In a big week for international hires Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW), Berwin Leighton Paisner, Bird & Bird and Mayer Brown all added to their benches.
Dechert has bolstered its finance team with the hire of two DLA Piper partners Philip Butler and David Miles. Miles was DLA’s head of debt finance in London while Butler was head of finance and projects, and global co-chair in the firm’s financial services sector.
In Hong Kong, Mayer Brown added Doos Choi as a partner in its banking and finance practice in a hire from Ashurst, the latest exit for the firm. Mayer Brown banking and finance co-leader Richard Stock said: ‘With his background in complex cross-border acquisition finance for clients across a variety of industries, Doos is a valuable addition to our Hong Kong office.’
In Switzerland, HFW added to its corporate practice with partner Georges Racine joining the firm in Geneva from Swiss independent LALIVE. Racine has experience in joint ventures, M&A, venture capital and private equity. HFW head of corporate Brian Gordon said: ‘Georges’s experience ensures that we are able to offer our Swiss-based and international clients on-the-ground-support for all their future corporate and commercial needs.’
Bird & Bird hired Maria Carlsson as a corporate partner in its Helsinki office. Carlsson makes the jump to Bird & Bird from Finnish firm Borenius Attorneys where she was a partner and head of the commercial contracts team.
Berwin Leighton Paisner’s Russian practice Goltsblat BLP recruited from K&L Gates into its Moscow office, adding banking and finance partner Sergey Milanov as its new head of Asia. Milanov has experience in Asia and is the only foreign lawyer qualified to advise on Russian law in Japan.
Goltsblat BLP managing partner Andrey Goltsblat said: ‘This hire will undoubtedly further strengthen our international capabilities in Moscow and BLP globally. We are convinced that it will help us meet to the maximum the needs and expectations of both Russian and Asian businesses.’
Finally, Eversheds hired Gayle McFarlane into the firm’s Birmingham office. McFarlane re-joined the firm in its TMT practice, having started out her career there. McFarlane trained at Eversheds before moving to legacy Wragge Lawrence Graham after seven years. She then became a partner at general counsel consultancy Cordery, before her return to Eversheds.
matthew.field@legalease.co.uk
