Halliwells has made up 10 lawyers in its annual partner promotions round; twice as many as the firm promoted in 2009. Seven were in the firm’s Manchester office; James Pochin, Kurshid Valli – corporate; James Lappin – commercial litigation; Andrew Steel – insurance litigation; Ann Hughes, Sandra Baldwin and Rod Hunt – regulatory. Three were promoted in Sheffield, Paul King – corporate; Emlyn Hudson and Giles Searby – commercial litigation.

A&O has made up 18 new partners worldwide but only two in the City: Etay Katz – banking and David Wakeling – international capital markets.

Freshfields has promoted 18 lawyers to the firm’s partnership. Six of the promotions come in the firm’s London base with Tim Wilmot – corporate, Tom Snelling – dispute resolution, Charles Magoffin – employment, Catherine Balmond – finance, Andrew Craig – intellectual property and Jill Gatehouse – tax.

In other career news, Linklaters is removing last year’s salary drogue and associates will once again be progressing up the money chain. In 2009 the firm avoided the pay freezes implemented at City rivals by continuing to progress its associates through pay bands but at a lower rate. It reduced the levels of the bands, resulting to a pay rise of between 2% and 4%. This year, a newly qualified lawyer at the firm will earn £61,500, while someone with one year’s PQE will take home £68,000. This figure compares to £70,400 for a one-year PQE in 2008. Those moving from one year PQE to two years’ PQE will earn £73,000 in basic salary. Bonuses are also back.

Meanwhile, Ashurst has apparently been having some difficulties with its lawyers after lateral recruits had created “a logjam of junior equity partners” who would find it difficult to move up to full partnership reports the Lawyer. A special meeting was called to provide the laxative.