DLA Piper has announced its 2010 promotions, with 41 lawyers joining the firm's partnership around the world.

The firm's City office received the largest share of the UK promotions, with three new partners made up in London.

In total, nine partners have been promoted in the UK, with Leeds and Manchester gaining two new partners apiece, while Liverpool and Edinburgh each gain one new partner.

The firm's US practice saw 14 promotions, while there were 16 in continental Europe and two in Asia. Within Europe, three partners were made up in Italy, while the Netherlands, Russia and Poland all received two each.

By practice, DLA Piper's litigation and regulatory group saw the largest number of new partner promotions with 18, followed by 10 in corporate, six in finance, three in employment, pensions and benefits;, two in intellectual property and technology and two in real estate.

All of the promotions took effect from the beginning of the year (1 January). In addition, the transatlantic firm promoted 23 lawyers to the rank of legal director and 91 to associate.

DLA Piper joint chairman Nigel Knowles (pictured) said: "We have faced a difficult year like the rest of the legal sector, adjusting to quieter markets where the economic downturn has hit hardest, but we remain focused on recognising and rewarding outstanding talent across our ranks."

Last year, DLA Piper promoted 53 lawyers to its partnership, with 39 new partners made up across Europe and Asia plus a further 13 in the US. London gained the most promotions last year with eight partners made up.

DLA Piper partner promotions in full

UK

Edinburgh
Philippa Montgomerie, intellectual property and technology

Leeds
Natasha Luther-Jones, finance and projects
Josh Wong, ltigation and regulatory

Liverpool
Martin Griffiths, real estate

London
Louise Gates, finance and projects
Kate Knox, litigation and regulatory
Nick Marsh, litigation and regulatory

Manchester
Ben Johnson, litigation and regulatory
Andrew Smith, litigation and regulatory

Continental Europe

Amsterdam
Hendrik Bennebroek Gravenhorst, corporate
Helene Bogaard, employment, pensions and benefits

Brussels
Damien Stas de Richelle, employment, pensions and benefits

Bucharest
Livia Constantinescu, corporate

Budapest
Andras Nemescsoi, litigation and regulatory

Cologne
Dr Gunne Bahr, litigation and regulatory

Madrid
Cesar Herrero, finance and projects

Milan
Martin Pugsley, finance and projects

Moscow
Feruz Fidaev, corporate
Yaroslav Moshennikov, litigation and regulatory

Rome
Matteo Falcione, corporate
Marco Zechini, finance and projects

Paris
Marine Gicquel, employment, pensions and benefits

Warsaw
Patryk Laskorzynski, corporate
Marcin Matyka, corporate

Tbilisi
Otar Kipshidze, litigation and regulatory

Asia

Hong Kong
Ernest Yang, litigation and regulatory
Yuet Ming Tham, litigation and regulatory

US

Baltimore
Penny Minna, corporate

New York
Camilo Cardozo, litigation and regulatory
Megan Shea Harwick, litigation and regulatory
Lindsay Havern, litigation and regulatory

Philadelphia
Nancy Rappaport, litigation and regulatory

Raleigh
Carrie Hartley, finance and projects

San Diego
Jake Handy, corporate
Ray Hartman, litigation and regulatory

San Francisco
Dean Fealk, corporate (tax)

Seattle
Trent Dykes, corporate

Tampa
Angela Crawford, litigation and regulatory

Washington DC
Ed Scheideman, litigation and regulatory
Kim Pagotto, real estate
Tom Zutic, intellectual property and technology (trademarks)