The top 30 law firms made up fewer partners this year, while there was a worrying dip in the number of women promoted at the magic circle. James Boxell, Anna Reynolds and Alex Newman spoke to new partners to seek their advice for frustrated associates, both female and male

This year's partnership promotion figures at the UK's top 30 law firms threw up several striking trends, most of them not particularly cheerful.

As expected, the overall number of people joining the gilded ranks fell by 9% to 377 as global economic fears continued to take a heavy toll, leading the executive chairman of Weil Gotshal & Manges to cut 170 jobs and talk about a 'new normal' for the legal industry.

Also troubling was the sharp drop in the number of women promoted at magic circle firms, despite all the talk about diversity initiatives and flexible working. In 2012, women accounted for 26% of their partnership intake. This fell to just 14% in 2013 – half the top 30 average of 28%. In 2011, the magic circle female intake was 17%, showing that much still needs to be done.

Sarah Wiggins, a corporate partner at Linklaters since 2000, says she believes that "on the whole" firms are working hard to improve diversity, but adds: "We need to make sure things don't go backwards in terms of female promotions."

There was also a 17% fall in the overall number of partners made up in the City of London, alongside falls in the US and even Asia. 

But in a rare – and surprising – piece of positive news, promotions in continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa fell only slightly, which some lawyers say could be a tentative sign of returning confidence after the ravages of the European debt crisis.

Casto Gonzalez-Paramo Rodriguez, head of Hogan Lovells' Madrid competition practice, who was made partner this year, says: "Obviously, we are in a massive crisis, and it is going to be a slow path to recovery. But we are seeing the first signs of that and probably some law firms think it is time to reinforce some teams in continental Europe because things are starting to look a bit better." 

Nonetheless, the overall decline will have made grim reading for associates facing an ever-lengthening wait for their shot at partnership – an average of 10.5 years and rising, according to Legal Week research. 

Putting in the hard yards

Those stuck in the queue have been told to 'not despair' by those lucky enough to have won promotion recently, who also offer some useful tips on what is needed to make the grade. 

"Although it seems to have become harder, there are things people can do to put themselves in a better position," says Norton Rose Fulbright disputes partner Ffion Flockhart (pictured, second right), made up in 2012. "You can't control the market, but the first thing is to put in the hard yards – you need to demonstrate you are willing to work hard. 

"The second thing is to proactively develop business and show initiative. For example, think of products to develop and how you can sell those to clients. And look at how you can help others in the firm. That's crucial because your internal network of clients is as important as external clients because of the potential for cross-referral of work."

Rodriguez puts a slightly different priority on the importance of clients, but echoes Flockhart's advice on the need to put in the hours. "Keep heart and do good work," he says, after spending eight years at Hogan Lovells and five at another international firm before making partner. 

"Try to be very close to your clients because in the end, clients are key to everything in a law firm. Of course, your internal relations and peers in the firm are important. But overall, it is essential to have a profile in the market and to have your clients happy. Don't despair if it seems you are never going to make it. Things come if you work hard. You will be rewarded."

In common with his other newly promoted colleagues Legal Week spoke to, Rodriguez says he does not believe it is necessarily becoming more difficult to become a partner. 

"It's just that it's more difficult to be a lawyer," he says. "There is less work than in the past because companies are reducing budgets, which means there is a smaller pie. In terms of partner numbers, there is an impact, but there are still possibilities if you find a practice that can be extended and you work hard to develop it."

For others, there is also a sense that a difficult path towards partnership is simply the way things should be. 

Helen Simpson, who became a UK-based litigation and disputes partner at Dentons this year, says: "It isn't easy to make partner in a law firm, and nor should it be. The process associates undergo on their path to partnership is rigorous and I believe that is quite right: the only way firms will prosper is if they are careful about selecting the right candidates to join the partnership. 

"It isn't necessarily harder now to make partner, but it may be taking longer; some of the skills firms may look for tend to come with time."

Worries about women

The situation with female partners is more complicated though, with the answer to the problem not only to do with how much hard graft someone puts in, but also about an apparent reluctance by some women to push themselves forward, as well as the thorny issue of balancing a family life. 

In fairness, the overall proportion of female promotions in the top 30 – 28% this year, 29% in 2012 and 24% in 2011 – is not shameful when you compare it to female representation on company boards and particularly corporate executive teams. 

"The percentage of female partners is still too low, but that isn't peculiar to law firms," says Simpson, who was one of four female partners made up by Dentons in the UK this year – 100% of the total. "The issues that law firms have to address are genuinely difficult for any business – flexible working and part-time partnership, for example."

But the magic circle average is worrying, perhaps reflecting a hard-to-shift belief that the most prestigious legal work is incompatible with family life, despite senior partners saying it is wrong to read too much into one year. 

Wiggins insists that "the magic circle is focused on getting more women through the pipeline", but she also says she was blessed by fortunate timing in terms of her own career and starting a family.

"I feel lucky that I had a child just before I was made partner because it meant I didn't have the spiralling childcare costs without the income to support it," she says. 

"Finding the cash can be hard if you are an associate. It can also be hard to juggle if your partner is also in full-time work, but some of us do it. If you want to spend a significant amount of time with your family, then being a partner may not be the job for you. But if you really want it and are prepared to work hard and work flexibly, it's a great job."

In another example of the commitment and flexibility needed as a female partner with a family, Wiggins adds: "When you are on maternity leave as a partner it's really helpful to maintain contact with your clients – having email and BlackBerry now makes this much easier and when you return you need to get stuck in."

According to the female partners, women also need to promote themselves in a way that comes more naturally to pushier male colleagues. But they stress that firms need to have the right structures in place to allow that to happen.

"It makes a huge difference when there's a real culture of wanting to promote diversity and not just paying lip service to it," says Flockhart, before adding: "I'm not sure it's necessarily harder to make partner as a woman. It may be about the mindset some women have that could ultimately be down to the mindset of the firm." 

As an example, only 12% of Norton Rose Fulbright's London partners were women in 2009, but it has lifted this to 21% through consistently promoting more women than most of its peers over the past three years and implementing a 'career strategies programme' to identify the most promising female associates.

"One of the most important outcomes was showing women there wasn't a barrier to becoming a partner and that the firm would actively support and encourage them," says Flockhart.

"We'd identified that women would get to a certain point in their career and either try to get partnership or make a lifestyle choice such as being a mother. It was really about adjusting that mindset to say that the firm would support you if you wanted to do both, for instance by working flexibly." 

The final piece of advice for female associates comes from Simpson, who stresses the fact that senior male mentors are also useful. 

"Be confident in your abilities," she says. "That counts for a huge amount, as does letting your skills shine. But be prepared to have very frank discussions with your firm, and don't be afraid of seeking advice, not just from other women, but also senior members of the firm." 

• Click here to view the figures of partner promotions over the past two years