Maples and Calder has announced its latest round of partner promotions, with eight new lawyers joining the firm’s partnership.

The offshore firm’s promotions were effective as of December last year.

Five of the promotions come in the firm’s Cayman Islands office. They are:

• Matthew Crawford (litigation);
• John Dykstra (finance);
• Jarrod Farley (investment);
• Michael Richardson (restructuring); and
• Joannah Bodden Small (asset and acquisition finance).

The remaining three partners have joined the firm’s partnership in Dublin, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Colm Rafferty is now a partner in corporate and M&A in Dublin, while Phillip Ireland has made partner in the corporate and investment funds practice in Dubai and litigation lawyer John Trehey joins the partnership in Hong Kong.

Maples global managing partner Henry Smith said: “I am pleased to admit the new partners, each of whom adds further strength and depth to the firm’s key practice areas.”

The firm now has a total of 62 partners and 132 associates across its offices in Hong Kong, the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, London, Jersey, Dublin and Dubai.

Yesterday Slaughter and May became the first magic circle practice to announce its 2010 partner promotions, with the firm adding two lawyers to its partnership, including Hong Kong-based corporate finance partner Lisa Chung.