Promotion rounds offer a valuable insight into how law firms are investing in talent, developing future leaders and shaping the next generation of their partnership pipeline.
Each month, Sonder's Asia Career Progression Report tracks Counsel and Of Counsel promotions across leading US and international law firms in Hong Kong and Singapore, providing lawyers with a unique view of career progression trends across the region.
While lateral hiring activity often dominates headlines, internal promotions can reveal just as much about a firm's priorities. They highlight the practice areas receiving investment, the markets experiencing growth and the lawyers firms are choosing to retain and develop for the long term.
In May 2026, we identified 15 Counsel and Of Counsel promotions across Hong Kong and Singapore. Corporate, Capital Markets and Litigation practices featured prominently, while several firms continued to demonstrate a strong commitment to internal progression despite a selective hiring environment.
The data included in this report has been compiled using a combination of publicly announced promotion rounds, firm websites, professional profiles and non-publicly available market intelligence gathered through Sonder's network and relationships across the Asia legal market. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, some practice area information may be based on the most recent publicly available profile information where firms have not disclosed specific practice groups.
Below, we break down the promotion activity by firm, practice area and market.
May 2026 Snapshot
- 15 Counsel and Of Counsel promotions
- 11 in Hong Kong
- 4 in Singapore
- 6 firms promoted lawyers
- Corporate and Capital Markets accounted for the largest share of disclosed promotions
Asia Counsel Promotions By Law Firm
Asia Counsel Promotions By Practice Area
Corporate and Capital Markets accounted for the majority of Counsel and Of Counsel promotions identified across Hong Kong and Singapore during May 2026, representing two-thirds of all promotions in this report.
The strength of these practice areas reflects the continued momentum being seen across Asia's transactional market. Capital Markets teams, in particular, have remained busy throughout 2026, supported by increased IPO activity, follow-on offerings and other public market transactions across the region. Hong Kong has experienced a notable resurgence in listing activity, while Singapore continues to benefit from strong regional capital flows and cross-border investment.
Many of the lawyers promoted within Corporate and Capital Markets teams have extensive experience advising on IPOs, equity offerings, public company matters and complex cross-border transactions. Their promotions suggest firms are continuing to invest in lawyers with the technical expertise and commercial judgement required to support clients through increasingly sophisticated transactions.
Litigation and Disputes also featured prominently within this year's promotion cohort, reflecting the continued importance of contentious work across Asia. Meanwhile, promotions within Finance and Energy practices highlight ongoing investment in specialist areas that remain critical to many firms' long-term growth strategies.
While promotion rounds represent just one measure of market activity, they provide a useful indication of where firms are investing, the skills they value most highly and the practice areas expected to drive future growth.
Full Lawyer Promotion List
Thinking About Your Own Progression?
Questions we encourage lawyers to consider:
- What does the Counsel pathway look like at your current firm?
- Is there a clear timeline?
- How many lawyers have been promoted internally over the past three years?
- Would your progression be accelerated elsewhere?
For lawyers approaching senior associate level, promotion rounds can provide a useful insight into how firms are investing in talent and where future opportunities may arise.
* This report focuses on Counsel and Of Counsel promotions within international and global law firms operating in Hong Kong and Singapore. It does not include promotions within domestic or national law firms. Data has been compiled from firm announcements, public sources and market intelligence gathered by Sonder.
