Linklaters has lured three lawyers from US firm Vinson & Elkins to its leveraged finance practice in its home market, London. V&E’s former City head of finance and M&A Noel Hughes has joined, alongside fellow partner Giacomo Reali and Christianne Williams, who was counsel at V&E.
Hughes focuses on advising on high-yield bonds and leveraged buyouts across a broad range of industries, both in the European and US markets while Reali, who speaks six languages, advises on high-yield debt transactions, bridge financings and preferred equity investments with a particular focus on the Italian market.
Meanwhile, Cooley has strengthened its antitrust and competition practice on both sides of the Atlantic. In London, Caroline Hobson, who is ranked by The Legal 500 as a leading individual, joins from CMS bringing a broad practice covering merger control as well as compliance advice and investigations. She will also be assisting Cooley clients with other regulatory issues.
‘It won’t just be competition that I will be assisting clients with,’ said Hobson. ‘Now we have the National Security and Investment Act in the UK and similar regimes in other jurisdictions, clients need support in making FDI filings, which has become a key regulatory issue, alongside merger control, in corporate transactions.’
Her hire follows the arrival of Ethan Glass from Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan in Washington. Glass’ experience includes advising on government investigations, civil and criminal litigation and agency proceedings.
‘Ethan brings a proven track record as a first-chair advocate in high-stakes matters, and his arrival to Cooley reflects our strategic investment in building out our antitrust litigation and enforcement capability for our clients facing the emerging threat of competition‐related investigations and litigation, as well as merger challenges opposite the FTC and DOJ’ said Michael Attanasio, chair of Cooley’s global litigation department.
Elsewhere, Cleary Gottlieb has made a dual hire from Linklaters . Antitrust expert Isabel Rooms is a rare lateral hire to the firm’s Brussels office. She has experience advising a range of clients on EU and Belgium competition law having worked in London, New York and Brussels. And in New York, new addition Matthew Brigham adds international and domestic tax matters and has expertise in complex capital markets, financing and liability management transactions.
In Milan, Withers has continued its string of international hires with the addition of IP expert Carlo Alberto Demichelis from Baker McKenzie, who focuses on the luxury brands sector.
