Former Kirkland & Ellis de facto London head Graham White has experience in building City practices and almost a year after being recruited by Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson to revive its London offering, the outpost has seen some credible arrivals. But as two more partners officially join in September, White is planning more recruits and a move to larger offices.
White, who joined in October 2014, was tasked to build out three main practice areas – finance, private equity and funds – and then support the expansion of M&A, followed by real estate and restructuring.
As such, the firm is now looking to kickstart its City corporate offering with more lateral hires, having already recruited six partners in London so far this year. The new recruits have so far been focused around private equity, funds and banking. Kirkland’s high-profile funds trio Mark Mifsud, Kate Downey and Alexandra Conroy all quit to rejoin White in May, while O’Melveny & Myers private equity partner Daniel Oates joined early this year.
Both former King & Wood Mallesons financial markets partner Gregg Beechey and ex-Hogan Lovells finance partner Stuart Brinkworth officially started their new roles at Fried Frank this month, with Brinkworth leading the firm’s London finance team with an aim to build the office’s debt fund relationships.
Brinkworth, who brought with him two Hogan Lovells associates, told Legal Business his first goal will be to boost the firm’s bank-side, alternative lender and junior debt offering, after which he will focus on expanding in high yield and restructuring.
‘I was looking for a platform where I could establish a standalone team in London,’ he said. ‘Fried Frank has a leading leveraged and funds practice in the US that also acts for non-bank lenders and, while the London market is different to New York, we will be building on some of the New York relationships in London as well as developing the European client base.’
The firm boasts a list of key clients Stateside, including Goldman Sachs, where the firm’s current chair David Greenwald previously served as international general counsel.
It was Greenwald who, on joining Fried Frank in 2013, was tasked with re-aligning the firm’s core practice areas in a strategic change that was the impetus behind the firm’s downsizing in Asia earlier this year to focus on New York and London – something that isn’t finished yet, with a move to a more centrally-located 35,000 sq ft office indicating the firm’s commitment to the City. The relocation would nearly double its current size after the firm cut back its Shoreditch office last year following White’s arrival.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk