Davis Polk & Wardwell has made up its first UK-qualified associate in London since launching its English law practice five years ago.

The US firm has promoted corporate associate Dan Hirschovits to partner out of a 10-strong round.

The promotions were effective as of 1 July.

Hirschovits was part of Davis Polk's team advising MasterCard on its £700m takeover of UK payments company VocaLink, which closed in May. Davis Polk led on the corporate aspects of the merger with a team led by London corporate partner Will Pearce.

Davis Polk moved into English law in 2012, with the hire of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer corporate veteran Simon Witty. Freshfields tax partner Jonathan Cooklin followed him to the US firm later that year.

In 2013, the firm hired two more UK-qualified partners – Herbert Smith corporate veteran Pearce and Ashurst finance partner Nick Benham.

Elsewhere, the firm has made up six New York lawyers, alongside one lawyer apiece in North California, Washington and Hong Kong.

The majority of the promotions are in corporate (five), followed by litigation (three).

The firm last made up a London associate in 2016, when it promoted US-qualified corporate associate Leo Borchardt. Before that, it made up corporate lawyer Reuven Young in 2014, its first City promotion since 2009 when it made up corporate lawyer John Meade.