Four Scottish partner promotions for CMS

Paula Kidd

Paula Kidd and Carol Nisbet, from the firm’s Aberdeen offices, along with Mark McMurray and Jenny Walker, who are based in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively, will all become partners from 1 May.

Paula Kidd works in CMS’s Oil & Gas practice while her Aberdeen-based colleague Carol Nisbet operates within the firm’s Real Estate team. Mark McMurray is part of the CMS Planning team and Jenny Walker serves within the Infrastructure & Projects team.

They are among 49 colleagues being elevated to partner level in 2019, marking the firm’s largest-ever round of global partner promotions.

The new partners span 23 cities across Europe, Latin America and the Middle East, and sit across a wide range of practice and sector groups. In the UK alone, 21 new partners have been appointed, with promotions spread across seven UK offices.

Women account for 76 per cent of all CMS promotions in the UK this year, and 47 per cent globally.

Penelope Warne, senior partner of CMS UK, said: “It is great to see such a strong representation of women in this year’s partner promotions. We strive to build an inclusive and progressive culture, underpinned by policies, training and support, that empowers our people to rise through the ranks. The significant number of promotions this year highlights the strength and depth of talent we have across the firm, and reflects the confidence we have in our business. We would like to congratulate our new partners on their well-deserved promotions.”

Allan Wernham, managing director of CMS Scotland, added: “I’m delighted with the promotion of my four Scottish-based colleagues to partner level. Paula, Carol, Mark and Jenny have all achieved this on the back of their immense contribution where they’ve demonstrated both a strong commitment towards clients and real leadership within their teams. These promotions come as the firm continues to grow in Scotland and they underline CMS’s commitment to developing its people throughout their career.”