Just over a year since US firm Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld took over Bingham McCutchen’s $50m London office, the firm has made its largest ever number of partner promotions in the City, with three lawyers joining the partnership.
With 12 lawyers joining the Akin Gump partnership on 1 January, a quarter reside in London, making the City the focus of the firm’s promotions round this year. The firm made up 14 lawyers in last year’s round, none of whom came from London.
Seeking to build on the momentum generated by its Bingham tie-up, a move that more than doubled the size of the firm’s presence in the City, London pipped Dallas, Houston and New York to receive the most partner promotions. Those US cities each saw two lawyers made up to partner.
There was a focus on building out the firm’s cross-border transactions capability, with London deal advisers Sophie Jermine and David Sewell both made up to partner. London-based Rosemarie Paul, a financial regulatory lawyer, also made the cut.
Jermine is most well-known for her role on the IPO of Game Digital in 2014, acting for one of the video game chain’s largest investors, and counts IT giant Oracle as a client. Sewell, who has built his transactions practice upon private equity M&A, counts US private equity house Riverstone among his clients.
Paul, who sits in the firm’s litigation practice, is a former member of the enforcement and financial crime unit at the Financial Services Authority and advises clients on UK financial regulatory matters.
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
The full list of partner promotions:
Sophie Jermine, London, cross-border transactions
David Sewell, London, cross-border transactions
Rosemarie Paul, London, litigation
Daniel Cohen, Hong Kong, litigation
Dennis Pereira, New York, investment funds
Brad Kahn, New York, financial restructuring
Andrew Lehman, Houston, energy transactions
Ivana Rouse, Houston, investment funds
Elizabeth Scott, Dallas, litigation
John Bain, Dallas, real estate
James Tysse, Washington DC, litigation
Rubén Muñoz, Philadelphia, intellectual property