Eversheds Sutherland has had a busy week, strengthening both its regulatory and energy and infrastructure finance practices with two senior hires.
Nicola Williams has re-joined Eversheds, after a decade long stretch at Welsh Water Legal, where she was the legal compliance director and company secretary. She has joined as a partner in the firm’s litigation and dispute management practice.
Speaking to Legal Business, Williams said: ‘After 10 years building relationships with one amazing client and learning about the water sector, I was keen to spread my wings a little and to return to private practice to work in the utilities sector more generally.’
She added: ‘Having worked in-house should enable me to bring some practical perspectives to how I advise clients and colleagues alike. It brings you into close contact with operational colleagues at all levels of the business and in all areas – right down to pulling your boots on and going out on site – and this can certainly help with understanding practical challenges and implications.’
Williams is joined by the arrival of finance lawyer, David Wyles. Wyles moves to Eversheds from Herbert Smith Freehills, where he was a partner and infrastructure M&A lead. He will join the global co-head of energy and infrastructure finance, Alex Carver, in building out its energy & infrastructure M&A finance capability.
Commenting on market trends in infrastructure, Wyles told Legal Business: ‘There has been a little bit of hesitancy in the market, that uncertainty is beginning to unravel. We are seeing a little bit of pent-up pressure as investors come back to market. What infrastructure illustrated during the pandemic is that it is a resilient investment class. Infrastructure assets have weathered the storm.’ He cited ESG investment in energy transition assets and tech assets such as fibre and interconnectors as key areas.
Elsewhere, Kingsley Napley has launched a restructuring and insolvency practice, appointing Daniel Sejas as its head. Sejas was previously national chairman of restructuring & insolvency at HCR Sprecher Grier.
Sejas will be supported by a team of his former colleagues, including Nicholas Hughes, who joins Kingsley Napley as a partner, and Marieta van Straaten, who will join as legal director. The team will work alongside the firm’s existing insolvency specialists, as part of the new practice.
Squire Patton Boggs has bolstered its funds practice, appointing Rob Eke as a partner. Eke moves from MJ Hudson and specialises in fund formation and investor representation. He told Legal Business that he was attracted by the ‘deep pool of talent, market leading private equity team and commitment to other important issues, such as raising the bar on social mobility.’
Speaking to Legal Business, Steven Ward, partner and leader of the funds team in London, said: ‘I’ve looked at a number of people and never quite found the right cultural fit. I’m quite protective of culture, I’ve been trying to get [Rob] for a long time.’
Elsewhere, finance and restructuring lawyer Greg Campbell has joined O’Melveny from Gibson Dunn. Campbell will strengthen the firm’s corporate finance practice group in London. He advises public and private companies, banks and private equity and credit funds on leveraged finance, cross-border acquisitions, real estate finance, restructuring, and distressed and special-situations transactions. He works across the technology, real estate, health care, aerospace, financial services, REITS and infrastructure sectors.
In other moves, Hogan Lovells has announced the appointment of Alastair Young as a corporate energy partner in the firm’s London corporate & finance practice and natural resources group. Young moves from Bracewell, where he was a partner for a decade and co-chaired its oil and gas practice group. He has experience in UK and international upstream oil and gas and advises on energy transition matters.
In the Middle East, Clyde & Co has hired financial lines insurance specialist Olivia Darlington as a partner in its global insurance practice. Darlington joins from Simmons & Simmons, where she was previously head of insurance for the Middle East & Africa and of counsel for the firm’s dispute resolution- insurance & construction group.
