This week’s lateral hiring has seen international firms King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin (KWMSJB) and US firm Kaye Scholer expand in London, while Dentons made a c-suite recruit in Europe and Eversheds hired in Hong Kong.
King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin (KWMSJB) hired patent litigator Campbell Forsyth from Olswang to join its London intellectual property (IP) division as a partner. Forsyth joins in a bid to bolster the firm’s IP capabilities with a particular focus on patents, life sciences and technology capability. Forsyth was an associate with the firm in the early 2000s, and left to lead his own boutique IP firm before joining Olswang in 2011. As well as patent litigation, Forsyth has advised in relation to patent and regulatory law, notably on supplementary protection certificates for medicinal patents and FRAND licensing disputes in the telecoms sector.
Also in London, Clyde & Co’s aviation finance lawyer Sidanth Rajagopal quit to join US firm Kaye Scholer. The move will see Rajagopal relocate from Clyde’s Dubai office to the City as part of a wider strategy to increase its aviation finance and leasing offerings.
Rajagopal focuses on the financing, leasing and purchasing of aircraft and engines for commercial and private jet markets. He primarily acts for airlines, leasing companies and banks operating across the Middle East, South Asia and Africa with clients including Air Costa, SpiceJet, Veling Limited, ACIA and Kenya Airways among others.
‘Sid’s arrival is just the first in a strategic expansion in London of our aviation finance and leasing practice as part of our longer-term goal to increase our aviation finance capabilities and offerings throughout the world,’ said Henry Morriello, chair of Kaye Scholer’s finance department.
Outside of the UK, Dentons made a key c-suite hire last week with chief operating officer (COO) for Europe, Richard Singer, joining from US firm White & Case. Singer will be based in Dentons’ Prague office and oversee the firm’s business support teams including finance, HR, IT, business development and marketing in Europe. He will also sit on the global operating committee.
Singer joins with over five and a half years’ experience at White & Case, most recently as the EMEA director of strategic projects, and COO for Central and Eastern Europe before that.
In Asia, Eversheds appointed Hong Kong banking partner Samuel Chau, previously a partner at Gide Loyrette Nouel, to diversify its banking offering to institutional and corporate clients. Chau will work alongside Asia head of banking and finance King Tak Fung and Michael Yau. Fung said: ‘Samuel’s focus will be on the development of new streams of corporate banking business for the firm.’
Chau joined Gide in 2010 from Sidley Austin’s Hong Kong office where he was a consultant in the international finance group. His experience includes representing corporate and financial institutions with a focus on banking and structured finance work, especially leveraged, real estate, project and asset-based financings throughout Hong Kong, the PRC and the Asian region.
Jashree.Kalia@legalease.co.uk
