Signs of change are afoot in the Magic Circle. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s new senior partner Georgia Dawson became the first female managing or senior partner at any Magic Circle firm when she took up her post last month. And three-out-of four candidates in the race to become Linklaters’ senior partner are female.

Clifford Chance is also gearing up for a managing partner election this year with Jeroen Ouwehand, its senior partner, calling for a new generation to step forward to lead the firm.