Global 100 heavyweights Ropes & Gray and Clifford Chance announced key lateral hires last week, while White & Case saw the head of its Polish disputes practice leave the firm.
Boston-based Ropes & Gray expanded its global antitrust practice with the addition of Ruchit Patel. Joining from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton’s highly rated competition team, Patel will be the first antitrust partner in Ropes’ City office and continues the push by the London practice to broaden its offering, following the hire of its first London disputes specialist Thomas Ross from K&L Gates in April.
In France, Clifford Chance has improved its real estate practice team with the recruitment of King & Spalding partner Alexandre Couturier. With more than ten years’ experience in real estate, Couturier has particular expertise in the formation of real estate investment funds. He joins as a partner to the firm’s Paris office.
In Warsaw, White & Case was dealt a blow as its head of litigation and arbitration Paweł Pietkiewicz is leaving to join Greenberg Traurig. He will join as head of the 10-lawyer strong litigation and arbitration team as it splits from the banking and finance team.
The senior partner of Greenberg Traurig’s Warsaw office Lejb Fogelman said the recent successes of the firm’s banking and financial practices led to the decision to separate the leadership of the banking and finance practice from that of the litigation and arbitration practice. Former co-head of litigation and arbitration Andrzej Wysokiński will continue to develop the banking and finance practice.
Meanwhile at the Bar, 39 Essex Chambers has announced public law specialist Adam Fullwood will join the set. With more than 20 years’ experience, Fullwood joins from Kings Chambers. 39 Essex Chambers chief executive David Barnes said Fullwood had an ‘outstanding reputation’ in the public law arena and would be an excellent addition to its thriving team.
On the regulatory side, The Legal Services Board has appointed Ofcom director of investigations Neil Buckley as chief executive. Buckley replaces Richard Moriarty who departs in February 2016 to join the Civil Aviation Authority as deputy chief executive and group director for consumers and markets.
victoria.young@legalease.co.uk
