High profile lateral moves between some of the largest global law firms last week saw DLA Piper hire a four-strong real estate team from RPC in London led by Stephen Malley; Chadbourne & Parke strengthen its City project finance team with the hire of Shearman & Sterling partner Julien Bocobza; Dentons bring in Clifford Chance (CC) partner Perry Zizzi to head its banking & finance group in Bucharest; with further international hires for Osborne Clarke, Simmons & Simmons and Winston & Strawn.
In the City, DLA’s hire of non-contentious construction & projects head Stephen Malley and his team is part of the top 10 Global 100 firm’s strategic effort to boost its real estate offering. Property heavyweight Malley is acknowledged as ‘responsive, and an incredible networker’ by The Legal 500.
Senior associates Jonathan Northey, Peter Lowe and Gareth Williams join the real estate team. Northey, who is also recommended by The Legal 500 joins DLA Piper as a partner.
The hires follow the arrival this year of Berwin Leighton Paisner trio, real estate finance head Laurence Rogers, corporate tax partner Neville Wright and real estate partner Richard Hopkinson-Woolley.
The 3,962-lawyer firm’s UK real estate group head, Ian Brierley, said: ‘Stephen and Jonathan are very impressive individuals. We are delighted to welcome them to DLA Piper where they will strengthen our real estate expertise even further.’
Also in the City, Chadbourne & Parke announced last week that the firm has strengthened its project finance team in London through the addition of international partner Bocobza. Bocobza joins Chadbourne from the project development and finance group of Shearman & Sterling, where he had a particular focus on renewable energy and thermal power. He is the seventh lawyer to join Chadbourne’s London office in the last year.
‘We continue to seek opportunities to add to our project finance capabilities around the world, and Julien brings his deep experience acting for project sponsors and lenders across Africa, the Middle East and Turkey,’ said Adrian Mecz, managing partner of the London office. ‘He fits well with our team and will play an important role in growing our practice throughout the region.’
Bocobza has advised sponsors, financiers and government agencies on energy and infrastructure projects in a broad range of industries, including the mining, transportation, water and telecommunications industries.
In Europe, Dentons’ hire of Clifford Chance (CC) partner Perry Zizzi to head its banking & finance group in Bucharest, meanwhile, comes almost seven years after the M&A corporate specialist left legacy Salans, which merged with SNR Denton in March 2013.
With nearly 19 years of experience practising law in the US, Latin America, Western Europe and the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe, Zizzi advises on numerous real estate development, financing, acquisition and leasing transactions.
Bucharest managing partner, Anda Todor, said: ‘[Perry’s] return marks yet another step in Dentons Bucharest’s growth strategy, which saw the arrival of a new competition team in April. Perry’s previous experience with the firm and his strong reputation for legal excellence make him a great fit with our existing practice and a valuable addition to the team.’
Also on the Continent, Osborne Clarke hired Baker & McKenzie commercial partner Carsten Dau, who specialises in distribution law and commercial competition, into its Hamburg office, which the top 35 UK firm announced it would be opening in October 2012.
Simon Beswick, CEO of Osborne Clarke said: ‘Following our expansion in Europe, we are keen to continue investing in our offices. Our latest hires bolster our commercial offering both locally and internationally.’
On the 2nd June 2014, Osborne Clarke opened in Amsterdam office with three ex-Baker & McKenzie Partners.
In Asia, meanwhile, DLA Piper saw Hong Kong-based partner duo Jolyon Ellwood-Russell and Giovanni Marino exit the firm for Simmons & Simmons and Winston & Strawn respectively. It’s the third hit to DLA’s Hong Kong office in recent weeks, following the exit of corporate partner Esther Leung to Chinese firm Jun He in June.
Sarah.downey@legalease.co.uk
