Cahill Gordon & Reindel has launched an English-law City-based litigation practice after hiring litigator Richard Kelly from US rival Shearman & Sterling and gaining an alternative business structure (ABS) licence.
Kelly’s addition will allow the firm to practice English law for the first time and comes after it was authorized as an ABS by the Solicitors Regulation Authority last month as Cahill Gordon & Reindel (UK) LLP. The move will also see the firm offer corporate governance and investigations advice in London.
Kelly, who also practices New York law, left Shearman after eight years having joined in 2007 and becoming a partner in 2010. He trained at Magic Circle firm Allen & Overy and qualified in 1999. He also served as judicial assistant to Lord Woolf MR.
His experience includes acting for investment banks on litigation, investigations and risk management mandates on issues such as benchmark setting, rogue traders, mis-selling and securities fraud. Kelly is recommended by The Legal 500 for banking litigation, commercial litigation and international arbitration.
Kelly said: ‘Building a litigation capacity here in London is a natural complement not only to the firm’s outstanding litigation team in the US, but also to the London office’s existing practice which has served many of the same clients in finance transactions for more than a decade.’
In addition, the firm is the first Global 100 US firm to set up an ABS in the UK after having orginally opened its London office in 2000. William Hartnett, chairman of Cahill’s executive committee said: ‘Our authorization from the SRA enables our US and UK practices to work together more effectively and to provide a comprehensive litigation service across those key markets.’
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk