The 2007 new partner classes at some of the largest U.S. firms varied widely, with some increasing and others decreasing; however, this year’s partner classes among the top 20 firms made up about the same percentage of the firm’s total partner population as last year. Concerning the actual number of new partners, the overall trend was an increase, as 5.1 percent more associates or counsels were promoted to partner compared to 2006. Though these changes are rather small, experts speculate that bigger changes are occuring in regards to the expansion of nonequity partner classes rather than equity partnership. This strategy keeps profits per partner high, and most firms are quiet about their specific breakdown of equity vs. nonequity promotions. The two firms with the biggest percentage gain of partners this year are White & Case (NY) and Weil, Gotshal & Manges (NY), with a 48 and 66.7 percent gain respectively.
Source: www.law.com