Revolving Doors: Key transactional and antitrust hires for Bakers, Bird & Bird, K&L Gates, Trowers, Reed Smith and Mayer Brown

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With transactional activity on the rise international firms including Bird & Bird, K&L Gates, Trowers & Hamlins and Reed Smith have bolstered their European corporate and banking capability, while Baker & McKenzie and Mayer Brown have made appointments in the buoyant pharmaceutical and antitrust sectors respectively.

In London, Bakers on Monday (3 February) announced the hire of highly rated pharmaceutical lawyer Julian Thurston, a former partner and consultant at Morrison & Foerster, who joins the firm’s 450-lawyer global pharmaceutical and healthcare industry group as a consultant. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Key transactional and antitrust hires for Bakers, Bird & Bird, K&L Gates, Trowers, Reed Smith and Mayer Brown”

‘Go on, have a go’ – TLT partner joins DWF drawn by ‘huge number of opportunities’

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The momentum and energy surrounding DWF’s rapid growth has been credited for its latest hire, TLT corporate partner Richard Tall, who arrived in the London office this month with two associates, bringing the top 30 firm’s national corporate practice to 31 partners.

Acting for bidders, targets and financial advisers including major listed companies, Tall (pictured), who joins with solicitors Joe Cobley and Caroline Urban, has experience in schemes of arrangement and rule 9 dispensations under the Takeover Code, as well as securities offers from unlisted bond issues to the Official List. Continue reading “‘Go on, have a go’ – TLT partner joins DWF drawn by ‘huge number of opportunities’”

Growth in Germany for HSF as it launches disputes practice in Frankfurt

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Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) today (3 February) took a further step towards building up its German capability following the collapse of its alliance with Gleiss Lutz and Benelux firm Stibbe with the hire of former Baker & McKenzie partner Mathias Wittinghofer to launch its disputes practice in Frankfurt.

A specialist in banking and finance disputes, as well as post-merger and acquisition disputes, Wittinghofer will become part of HSF’s global banking litigation and investigations practice. The dual German and English-qualified attorney’s client base includes banks, private equity firms and major corporations. Continue reading “Growth in Germany for HSF as it launches disputes practice in Frankfurt”

You’re hired: Irwin Mitchell’s head of regulatory investigations joins Morgan Lewis

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Morgan Lewis has boosted its London white collar crime capability with the hire of Irwin Mitchell’s head of regulatory and criminal investigations practice Kevin Robinson, in a move said to be part of the ‘ongoing transformation’ of its London office.

Robinson, who has over 40 years of experience in advising clients on investigations by regulators into commercial activity and defending prosecutions which arise from those investigations, joins the global top 20 US firm’s London litigation department. Continue reading “You’re hired: Irwin Mitchell’s head of regulatory investigations joins Morgan Lewis”

Clyde & Co loses 15-strong US litigation team to LeClairRyan

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Latest exits add to departures of two partners from City headquarters

The expiry of Clyde & Co’s three-year post-merger partner lock-in appeared to pass almost unnoticed last April, but the UK top-20 firm has lost two London partners in recent months as its established US practice was hit in January with a 15-strong team walk out, which included three litigation partners.

London commercial partner Alan Meneghetti, who joined the firm five years ago as a legal director and became an aviation partner in 2010, left the firm on 31 December 2013 for Locke Lord’s corporate practice in London. Meneghetti’s experience within the aviation and aerospace sector includes handling regulatory issues surrounding procurement, data protection and privacy, intellectual property, information technology and the drafting and negotiating of commercial agreements.

Continue reading “Clyde & Co loses 15-strong US litigation team to LeClairRyan”

Revolving doors – Weil, Latham, Freshfields and Dentons among the firms opening 2014 with senior recruits

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Increasing confidence in the transactional market has contributed to a rash of senior partner moves at the start of 2014, with the UK’s leading firms bolstering both their London and international practices.

In the City, upwardly mobile US practices continued to boost their capability with Weil, Gotshal & Manges hiring Hogan Lovells banking and finance partner Chris McLaughlin, who has extensive experience of cross-border private equity buyouts and European real estate acquisitions and restructuring. His hire came a week after Latham & Watkins hired Weil Gotshal funds partner Nick Benson, its fifth City hire within the past 12 months.

Continue reading “Revolving doors – Weil, Latham, Freshfields and Dentons among the firms opening 2014 with senior recruits”

Senior hires: KPMG appoints DLA partner as Manchester legal head as A&O and NRF lose partners to HogLove and Vedder Price

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As KPMG looks to expand its legal services practice the Big Four accountant has hired DLA Piper corporate partner Nick Roome to head its legal services arm in Manchester in what it says is the first of a series of hires planned over the course of this year.

Roome, who has broad corporate, private equity and commercial legal expertise with a focus on the north of England and international markets, qualified with Addleshaws in 2000 before moving to DLA Piper’s Manchester office in 2005. He will start his new role in the late Spring. Continue reading “Senior hires: KPMG appoints DLA partner as Manchester legal head as A&O and NRF lose partners to HogLove and Vedder Price”

Offshore: Mourant Ozannes opts for experience with hire of former Farrer private client head

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Global offshore firm Mourant Ozannes has made a significant hire to its City office, recruiting Farrer & Co’s former head of private client, Jim Edmondson. He will lead the firm’s international trusts and private client practice from 1 September when current head Douglas Close steps down.

Edmondson, who was head of Farrer’s client practice and joint senior partner until May 2013 and has been acting as a consultant since then, will officially join Mourant Ozannes in May this year.

Acknowledged as a ‘leading individual’ for personal tax, trusts and probate in The Legal 500, Edmondson acts as a solicitor to the trustees of a substantial London estate and is an experienced speaker at conferences in the Channel Islands and Caribbean on corporate and trust-related themes.

Continue reading “Offshore: Mourant Ozannes opts for experience with hire of former Farrer private client head”

Further finance exit for BLP as Marcus Jamson joins Wedlake Bell

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Berwin Leighton Paisner’s (BLP’s) depleted finance department has seen a further partner exit after acquisition finance partner Marcus Jamson this month joined top LB100 UK firm Wedlake Bell.

The Slaughter and May-trained lawyer specialises in domestic and international corporate lending and has over 20 years of experience acting for clearing banks, financial institutions, investment banks and private equity sponsors on financings and debt restructurings. Continue reading “Further finance exit for BLP as Marcus Jamson joins Wedlake Bell”

Taylor Wessing loses former insurance head to Edwards Wildman in second US raid

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In the second US foray into Taylor Wessing’s partner pool this month, the top 20 firm has lost its former head of international insurance & reinsurance James Crabtree, who joins Amlaw 100 firm Edwards Wildman’s London office as a partner.

The insurance disputes lawyer joins Wildman’s 15-strong insurance team in the City. Prior to joining Taylor Wessing almost eight years ago, Crabtree served as head of insurance and reinsurance disputes at Pinsent Masons, and was also previously a partner at Stephenson Harwood. Continue reading “Taylor Wessing loses former insurance head to Edwards Wildman in second US raid”