International arbitration heads at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, Herbert Smith Freehills and Berwin Leighton Paisner are among five solicitor advocates to be appointed Queen's Counsel (QC).

Included in the group is Constantine Partasides, Freshfields' head of international arbitration in London, who is leaving the magic circle firm to set up an arbitration boutique with Paris-based disputes partner Georgios Petrochilos and former Freshfields arbitration head Jan Paulsson.

Two solicitors at HSF have also taken silk: global head of international arbitration Paula Hodges and partner Matthew Weiniger. They are joined by BLP's international arbitration head Nicholas Fletcher and Hong Kong-based Allen & Overy arbitration partner Matthew Gearing.

In total, seven solicitor advocates applied for silk, a notable increase on the two applications received in both 2012 and 2013.

Last year, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom arbitration and litigation partner Karyl Nairn became the first solicitor advocate to be awarded QC status since 2011.

Speaking to Legal Week last year, Nairn said one of the biggest challenges for solicitor advocates in submitting their applications is collecting enough judicial references. The panel requires references from 12 judges covering the last two years of advocacy.

A total of 69 lawyers were recognised for civil work, with 32 awarded silk for criminal law and five for family work. Six lawyers were recognised for their contribution to both civil and criminal law.

Of 42 female applicants this year, 18 were successful, an increase of four on last year's round, when 14 women received QC status. Thirteen applicants who declared an ethnic origin other than white were appointed, out of 32 who applied, (a total of 6% of all applicants).

This year eight applicants declared a disability, and five were successful. The youngest successful applicant this year is 36 years old and the oldest 68.

Each applicant was considered against five competencies: understanding and using the law; written and oral advocacy; working with others; diversity and integrity.

"I am delighted at the announcement of the new silks," commented selection panel chairman Helen Pitcher. "I congratulate each one of them."

The new QCs will formally become silks at a ceremony on 14 April 2014.

Full list of appointees
James Hugh Aldridge – Civil
Stuart Alford – Criminal
Darryl John Allen – Civil
David William Allison – Civil
Rachel Louise Ansell – Civil
Alexander John Antelme – Civil
Dean Paul Armstrong – Criminal
Kelyn Meher Bacon – Civil
Tony David Badenoch – Criminal
Charles David Barr – Civil
Andrew Guy Blackwood – Civil
Charles Gregory Bourne – Civil
Mark Nicholas Bryant-Heron – Civil & Criminal
John Arthur Butterfield – Criminal
Oliver Edward Wilhelm Campbell – Civil & Criminal
Graham Andrew Chapman – Civil
Charles Ciumei – Civil
Andrew Maurice Gray Clutterbuck – Civil
Christopher McCallum Coltart – Criminal
John Michael Cooper – Criminal
Michael Philip Davey – Civil
John Hugh de Bono – Civil
Rodney Thomas Dixon – Civil & Criminal
Michael Duggan – Civil
Sarah Julia Elliott – Criminal
Jonathan Edward Evans – Civil
Michael Ritho Evans – Criminal
Michael Fealy – Civil
Mark Roydon Allen Fenhalls – Criminal
Nicholas Hugo Martin Fletcher – Civil*
David John Forsdick – Civil
Orlando Gregory Fraser – Civil
Jason Nicholas Galbraith-Marten – Civil
Kate Selina Gallafent – Civil
Matthew Peter Gearing – Civil*
Felicity Ruth Gerry – Criminal
Catherine Alison Gibaud – Civil
Patrick John Goodall – Civil
Nicholas Alexander John Goodwin – Family
Russell Benjamin Wallace Gumpert – Criminal
Charles Stanley Hale – Family
Jonathan Rupert Hall – Civil
Matthew Richard Hardwick – Civil
Annette Phyllis Henry – Criminal
Richard Guy Hitchcock – Civil
Paula Hodges – Civil*
Jonathan Anthony Hough – Civil
James Richard Howells – Civil
Abdul Shaffaq Iqbal – Criminal
Wayne Darren Jordash – Criminal
Robert John Hugh Jory – Civil
Nigel Stuart Lawrence – Civil & Criminal
Jacob Levy – Civil
David Patrick Lewis – Civil
Nicholas Lobbenberg – Criminal
Adrienne Simone Lucking – Criminal
Andrew Nicolas Lykiardopoulos – Civil
Catherine Mary Markus – Civil
Charlotte Louisa May – Civil
Elizabeth Ann McGrath – Family
Andrew Miller – Civil
Thomas George Moseley Mitcheson – Civil
Fenner Orlando Moeran – Civil
Justin John Glasbrook Mort – Civil
Jane Suzanne Mulcahy – Civil
Benjamin John Myers – Criminal
Thomas Sean Patrick O'Sullivan – Civil
Pavlos Panayi – Criminal
Constantine Partasides – Civil*
Sandip Patel – Criminal
Duncan John William Penny – Criminal
James Alexander Pereira – Civil
Jason Karl Pitter – Criminal
Charles Benedictus Alexander Quiney – Civil
John William Rupert Reed – Civil
Thomas Idris Roe – Civil & Criminal
Ian Paul Rogers – Civil
Robert John Finlay Russell – Civil
Saira Kabir Sheikh – Civil
Hugh Sims – Civil
Kathryn Mair Skellorn – Family
Thomas Jonathan Smith – Civil
Tyrone Gregory Smith – Criminal
David Boardman Southern – Civil
Karen Margaret Steyn – Civil
Benjamin James Quentin Strong – Civil
Mark John Summers – Criminal
Reuben Mallinson Taylor – Civil
Christopher Tehrani – Criminal
Leslie Letchworth Thomas – Civil
Roger Christopher Thomas – Civil
Andrew Richard Thompson – Civil
Adam Richard Tolley – Civil
William John Tyler – Family
Stephen Vullo – Civil & Criminal
Matthew Gideon Weiniger – Civil*
Tom Weisselberg – Civil
Sarah Alice Whitehouse – Criminal
Lisa Marie Wilding – Criminal
Marc Lawrence George Willers – Civil

* Solicitor advocate