Macfarlanes has made up nine new partners in the firm's largest promotions round since 2005.

Three of the new partners are women, marking the best year for female promotions at the firm for at least a decade.

The partners are spread across seven practice areas, with two each in M&A and financial services and regulation. There will be a further partner in each of the derivatives & trading, funds, litigation, private client and tax pratices.

Last year, only four lawyers at Macfarlanes were made up to the partnership, two of whom were women. While 2012 saw a five-strong promotion round.

The appointments will come into effect from May 2014.

Macfarlanes' senior partner Charles Martin comments: "The appointment of nine new partners is great news for us and shows our confidence in long term prospects for our business. Our clients expect our partners to be of the highest quality and we are proud of the strength of our home-grown talent across the practice. We can see strong partners and senior counsel of the future right the way across the firm."

Macfarlanes 2014 partner promotions in full

Christopher Acton – derivatives and trading
Harry Coghill – M&A
Alex Edmondson – M&A
Paul Ellison – financial services and regulation
Christopher Good – funds and financial services
Lois Horne – litigation
Michelle Kirschner – financial services and regulation
James McCredie – tax
Jenny Smithson – private client