Four Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) partners have decamped to Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) – including aviation specialist Rex Rosales – while lateral hires in the City and abroad continue.
The four-partner hire for HSF sees two moves to London and Singapore respectively. WFW’s aviation sector head Rosales will be joined by asset finance group specialist Jahnavi Ramachandran in London, while finance expert Siva Subramaniam and aviation partner Samuel Kolehmainen leave WFW to join HSF’s Singapore office.
In a statement, HSF global head of finance, real estates and projects Jason Ricketts said: ‘With unprecedented investment levels in aviation and other transport, infrastructure and projects across the globe, strengthening our asset finance practice makes good business sense’.
Meanwhile Hogan Lovells has launched a trade practice in London with a partner hire from Squire Patton Boggs. Aline Doussin will be the firm’s first dedicated trade partner in the City. She had been a partner at Squire Patton Boggs since 2014.
Global head of Hogan Lovells government regulatory practice Alice Valder said: ‘Hiring additional experienced trade partners in Europe has been a strategic priority for us.’.’
Elsewhere in the City, Stephenson Harwood has hired Catriona Berman to the firm’s real estate group. Berman joins from Goodwin Procter, which she joined in 2015.
Arnold & Porter also strengthened in London, with the hire of Jane Wessel from Crowell & Moring. Wessel holds experience in competition damages litigation and will enhance Arnold & Porter’s antitrust litigation practice.
John Schmidt, who leads Arnold & Porter’s London competition team, said: ‘Jane brings broad experience to our firm, enhancing our existing multijurisdictional and multilingual London team, and further bolstering our ability to serve clients globally’.
International hires last week included the arrivals of Jacques-Philippe Gunther and Adrien Giraud at Latham & Watkins in Paris and Brussels from Willkie Farr & Gallagher as the firm strengthened its antitrust practice on the continent.
Gunther brings experience advising clients on complex disputes before the European and French competition authorities, the European Court of Justice and the French courts. Giraud has experience practising in New York, Paris and Brussels, advising on an array of competition matters.
In Spain, Pinsent Masons further expanded with the appointment of public law specialist Pablo Dorronsoro. Joining from Baker Mackenzie, where he spearheaded the public law and infrastructure department, Dorronsoro will head up Pinsents public law office in Madrid.
Further afield, the standout hire in the US was Kirkland & Ellis bringing over experienced litigation partner Sandra Goldstein to its New York office from Cravath, Swaine & Moore.
DAC Beachcroft has also appointed a partner to its disputes group. Pedro Claros will co-head the department’s international arbitration practicee and joins from leading Spanish independent Cuatrecasas. DAC completed two senior partner hires in the same week, also adding Graeme Bell from the London office of Irish heavyweight Mason Hayes & Curran.
In the Asia Pacific, Clyde & Co appointed insurance and cybersecurity practitioner John Moran to its Sydney office. Moran joins from Norton Rose Fulbright, and his addition will deepen Clyde & Co’s insurance footprint in Australia.
Clyde & Co senior partner, Simon Konsta said: ‘John has a standout reputation in the insurance industry and a practice that runs across the core of our insurance business in Australia.’
thomas.alan@legalbusiness.co.uk