Last week saw Global 100 firms building their presence in Europe, with White & Case bolstering its private equity (PE) practice and Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton expanding its competition offering in Brussels. Meanwhile Hill Dickinson hired two partners for its Asia offering including Captain Joe Quain and K&L Gates benefitted from Dentons’ Singapore office closure.
Having hired nine partners into its PE practice since the start of 2014, White & Case expanded its footprint in Europe with the addition of partner Johan Steen in Stockholm. Steen joins from Nordic firm Vinge, where he advised both Nordic and international sponsors on M&A, fund raising and financial restructuring. He has also worked as associate general counsel at Altor Equity Partners – a Scandinavian private equity firm.
White & Case partner Richard Youle, co-head of the firm’s EMEA PE group said: ‘Johan is an entrepreneurial lawyer with a rounded practice as a proven advisor to private equity clients and to clients on restructurings, distressed investment situations and complex investment structures. His arrival is another important strategic step in the ongoing growth of the firm’s EMEA private equity practice.’
Also in Europe, Cleary recruited Bernd Langeheine, former deputy director-general for mergers at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition to its Brussels and Cologne offices. Joining as a senior consultant, Langeheine will help bolster the firm’s European competition practice having long served at the commission, first in its legal service then as head of trade in Washington and director for telecoms policy between 2002 and 2011.
Meanwhile Hill Dickinson made two appointments in Asia with Bryan O’Hare joining as a disputes partner in the Hong Kong office, having been senior counsel with Hogan Lovells in the city, and solicitor and master mariner Quain who joins in Singapore.
Quain’s arrival brings the total number of master mariners at Hill Dickinson to six. Tony Goldsmith, partner and master mariner who heads the Singapore office, commented: ‘As a solicitor and master mariner of 20 years experience, Joe’s expertise in all aspects of admiralty work can only strengthen our existing commitment to provide our clients with the highest standard of legal advice.’
K&L Gates also added to its ranks in Singapore by hiring banking and asset finance partner Markus Blenntoft from Dentons. Blenntoft joins from the Dentons UKMEA member of the Verein firm and brings experience covering Islamic finance and outbound work for Indian banks.
The move comes as Dentons closes down its legacy Singapore offering ahead of its merger with Dacheng which will see the Singapore market be serviced by the Dacheng Wong Alliance – a joint venture between Dacheng and Singapore firm Wong Alliance.
michael.west@legalease.co.uk