After having led a trio of partners to Kirkland & Ellis from SJ Berwin in 2007 and helping build its funds practice, Mark Mifsud is looking to repeat the trick leaving for Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson with two fellow funds partners as the US firm builds its presence in the City.
Less than a year after the defection of Europe head Graham White, Mifsud, as well as partners Kate Downey and Alexandra Conroy resigned from Kirkland last week. An official start date for the lawyers has yet to be confirmed.
Mifsud, who advises fund managers on structuring and establishing private investment funds, was hired from SJ Berwin in 2007, alongside Downey and Conroy who served as an associate and trainee at the latter firm at the time.
It follows the news last week of Fried Frank’s hire of Hogan Lovells partner Stuart Brinkworth to head its London finance offering. Set to start on 1 September, Brinkworth will be tasked with building debt fund relationships with clients in London and supporting the firm’s private equity practice.
Other strategic hires for the firm’s London office this year included private equity partner Daniel Oates from O’Melveny & Myers in January.
sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk