In a brisk week for lateral hires, Global 100 firms have looked in-house to boost their senior ranks while private practice partners have gone the other way.
Hogan Lovells has boosted its London construction and engineering disputes practice, bringing in Angus Rankin as a partner from Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe (MHPSE).
Rankin is reunited with Hogan Lovells, having originally qualified into its arbitration and construction disputes team and working there until 2010. At MHPSE, Rankin acted as head of the company’s legal function, in addition to being company secretary.
Hogan Lovells’ head of litigation and arbitration Michael Davison told Legal Business: ‘He’s been in-house at Mitsubishi which is an important client of the firm. We hope his experience there will help us grow in Japan. Having someone who has the client insight gives us the edge.’
Speaking to Legal Business Rankin commented: ‘The construction and engineering disputes team is first-rate, and always delivered the goods when I was sitting in the client seat. As I now return to private practice, I hope to bring with me what I learned as in-house counsel, and further enhance the team’s existing strengths in the power projects arena.’
In Asia, White & Case has also made an in-house hire, appointing Hyundai Heavy Industries’ general counsel and executive vice president Jun Hee Kim as a partner. Kim, who will join White & Case’s Seoul office, specialises in international arbitration and has experience practising across Asia, Europe, Latin America and North America.
White & Case’s global arbitration head Paul Friedland said: ‘Korea is a growing market in international arbitration, and this move solidifies our position as the world’s top arbitration practice.’
The firm has also strengthened in the Middle East, re-hiring capital markets partner Sami Al-Louzi who had previously worked at White & Case in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi between 2002 and 2010. Al-Louzi, who joins from Latham & Watkins, will split his time between the firm’s Dubai and Riyadh offices.
In terms of those going in-house, Baker McKenzie’s long-serving capital markets head Edward Bibko has joined Jeffries Bank after stepping down in June. Bibko, who joined Baker McKenzie in 2000 from Kirkland & Ellis, will act as Jeffries Bank’s EMEA head of investment banks, legal.
Baker McKenzie confirmed that London-based partner Adam Farlow has taken up Bibko’s position as head of the firm’s EMEA capital markets group.
In a similar senior move, Norton Rose Fulbright’s global antitrust and competition head Martin Coleman has left to join the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) as a non-executive director. The Norton Rose veteran had spent 28 years at the firm after initially joining in 1989.
Elsewhere in London, Osborne Clarke has secured an experienced private equity hand by bringing in Tim Hewens from Squire Patton Boggs. Hewens previously acted as Squire’s head of private equity.
Mark Spinner, a senior private equity partner in Osborne Clarke’s London office said: ‘His client base and style of doing deals will combine very well with Osborne Clarke’s existing practice.’
Also in the City, construction partner Stuart Wilson has joined Clarke Willmott from Trowers & Hamlins. Wilson, who had been with Trowers since 2005, has over ten years’ experience advising clients on a broad range of residential and commercial projects.
