RPC has become the latest firm to announce its new partner promotions, with the top 50 UK firm making up one new partner.

The firm has made up regulatory lawyer Robbie Constance to its all equity partnership, taking its total partner count to 80.

Constance joined RPC in 2004 after qualifying as a barrister, and initially focused on financial services insurance litigation, before moving into the London regulatory team.

His appointment will take RPC's financial regulatory group – which handles a broad range of contentious and non-contentious work – to three partners including Steven Francis and Richard Burger.

Constance has handled a range of contentious matters, from significant mis-selling exposures to large or significant Financial Ombudsman Service complaints. He has worked on FSA enforcement cases relating to client money systems breaches and capital adequacy, as well as ongoing investigations into LIBOR setting.

His non-contentious work has recently involved preparing a number of firms for the implementation of the Retail Distribution Review. He also continues to advise on its fallout and the regulation of the retail sector.

RPC Managing Partner Jonathan Watmough (pictured) said: "RPC remains one of the few firms that operates a genuine all-equity partnership – so, here, the bar is that much higher. Robbie's appointment is testament to the excellence he brings as a lawyer, both in terms of the high levels of service and quality of advice he offers our clients."

Constance said: "Unsurprisingly in the wake of the financial crisis and with the advent of 'twin peaks' regulation – and particularly 'conduct regulation' – regulatory work remains a hot topic at the moment in the financial services sector. I'm looking forward to using my experience in this area to help Steven and Richard continue the growth of the practice at RPC."

The promotion round is down on last year's total of two when Paul Joseph (IP) and Andy McGregor (commercial) both joined the partnership in London.

RPC has made a string of lateral partner hires in recent months. In January, the firm took a three partner corporate team from Wragge & Co including former managing partner Maurice Dwyer.

More recently, the firm recently hired technology specialist Mark Crichard from DLA Piper and Antony Shatz from SJ Berwin's real estate finance team.