Macfarlanes will make up one female lawyer as part of its nine-strong partner promotions round this year, the firm has announced.

The promotions, which also do not feature any lawyers from black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, comprise the lowest female representation for the firm since 2016, when all six lawyers promoted to partner were men.

Elizabeth Doherty, a private client and trusts litigator, will be promoted to partner in this year's round, alongside fellow private client lawyers Richard Giangrande and Mark Hunter.

Three other lawyers being made partner – Adam Campbell, Tom Rose and Stephen Pike – are corporate lawyers with a focus on M&A transactions.

In a press statement, the firm said: "Self-evidently this group, which includes only one woman and no BME lawyers, is not diverse. The impact of the many measures that the firm is taking to ensure more diverse partnership appointments in the future have not filtered through yet.

"We are confident that they will do in future years."

All lawyers will become partners on May 1. At that stage, only 13 partners, or 14 percent of the firm's 90-strong partnership, will be women.

At Travers Smith, Macfarlanes' nearest commercial rival, women make up 21 percent of the firm's partnership. Out of its 83 partners, 18 are women.

Last year the firm made up three partners, one of which was a woman, and brought in tax lawyer Ceinwen Rees from Debevoise & Plimpton's London office.

Women have accounted for nearly a third of the partner promotions cohort for Macfarlanes every year – excluding 2016 – for five years.

Senior partner Charles Martin commented in a statement: "This is an outstanding group of lawyers. We welcome them to the partnership at a time of uncertainty but also at a time when many clients are telling us about the opportunities they see ahead."

The firm said that its diversity initiatives include an "inclusive leadership programme, redesigned work allocation systems, enhanced feedback arrangements and much-increased career flexibility".

Macfarlanes 2019 promotions: Adam Campbell – M&A Simon Day – commercial litigation Elizabeth Doherty – private client and trusts litigation Richard Giangrande – private client Mark Hunter – private client Mark Lawrence – real estate litigation Stephen Pike – M&A Gregory Price – tax Tom Rose – M&A