US players dominated the City recruitment drive last week as White & Case appointed a partner to its global tax practice, McDermott Will & Emery hired another Hogan Lovells partner and DLA Piper’s UK tax head rejoined Greenberg Traurig.
White & Case added Sidley Austin partner Will Smith to its global tax practice in London. Smith advises on international and UK tax matters particularly on tax aspects of cross-border investments, the setting-up of acquisitions, financing structures, real estate deals, M&A transactions and group reorganisations.
Partner and member of White & Case’s global executive committee Oliver Brettle (pictured) told Legal Business: ‘We wanted to add addition strength to our existing tax team. We thought Will had the general tax expertise and so he would fit into our ongoing demand for tax advice but he also has a particular strength in the tax issues surrounding funds and investment funds.
‘We had a very busy final quarter last year in London and globally and it’s been the busiest January we’ve had. Things are going pretty well and it’s been active across the board,’ added Brettle.
Meanwhile, McDermott appointed corporate partner Fergus Gallagher to its London office from Hogan Lovells where he had been a senior associate. Gallagher advises on domestic and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, equity capital raisings, corporate restructurings and corporate governance.
McDermott last hired from Hogan Lovells in October when Tom Whelan joined the private equity team.
Elsewhere, Greenberg rehired real estate tax partner Clive Jones who left the firm for DLA in October 2018 a year after joining.
Jones, most recently DLA’s UK tax head, has over 25 years’ experience advising on UK and international transactions on direct and indirect tax and structuring in the real estate and financial services sectors with clients including UK and overseas asset managers, financial institutions, property managers and developers.
Greenberg has been making noteworthy hires recently, last week recruiting Mishcon de Reya disputes duo, partners Mohammed Khamisa QC and Masoud Zabeti.
Norton Rose Fulbright added Alison Goldthorp to its bankruptcy, financial restructuring and insolvency team in London from Addleshaw Goodard. Goldthorp has over 30 years’ experience advising insolvency practitioners, financial institutions, directors, corporates and turnaround professionals on restructuring, formal insolvency appointments and managed exits.
Norton Rose’s EMEA head of banking and finance, Chris Brown, commented: ‘Businesses in the UK and beyond are facing uncertainty from both Brexit-related and other factors, and with signs pointing to an economic downturn there is likely to be an increased need for debt restructuring and insolvency expertise.’
Elsewhere, Hebert Smith Freehills lost litigation partner Kirsten Massey in London to New Zealand-based Russell McVeagh. Massey spent 15 years in London, working on cases in the commercial court of England and Wales and has experience in general commercial litigation including banking and financial services and professional negligence.
Russell McVeagh board chair Malcolm Crotty said: ‘With specialist knowledge in commercial litigation, class actions, and professional negligence disputes, Kirsten’s international experience will provide our clients with further expertise in sectors such as banking and finance and professional services.’
Finally, McDermott also hired financial regulatory partner Andrea Stockhorst in Frankfurt. Stockhorst joined from Linklaters where she was a managing associate. Stockhorst advises national and foreign investment companies, banks and financial services institutions on German banking supervisory and investment law.
