Linklaters Paris partner Michel Frieh has announced he is to leave the firm to set up his own practice.

Frieh, a private equity specialist who joined the magic circle firm in 2004 from the local arm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, will leave Linklaters at the end of May. The magic circle giant has promoted Paris-based private equity associate David Swinburne to the partnership from 1 May to plug the gap.

The firm now has around 30 partners in Paris. In addition to Swinburne, two current partners focus on private equity work – Fabrice de a Morandiere, who heads the practice, and Vincent Ponsonnaille.

Swinburne was one of 38 associates to be promoted to the partnership in a record haul, which took the total number of partners at the firm new to 540. Fifteen of the new partners – accounting for 40% of the promotions – are based in London, with the others spread across the firm's global network.