In a rare partner hire in the City, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has added to its capital markets and US corporate law practice with the partner hire of Ash Qureshi, who joins from investment group Kingsley Capital Partners.
Announced today (9 April), US securities veteran Qureshi has a focus on emerging markets work and sovereign-related transactions. Clients have included governments, corporations and major financial institutions.
Qureshi was a director of Hanson Assset Management and one of the founders of Naya Capital Management. Qureshi was also previously a partner at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton for over 10 years before becoming executive vice chairman of Renaissance Group and chief executive of Renaissance Asset Managers, an investment management business in Moscow. Qureshi will be based in London and will join the leading City law firm’s corporate team covering the UK, Europe, Russia, Africa and the Middle East.
The hire comes amid a period of growing demand for US finance advice from European clients increasingly looking to tap American investors. Legal Business’s 2014 Global London focus on the top 50 foreign firms in London revealed a sharp increase in the number of US-qualified lawyers in the City last year in response to rising issuance of New York law-driven products like high-yield bonds.
Freshfields co-head of international capital markets practice Sarah Murphy commented: ‘Capital markets solutions have become increasingly important to our clients and access to the US markets is often critical to achieving their goals. Ash will enhance the reputation of our existing team.’
