Leading the high-profile moves this week, Dentons has expanded its finance practice in London with the hire of partner John Inglis from a depleted Shearman & Sterling.
He brings with him more than 30 years’ experience in energy and infrastructure project development and finance across multiple jurisdictions. He was previously a partner at Shearman, where he spent over a decade and received recognition in the Legal 500’s Hall of Fame. Inglis has also served as a partner at Ashurst and Norton Rose Fulbright.
Speaking to Legal Business about his move, he said: ‘I was looking for a final step in my career where I could continue to develop my relationships due to a combination of outstanding global platform, enhanced industry specialists and fantastic people who work in a collaborative manner.’
Speaking of the market trends over the next few months, Inglis continued: ‘The demands for energy infrastructure in the Middle East, Africa and central Asia will only continue requiring innovative financing solutions. The focus on de-carbonising energy infrastructure projects and the rapid move to green energy brings challenges in the bankability of rapidly evolving technology.’
Mayer Brown has also made a move in this area, snapping up King & Spalding partner Richard Nelson for its global energy group in London. He has spent time working in Singapore, both during his eight-year stint at King & Spalding and when he was partner at Herbert Smith Freehills for the six years preceding that. Nelson began his career at Linklaters, where he spent 11 years working across the firm’s London, Hong Kong and Tokyo offices.
Elsewhere in the City, Paul Hastings has recruited respected private equity specialist Samantha McGonigle as a partner. She joins from Farview Equity Partners, a growth-focused private equity firm she co-founded in 2019. Prior to that, McGonigle spent 12 years at Weil [and featured in our 2018 piece on female deal stars, ‘Alphas’], joining as an associate before being promoted to partner in 2013. She began her career at Hogan Lovells.
She explained her decision to join Paul Hastings to Legal Business: ‘I can see immediate benefits created by the alignment between my practice and Paul Hastings’ clients and culture. It is an opportunity to see a real multiplier effect that will help take our practice to new heights.’
Speaking of the market trends over the next few months, she continued: ‘There remains significant amounts of dry powder in private equity, and 2022 was another record fundraising year, meaning deals will be highly competitive. I also expect bolt-on acquisitions to be popular with portfolio companies as they continue to build out their platform investments, and an increase in the volume of take-privates, given public market uncertainty and inevitable valuation reset.’
Meanwhile, Ashurst has announced the hire of Whitney Lutgen as a partner in its investment funds practice in London. She joins from management consultancy firm MJ Hudson where she co-headed the funds team for five years. Previously, she served as an associate in Kirkland & Ellis’ private funds group, both in London and New York.
After almost 10 years at WilmerHale, David Rundle has joined Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) as a partner in its global disputes & investigations practice in London. He brings with him experience in transatlantic investigations and will strengthen the firm’s white-collar capabilities between the UK and US.
Speaking to Legal Business about his move, he said: ‘BCLP sees investigations and litigation as a growth area for the firm and wants to strengthen its transatlantic investigations practice. That commitment was the initial hook for my interest, but quite quickly, as I learned more about the firm and met people in the group, I knew It would be a great fit personally as well as professionally.’
CMS has had a busy week with three new hires in London. The firm has bolstered its real estate practice by bringing over Melanie Hughes and Paul Paling from South West-based Michelmores. The duo has experience in development projects, off plan sales and pre-lets, and acquisitions and disposals of investment properties. Hughes and Paling have brought a team of four with them to CMS.
The firm has also recruited Eversheds partner Matthew Honeyben to boost its nuclear and energy practice. Earlier in his career, he spent two years at UK boutique firm Peace Crowell as a managing associate, which followed a brief 10-month stint at Norton Rose Fulbright. He began his career as an associate at Linklaters, where he spent almost a decade.
Outside of London, Ropes & Gray’s Asia head of restructuring and special situations Daniel Anderson has left the firm after 11 years, which marks the end of the firm’s restructuring capabilities in the region. He has moved to Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer along with a team of associates.
Akin Gump has also lost restructuring partner Naomi Moore, who has moved to DLA Piper to head its restructuring practice. Moore brings with her more than two decades of experience in cross-border insolvency, special situations, distressed debt and private credit and will split her time between Sydney and Hong Kong.
Finally, Squire Patton Boggs has hired Lian Yok Tan for its energy and infrastructure practice in Singapore. She joins from K&L Gates where she was global co-head of the energy, infrastructure and resources practice. Tan is a qualified lawyer in Singapore, the UK and New York and was previously a partner at White & Case.
