US partner acquisitions have dominated this week’s recruitment round-up, as Cooley launched a new Chicago office off the back of an emphatic nine-partner team hire.
Corporate partner Yvan-Claude Pierre, who will split his time between Chicago and New York, is the sole Cooley presence among the ten-strong launch team, with the other nine partners all arriving from DLA Piper, Latham & Watkins and Winston & Strawn.
Joining from Winston & Strawn are venture capital partner Rick Ginsberg, capital markets partners Christina Roupas and Courtney Tygesson, fund formation partner Zach Robert, and compensation and benefits partner Nyron Persaud.
Venture capital partner Laurie Bauer is the only arrival from Latham & Watkins, while fellow venture capital partner Greg Grossman, M&A partner Erin Kirchner and employment partner Ryan Vann all arrive from DLA Piper.
On opening the firm’s 17th global office, Joe Conroy, Cooley chair and chief executive, said: ‘Chicago and Cooley align perfectly. As the financial and innovation hub of the Midwest and home to many of our game-changing clients, including high-growth, disruptive companies, venture capitalists fuelling the market and established Fortune 500 companies, we look forward to opening an office in a city and region where we have loved to work for decades.’
In New York, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has given its life sciences practice a major boost by hiring partner Adam Golden from Hogan Lovells. Golden, previously head of Hogan Lovells’ New York corporate team, primarily advises pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies and investors on a range of corporate deals.
Among Golden’s major work highlights, he assisted Swiss multinational pharma company Novartis on its $8.7bn buyout of biotechnology firm AveXis. Jennifer Bethlehem, global head of Freshfields’ healthcare team, commented: ‘His work lies at the heart of what life sciences companies are doing every day to advance their business strategies, making him a valuable resource for our clients and an important member of our team.’
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan has made a double hire in Washington DC as bankruptcy and restructuring litigation partners Erika Morabito and Brittany Nelson joined from Foley & Lardner. Combined, Morabito and Nelson offer 40 years’ experience representing a range of clients in some of the country’s most high-profile bankruptcy cases, including matters involving Toys R Us, Sears and Samuel Jewelers.
Firm founder John Quinn hailed their arrivals: ‘Our bankruptcy practice has an impressive roster of talent. The addition of Erika and Brittany makes the group even stronger. Their diverse experiences and stellar reputations will help us continue our success nationally.’
In the UK, Keystone Law has continued to attract partners from a host of firms, announcing a bumper round of ten partner-level hires. The group comprises: dispute resolution partner Louise Bennett from Howard Kennedy, commercial partner Siobhan Moore from Locke Lord, construction and projects partner Louise Elmes from Trowers & Hamlins, banking and finance partner Alper Deniz and corporate partner David Egan both from Greenwoods GRM, tax partner Andrew Terry from Edwin Coe, employment partner Keely Rushmore from SA Law, probate and estate planning partner Tracey Poole from Portrait Solicitors and finally commercial property partners Peter Clegg and Adam Perry from Square One Law and Adam Perry & Co respectively.
Chief executive James Knight said: ‘Having experienced many positive aspects of remote working, many lawyers are now looking to benefit from true flexibility, the sort that can only be found at Keystone. As such, we expect to be welcoming more joiners of a similar calibre in the near future.’
In London, EY has pulled off a significant hire in the form of ex-Dechert financial regulation partner Monica Gogna. In her new role, Gogna will act as head of EY Law’s UK financial regulation practice. She said: ‘I very much look forward to working with EY Law’s managed legal services team and its globally recognised regulatory consulting practice to assist and offer clients something different at this unique pivot point, as the financial services industry looks to the future, past the pandemic and Brexit, with increasing focus on issues such as sustainability and technology.’
McDermott Will & Emery has responded to ‘a surge in demand for sophisticated, international dispute resolution advice’ by appointing partner Michael Darowski from Gowling WLG. Darowski is a seasoned international arbitration lawyer and has advised clients in sectors spanning energy, food and beverage, financial services, and telecoms.
In a major move for the energy sector, Burness Paul has hired partner Bob Ruddiman, formerly head of the oil and gas group at Pinsent Masons. In his new role Ruddiman will oversee the growth of Burness Paull’s renewables and oil and gas practices. The firm hopes the move will ensure it is perfectly placed to support clients on the rapidly-evolving environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda.
Peter Lawson, chair of Burness Paull, said: ‘Bringing a lawyer of Bob’s stature to the firm is a real coup. He will build on our considerable strength in the energy sector and his reputation as an industry leader is well-recognised and justified given his knowledge and network.’