Fieldfisher has hired Janita Good as its new head of life sciences. She joins from Osborne Clarke where she spent 14 years, becoming head of its life sciences and healthcare group.
Good regularly advises clients in the life sciences and healthcare industries on M&A transactions, ventures investments, joint ventures, disputes and regulatory proceedings as well as intellectual property.
Managing partner Michael Chissick told Legal Business: ‘Janita is without a doubt a life sciences expert. She studied biochemistry, so she has the technical background as well as an excellent commercial lawyer. She’s a very good fit and has a very big personality, lots of energy and lots of enthusiasm. We’re looking to have someone that could grow and lead.’
Good replaces former co-head, Alison Dennis, whose departure was announced in August. Dennis will carry out her notice at Fieldfisher until she joins Taylor Wessing on 1 May.
Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, meanwhile, added James Barrett to its litigation and international arbitration practice in London. Barrett joins from Squire Patton Boggs where he was a partner. He has over 15 years’ experience advising on international commercial arbitration, public international law and investment arbitration.
The US firm also added John Satory to its capital markets practice in London. Satory comes from Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison where he was counsel and is experienced in advising on cross-border capital markets offerings for both issuers and underwriters.
Fried Frank London office managing partner Mark Mifsud told Legal Business: ‘James and John are both in key areas of the firm. Last year we hired Ashar Qureshi from Freshfields, head of EMEA global transactions and also a capital markets partner, who we really needed to provide with additional support – they’re working on a number of IPOs as we speak.’
Elsewhere, Weightmans recruited restructuring and insolvency partner Charles Boyne from Shepherd and Wedderburn to its London office. Boyne has experience in disputes relating to finance and insolvency and represents financial institutions, corporate clients and insolvency practitioners
Weightmans restructuring and insolvency partner Natasha Atkinson commented: ‘Charles is a highly-respected leader in his field. He is dynamic, intuitive and incredibly experienced, and we are delighted that he has joined us to help with our bold plan for further growth.’
Finally, in New York Ashurst has hired partner Matthew Tague to its project finance team. He joins from JPMorgan Chase, where he was an executive director and assistant general counsel and advised the public finance group in the investment bank. Tague has represented underwriters on municipal bond issues for over 15 years.
Global head of project finance Andrew Fraiser said: ‘We intend to establish ourselves as the world’s leading law firm in the infrastructure market and so providing full-service capability to infrastructure clients in the US is a strategic priority for us. Public finance remains a cornerstone of the US infrastructure market, and so Matt’s skill set is very relevant to our business.’
muna.abdi@legalease.co.uk
