Firms got back into the swing of City hiring last week after an early January lull as RPC added DWF’s head of business restructuring, Linklaters hired a banking partner and Sidley Austin recruited to its antitrust and competition practice.
RPC has beefed up its restructuring and insolvency team in London with the hire of DWF’s head of business restructuring Finella Fogarty.
Fogarty advises insolvency practitioners, corporates and individuals on both contentious and non-contentious restructuring, formal insolvency, special administrations, corporate restructurings and retail administrations.
Fogarty commented: ‘RPC’s reputation as a commercial disputes powerhouse with strong corporate credentials across retail, insurance, technology, financial services and beyond made it a natural fit for partnership. I was also particularly drawn to the firm’s genuine commitment to collegiality, collaboration and the highest level of client service; I can’t wait to get started.’
Fogarty joined RPC last week and will be joined by DWF of counsel William Beck, senior associate Danielle Bennett and associate James Whelan.
Meanwhile, Linklaters has recruited Colin Chang from White & Case to its banking practice. Chang has experience representing underwriters, issuers and private equity sponsors in finance deals in Europe and the US.
Head of banking Davide Mencacci told Legal Business: ‘Colin will play a key role in continuing the growth of our high-yield business, successfully led by Mark Hageman and Alex Naidenov. His addition to the team is demonstration of our confidence in the market and growing client demand. He will be instrumental in developing our high-yield work across France and Benelux, strengthening our relationships with underwriting banks and financial advisers as well as helping to grow the wider London banking practice.’
Elsewhere, Sidley hired partner Vincent Brophy from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft to its global antitrust and competition practice in London.
Brophy represents clients before the competition authorities in mergers and antitrust investigations. He advises on EU business regulation, particularly in financial services.
Co-leader of Sidley’s antitrust/competition practice Kristina Nordlander said: ‘Vincent is a highly regarded and respected counsel with experience leading some of the most difficult cases before European competition authorities and courts.’
Baker Botts bolstered its M&A capabilities in London with the hire of CMS partner Stuart Blythe.
Blythe advises corporations and financial institutions on corporate and commercial transactions in the TMT sector, including M&A, joint ventures, restructurings, debt financings and infrastructure projects.
Lead partner of Baker Bott’s London and Middle East offices Mark Rowley told Legal Business: ‘Stuart is a very complementary fit for our tech side and he is a corporate transactional add as well as being part of the tech focus that we’ve got. We have a distinction internally between our corporate department and our global projects department, but the overlap is immense.
‘Our goal is to be a leader in the technology and energy sectors and from that view the London strategy is no different from the rest of the firm. Our growth priorities at the moment are London, West Coast US and East Coast US, in particular New York, largely because we have clients who would like us to be more full-service and have deeper capabilities in those markets,’ Rowley added.
Baker Botts has hired five partners over the past 14 months and Blythe will join the corporate team which includes Richard Brown who joined from Latham & Watkins in January 2019.
Finally, Swiss- based LALIVE has added Allen & Overy’s former Asia-Pacific managing partner, Thomas Brown, as the firm’s first-ever chief executive.
Brown has over 30 years’ experience serving as managing partner of A&O’s Tokyo and Hong Kong offices, as well as managing A&O’s entire Asia practice. He will work closely with LALIVE’s management committee and partners, particularly its Zurich and London offices.
Brown said: ‘Having previously spent a year at LALIVE and learnt about its practice, I can’t think of a more perfect place for me to be. Its strategy of being one of the world’s pre-eminent disputes practices is clear and I am looking forward to bringing my international law firm management experience to help the firm achieve its full potential.’
LALIVE co-managing partner Domitille Baizeau commented: ‘As our firm continues to grow in its core practice areas and geographies, it is invaluable to have a dedicated person of Thomas’ experience to pursue our strategy, drive the business, and help further modernise our client services delivery.’
