Fieldfisher has made a major addition to its London corporate team while DWF, Watson Farley & Williams, O’Melveny & Myers and Linklaters have all made key hires around the globe.
Arriving from Hogan Lovells, Fieldfisher has appointed Keith Woodhouse as a partner in its London office. Woodhouse has experience in advising private equity houses on investments, M&A, disposals and restructurings.
Despite operating out of London, Woodhouse has a particular focus on African markets. Woodhouse said he would ‘expand the firm’s growing African practice’ by leveraging his ten years’ experience on the continent.
In Europe, Watson Farley made a significant play by bringing in Mario D’Ovidio as a partner in the firm’s Milan office.
D’Ovidio joins Watson Farley’s banking and finance practice from DLA Piper, and brings experience of advising financial institutions on asset-based financings in the real estate, transportation and sports sectors.
Watson Farley’s Italy head Eugenio Tranchino commented: ‘Mario’s joining us represents a significant addition to our highly talented Italian banking & finance team. His wide-ranging experience and expertise further enhance our client offering at a time of increasing demand.’
Elsewhere in the world, DWF has hired K&L arbitration partner Rabih Tabbara in its Dubai office. He has extensive experience advising clients in their disputes in the oil and gas sector, especially feedstock supply agreements, crude oil pricing and refinery operations. He regularly represents clients in arbitration proceedings at the International Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Center (ICC), the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), and the Lebanese Arbitration Center of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Beirut.
In the US, Linklaters has hired disputes partner Doug Davison to its Washington DC office. Davison, who joins from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr, is a white-collar crime partner who advises clients on investigations involving US agencies such as the Department of Justice and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.
Linklaters’ global head of dispute resolution Michael Bennett said: ‘Linklaters is ideally positioned to handle complex cross-border investigations by US and international regulators because of our integrated network of offices and practices around the world. His experience will allow us to continue to deliver high-quality complex advice to our clients.’
Finally, O’Melveny has hired Philip Monaghan as a partner in the firm’s Hong Kong antitrust and competition practice.
Monaghan previously served as the executive director of the Hong Kong Competition Commission (HKCC), playing an integral role in forming HKCC’s guidelines and policies. Monaghan is also an English and Hong Kong-qualified lawyer with 15 years’ experience in all areas of competition law.
Ian Simmons, co-chair of O’Melveny’s antitrust practice, said: ‘With more aggressive prosecution of competition offences expected out of Asia, and Hong Kong specifically, Philip’s extensive experience in this area will help our clients avoid potential antitrust pitfalls when doing cross-border business in Asia.’