In a rare defection from Macfarlanes, financial services head David Berman is set to join Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan.
Cited by The Legal 500 as ‘calm, pragmatic and highly knowledgeable’, Berman joined Macfarlanes investment funds and financial services group in 2009 as a partner from Dresdner Kleinwort bank where he served as managing director and other senior level roles in legal, compliance and front office functions.
He advises a variety of financial institutions on both buy-side and sell-side on regulatory and compliance issues, and frequently advises boards and senior management teams on regulatory issues of strategic significance. Berman’s hire follows Quinn’s launch of its long-anticipated corporate crime practice in London through the hire of Covington & Burling partner and former Serious Fraud Office (SFO) prosecutor Robert Amaee.
Managing partner John Quinn (pictured) said: ‘David’s unique background in finance, regulatory matters and internal investigations make him the perfect fit for our white collar and investigations practice. It is the fastest growing practice area in the firm and much of it is cross-border and much of it with a UK and EU component. Having a white collar lawyer in the UK with deep regulatory experience is a great enhancement to our practice.’
Macfarlanes senior partner Charles Martin said he was sorry to see Berman go, adding: ‘He is leaving for a very different platform and new challenges. We wish him well.’
Last week Quinn lost Moscow-based arbitration partners Ivan Marisin and Vasily Kuznetsov to US rival Baker Botts, leaving Quinn’s ten-lawyer Russia outpost with one full-time partner.
To soften the blow, Quinn has brought over Russian counsel Kirill Parinov, as managing partner of its Moscow office from mining firm Norilsk Nickel where he served as group general counsel. The office is also served by partner Nick Marsh who splits his time between London and Moscow.
Quinn continues its lateral hiring spree however, as last week it emerged the firm is in talks to hire a team from Shearman & Sterling’s Brussels arm, including office head Stephen Mavroghenis and competition partner Trevor Soames.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk; madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk
