US firm Debevoise & Plimpton has announced that Tony Dymond, former co-head of Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) Seoul office, will be joining its London office.
Contentious construction expert Dymond (pictured) is the second high-profile HSF litigator to join Debevoise this year, with Kevin Lloyd joining the firm in July after resigning from HSF in December 2012.
Like Lloyd, Dymond is a renowned litigator with 20 years of experience advising international clients on complex, multi-jurisdictional disputes.
A solicitor-advocate, his practice focuses on high-value construction and engineering disputes in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Debevoise’s London office has seen significant expansion in its litigation practice, led by former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC. The team has grown by 12 lawyers in 2013 alone.
‘Tony Dymond’s arrival is great news for the firm. He is a highly respected lawyer with a truly international practice, and a key addition to our litigation team in London. Tony’s arrival also further demonstrates our commitment to provide premier English law advice to our clients,’ said Michael Blair, presiding partner of Debevoise.
A HSF spokesperson confirmed that Doha-based dispute resolution lawyer James Doe has been promoted to partner in Seoul to replace Dymond, who ‘retired from the partnership’. HSF has had a difficult year following the merger between legacy Herbert Smith and Australian outfit Freehills in October 2012 with senior partner exits, particularly in its signature disputes practice, and a remuneration reform which took some time to get voted through.
But the firm remains upbeat. Lewis McDonald, Seoul managing partner and head of corporate South Korea at HSF, said: ‘We have had a great start to our Korean practice so far and I am grateful for the support Tony has provided to me and the firm during this first phase. The next phase of our development will be significantly bolstered by James who has energy, enthusiasm and the perfect skill-set and regional experience for this market.’
David.stevenson@legalease.co.uk
