Baker McKenzie and Hill Dickinson were the primary movers in the City recruitment market over the last week as a number of firms looked to bolster their European benches, with Paris and Ireland proving particularly active.
Bakers strengthened its City data protection and cyber practice with the hire of Paul Glass from Taylor Wessing, where he was a partner in the firm’s commercial technology and data group. Glass spearheaded Taylor Wessing’s cybersecurity practice and has advised on issues such as data breaches for 12 years. His practice also includes advising on contentious data protection and litigation, technology and IT disputes, and new and emerging technologies.
Steve Holmes, head of Bakers’ City data and technology team, commented: ‘The demand from clients for cybersecurity and contentious data work has never been stronger and we are delighted that such an experienced lawyer in this space is joining our team of data practitioners. Paul’s skillset and specialism makes him a perfect fit as we look to further strengthen our already market-leading data and technology practice in this important area and support our work on the most strategic mandates.’
Hill Dickinson, meanwhile, also strengthened in the City, adding commercial litigation partner Adrian Jones to the firm’s bench. Jones joins Hill Dickinson from US law firm Faegre Baker Daniels, where he was partner in the business litigation group. Experienced in international arbitration, Jones has represented clients in high-value and complex international arbitration cases connected with South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Russia.
‘We are absolutely delighted to have Adrian on board as we move forward with the growth of our London based commercial dispute resolution practice,’ said Fiona Parry, head of commercial litigation at Hill Dickinson. ‘As a firm, the fact that we have significant knowledge and expertise across the commercial field means we are ideally placed to assist our clients emerge from the current pandemic. Adrian’s outstanding expertise in international arbitration, in particular, adds further breadth to our team and will help ensure we continue to provide our clients with the highest level of service.’
Elsewhere, Dublin proved to be a hotspot for hires over the past week, where DLA Piper has lured corporate partner Matthew Cole from Irish independent A&L Goodbody. Cole’s practice focuses on M&A and equity capital markets as well as private equity and corporate advisory.
DLA Piper’s head of corporate in Ireland, Éanna Mellett, commented: ‘Matt has advised on some of the most high-profile and complex M&A deals in recent years and is one of Ireland’s most respected ECM lawyers. His expertise will add depth to our practice and real value for our clients.’
The hires come after DLA Piper lured Mark Rasdale and Ciara McLoughlin from A&L Goodbody last year to join the intellectual property and technology and employment practices at DLA Piper respectively.
Paris was another active area for hires, with Squire Patton Boggs the main mover in the jurisdiction, strengthening its international dispute resolution practice with two additional partners. Sabrina Aïnouz and Jérôme Lehucher spent the last 13 years practising international arbitration together, first at Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle, and later at DWF. The pair have represented states in Africa, Europe, Central Asia, as well as state-owned entities and private sector companies.
Their arrival follows an earlier announcement this week that Michelle Glassman Bock joined the firm’s disputes practice as a partner from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, splitting her time between its Brussels and Washington DC offices .
Meanwhile, disputes powerhouse Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan also hired in Paris, securing the services of Eric Russo, a prosecutor at the French National Financial Prosecutors Office (PNF). Russo is joining the firm as a partner in France and is the first PNF prosecutor to move into private practice at a law firm. During his five years at the PNF, Russo ran some of the largest international corruption and tax fraud investigations. He was the first prosecutor to conclude a CJIP (Deferred Prosecution Agreement) in France and the CJIP settlement agreements he concluded on behalf of the PNF (against HSBC, Société Générale and Airbus respectively) represent a total amount of €2.7bn.
Kami Haeri, partner and head of Quinn’s Paris litigation and white collar practice, commented: ‘Eric is not only a brilliant and recognised magistrate, but he is also the first prosecutor in the history of the PNF to join a law firm. This is a very rare move in France, and its exceptional nature is a testament to Quinn Emanuel’s commitment to providing a unique offer in international investigations, and to our firm’s ability to attract the best talents.’
Rounding off the international hires of the week, DWF hired two partners in Germany at the expense of DLA Piper. Bernd Borgmann and Eva Einfeldt will be joining the firm to lead DWF’s employment practice in Germany.
thomas.alan@legalbusiness.co.uk