Lucrative senior dealmaking roles in UK law firms remain dominated by men, leaving female partners unable to make a dent in competitive areas of law.
Men made up 80 per cent of partners hired into corporate and finance practices in the years 2019 to 2024, according to data from legal recruiter Edwards Gibson.
Commercial and financial departments are often the highest-billing departments in commercial law firms.
Despite a push for diversity across the sector, women made up roughly just a quarter of such hires during that period.
However, in 2021, the figure dropped, as women accounted for only 11 per cent.
The figures suggest that improvements in the hiring and retention of female partners at top international law firms in the UK have ultimately failed to have a significant impact in the most lucrative legal areas.
Wider sectors showing greater balance
The relatively small number of women in dealmaking hires stands in stark contrast to the broader legal sector.
Female partners have consistently made up nearly a third of total hires each year since 2019, in other departments, according to Edwards Gibson.
This included hires in areas such as employment, pensions and private client services.
The growing number echoes the improvements in gender balances across law firms over the past few years.
According to recent data from the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which covers lawyers in England and Wales, women made up 37 per cent of total partners in 2023, an increase of 5 percentage points on the 2015 total.
Factors holding women back
Recent data from legal recruiter Macrae found that only 15 per cent of partner hires in private equity in London between 2020 and May 2025 were women.
Some have attributed this imbalance to barriers such as primary caregiving responsibilities, which make women less likely to apply for top roles.
Lesley Gregory, a corporate partner at Haynes Boone, told the Financial Times, “There are fewer networking opportunities for women at hours that suit their primary carer responsibilities or events which feel inclusive and welcoming.”
One senior corporate partner at a top UK firm agreed the lifestyle was the most influential factor holding women back, saying these areas of law are the “least suited” to those wanting an “ordered life”.
Scott Gibson, founding partner of Edwards Gibson, said a key factor was men were more likely to inflate their clients and business to prospective firms, whereas women would not.
Gibson said to the Financial Times, “Men tend to be far more optimistic about the size of their client followings…it often results in them achieving higher compensation.”
“As a general rule, we multiply a man’s business case by 0.8 and a woman’s by 1.2”