May, said the move was positive for the London market and the firm is “working with a great pipeline of high-quality companies preparing to come to market”.
Write to Zoe Hu at zoe.hu@dowjones.com
