Dentons and DAC Beachcroft announced lateral hires to their City offices last week, while K&L Gates and Clyde & Co have boosted their ranks overseas.
Predicting significant growth in transport and infrastructure in the UK, Dentons has hired David Moore to its London energy, transport and infrastructure practice. Moore joins from Clyde & Co and has experience advising both private and public sector clients in the rail, roads and ports industries, with a particular focus on the UK, Middle East and Africa markets.
Dentons CEO for the UK, Middle East and Africa region Jeremy Cohen described Moore’s hire as ‘the right time for us to enhance yet further our practice’, with the transport sector a key focus of the firm’s UK strategy.
DAC Beachcroft, meanwhile has appointed former Nabarro planning partner Christopher Stanwell to lead its 10-strong national planning and environmental team. Stanwell has a focus on infrastructure and high-profile development schemes with particular expertise in judicial review. Head of DAC Beachcroft’s real estate group, Robert Lee, said he had ‘every confidence [Stanwell] will continue to develop our planning practice into a UK market leader’.
Internationally, K&L Gates has made one lateral hire to its international practice, acquiring Stephen Tan from Baker & McKenzie as a corporate and transactional partner in its Taipei office. On home soil, former Vinson & Elkins energy partner Michael Murphy joins the K&L Gates’ Houston office as part of its energy and commercial disputes practice, while labour and employment partner Sang-yul Lee joins the Chicago office from Locke Lord.
Clyde & Co has also made an international lateral hire, recruiting Hong Kong marine partner Anthony Woo who joins from Hill Dickinson where he was made partner in 2014. Woo, whose practice has a strong focus in advising on mainland China-related disputes, advises on all aspects of charterparty disputes, defending bill of lading claims, regulatory summonses, as well as claims arising from collision and salvage. Managing partner of the Hong Kong office, Simon McConnell, noted the firm had ‘ambitious plans for the firm both in Hong Kong and in particular the marine practice in the Asia-Pacific region’.
In terms of in-house appointments, professional service consultancy WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff has brought in former Addleshaw Goddard finance and projects partner Karen Sewell as the company’s new general counsel (GC) and UK head of legal. With experience representing banks, financial institutions and corporate borrowers on all aspects of financing transactions, UK chief operating officer Mark Naysmith believes Sewell will bring ‘great value and experience both legally and across a number of our strategic growth plans’. Her departure from Addleshaw Goddard comes in the same week as head of insurance Mark Pring left to join Reed Smith.
Finally, National Express GC and group company secretary Sandra Forbes has left her role after two years in the job. Deputy company secretary Joy Baldry has replaced Forbes in her role as group company secretary but the coach operator has yet to provide details on who will fill its top legal position.
madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk
