Paris walk out: Gide hires nine partner team from Morgan Lewis

The highly fluid Paris market has seen nine partners and ten associates walk out of Morgan Lewis & Bockius’ regional office to join Gide Loyrette Nouel, leaving the US firm with just three local partners.

Senior exits include Paris managing partner Anne Tolila and partner Jean Leygonie, who both left De Pardieu Brocas Maffei & Leygonie to launch Morgan Lewis’ Paris office in 2004.

Tax partner Christian Nouel, who only joined Morgan Lewis in September last year from Paris-based STC, having previously headed Latham & Watkins Paris tax practice, is among those leaving the firm.

Continue reading “Paris walk out: Gide hires nine partner team from Morgan Lewis”

Key real estate and construction hires for Macfarlanes, Taylor Wessing and Withers

Property and construction lawyers are taking advantage of being back in vogue with a number of high profile moves in the sector this week including Ashurst partner Anthony Burnett-Scott’s move to Macfarlanes, Nabarro’s head of infrastructure Matthew Jones to Taylor Wessing and Wither’s hire of Fenwick Elliott real estate partner Julie Teal.

At Taylor Wessing, Jones will join the construction and engineering group, working closely with the firm’s real estate group, its planning, funds and tax teams and its banking group in relation to real estate acquisitions and development finance. Continue reading “Key real estate and construction hires for Macfarlanes, Taylor Wessing and Withers”

Acquisitive streak: DWF takes on a 50-strong team from Greenwoods

DWF has continued its highly acquisitive streak with the announcement today (11 October) that it has taken on an 11-partner, 50-strong team from LB100 insurance specialist firm Greenwoods.

A statement from Greenwoods said today: ‘Following its merger with Plexus Law in May 2013, Greenwoods has agreed the TUPE transfer of 11 partners and their teams. The transfer to DWF will take place on Monday 28 October.’

Continue reading “Acquisitive streak: DWF takes on a 50-strong team from Greenwoods”

Strategic hires: Field Fisher head of privacy to join Hogan Lovells but held to 19 month notice period

Hogan Lovells has moved to significantly boost its European privacy capability with the hire of Field Fisher Waterhouse group head Eduardo Ustaran as the departing lawyer is held to a 19 month notice period by his firm.

Having built and led Field Fisher’s first-tier privacy and information law group, heavyweight Ustaran will join 2527-lawyer Hogan Lovells’ global privacy and information practice to manage its European capability. Continue reading “Strategic hires: Field Fisher head of privacy to join Hogan Lovells but held to 19 month notice period”

Rising star: Latham hires Clifford Chance private equity partner Tom Evans

Latham & Watkins has secured another heavyweight hire in London with the announcement that Tom Evans, a newly made up partner in Clifford Chance’s (CC) private equity group, is joining the firm’s corporate department.

Evans, who has been tipped as a rising star in the private equity field, follows David Walker, former global head of private equity at CC, who left to join Latham in May. The 2033-lawyer US firm has also made a series of other high profile lateral hires this year, including Dean Naumowicz, former head of derivatives at Norton Rose Fulbright, and Simon Bushell, former co-chair of corporate fraud at Herbert Smith Freehills. Continue reading “Rising star: Latham hires Clifford Chance private equity partner Tom Evans”

US/UK hires: Mayer Brown boosts London securitisation team as Herbert Smith hires New York financial services litigator

Mayer Brown is boosting its English law securitisation capability with the hire of former Mayer Brown lawyer Richard Todd, who re-joins the firm from Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) alongside Allen & Overy banking associate David O’Connor.

Todd will work on domestic and international structured financings alongside former colleague and head of the banking and finance division Dominic Griffiths, as well as senior securitisation partner Kevin Hawken. Continue reading “US/UK hires: Mayer Brown boosts London securitisation team as Herbert Smith hires New York financial services litigator”

Going buy-side: Reed Smith’s global managing partner takes over from Hoyt at PNC

It is still reasonably uncommon to see private practice partners step straight into a general counsel (GC) role but Reed Smith’s global managing partner (MP) Greg Jordan is to join one of the firm’s clients, Pittsburgh’s largest bank, the PNC Financial Services Group, taking over from Bob Hoyt as he prepares to join Barclays. Alexander Thomas, Reed Smith’s global chair of litigation, will take over the global MP role from Jordan.

Jordan, who was only re-elected for another three year term last year, is set to become executive vice president GC and head of regulatory and government affairs. He will report directly to PNC’s CEO William Demchak. Continue reading “Going buy-side: Reed Smith’s global managing partner takes over from Hoyt at PNC”

Revolving Doors: Key hires for Mayer Brown, Greenberg Traurig, Herbert Smith, K&L Gates and Pinsent Masons

The lateral hiring spike of September is running into October, as Mayer Brown and US rival Greenberg Traurig Maher bulk up in London, Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) and K&L Gates recruit into their Australian practices, and Pinsent Masons boosts its Middle Eastern energy projects team.

Mayer Brown has hired Patricia Jones, a real estate partner from SJ Berwin, to join its team in London, following the hire last week of corporate partner Greg Stonefield from White & Case. Jones has been at SJ Berwin for 10 years and most recently acted for British Land on the redevelopment of the Shoreditch Estate. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Key hires for Mayer Brown, Greenberg Traurig, Herbert Smith, K&L Gates and Pinsent Masons”

Back to school: lateral hire market picks up with renewed vigour as autumn arrives

BLP sees three partners depart; London hires hit double figures for September

The lateral hire market in the City picked up sharply in September, with the number of notable hires announced in the first few weeks of the month comfortably into double figures.

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) saw a gloomy summer draw to a close with the departure of three significant names: head of managed legal services Patrick Somers to DLA Piper; contentious tax partner Liesl Fichardt to Clifford Chance; and commercial technology specialist Adam Rose to Mishcon de Reya.

Continue reading “Back to school: lateral hire market picks up with renewed vigour as autumn arrives”

Asia Pacific: DLA hires four-strong Jones Day team in Beijing

DLA Piper has further bolstered its Asia Pacific offering with the hire of a four-lawyer IP team from Jones Day in Beijing, led by the US firm’s former head of IP in China, Horace Lam.

Lam will join DLA’s Beijing office in October along with counsel Stacy Yuan and associates Alicia Ma and Helen Ding, together with the additional hire of IP lawyer Miya Wen from Rouse.

Prior to joining Jones Day in May 2011, Lam was the Beijing managing partner of Hogan Lovells and head of the firm’s IP practice. He focuses on IP disputes, protection strategies and licensing. Continue reading “Asia Pacific: DLA hires four-strong Jones Day team in Beijing”