A&O adds NY capability in London as Freshfields lures Linklaters Paris partner

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A&O adds NY capability in London as Freshfields lures Linklaters Paris partner

A double Magic Circle hire today (17 September) has seen Allen & Overy (A&O) hiring financial services regulation counsel Knox McIlwain as a partner from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton as Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer bolstered its own regulatory offering, hiring Linklaters’ Paris FinReg partner Marc Perrone.

The hire of McIlwain reunites him with Bob Penn, A&O’s former financial regulatory services head, who re-joined the firm in June 2018 having defected for a two-year stint at Cleary. It also makes good on A&O’s plan to accelerate investment in its US-law capability following protracted and ultimately fruitless merger talks with Los Angeles firm O’Melveny & Myers. Senior partner, Wim Dejonghe, said that the hire demonstrates the firm’s commitment to growing its top-tier global regulatory practice and building on its US capabilities. Continue reading “A&O adds NY capability in London as Freshfields lures Linklaters Paris partner”

Revolving doors: US & City firms target Simmons & Simmons as Ashurst makes hires

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Revolving doors: US & City firms target Simmons & Simmons as Ashurst makes hires

US & City firms saw a steady influx of lateral hires across sectors as Latham & Watkins, Allen & Overy (A&O) and Watson Farley & Williams hired partners from Simmons & Simmons.

US firm Latham hired Simmons’ head of equity capital markets, Chris Horton, as partner in its corporate department. Horton joined Simmons in 2008 and has experience advising on IPOs, secondary offerings and M&A transactions by listed companies, investment banks, and hedge funds. Continue reading “Revolving doors: US & City firms target Simmons & Simmons as Ashurst makes hires”

Another team walks at Clydes as eight partners depart in San Francisco

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Another team walks at Clydes as eight partners depart in San Francisco

Eight partners will be leaving Clyde & Co’s  San Francisco office in favour of setting up their own firm in the US.

As reported in RollOnFriday, the partner group led by Joan D’Ambrosio and Bill Casey, focuses on insurance coverage and monitoring work. The team includes Christina Terplan, Julie Hawkinson, Jamie Narbaitz, Christina Marshall, Eric Moon and David Jordan who will also be leaving the firm. Continue reading “Another team walks at Clydes as eight partners depart in San Francisco”

Bad timing – A&O loses M&A duo to Skadden following failed US merger talks

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Bad timing – A&O loses M&A duo to Skadden following failed US merger talks

Allen & Overy has lost two well-respected London corporate partners to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom just days after the magic circle firm confirmed the collapse of its merger talks with US firm O’Melveny & Myers.

Simon Toms and George Knighton have quit A&O, inflicting a considerable hit on its M&A capabilities ten days after it announced it was calling it a day on its attempts to tie up with O’Melveny after more than a year of talks. Continue reading “Bad timing – A&O loses M&A duo to Skadden following failed US merger talks”

Clyde & Co shipping team sets sail to establish boutique firm

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Clyde & Co shipping team sets sail to establish boutique firm

Clyde & Co has lost at least five partners from its global marine group, with the shipping team leaving to set up a boutique firm.

Andrew Preston is set to leave after joining the firm in 1994 and becoming a partner in 2000, as well as Elizabeth Turnbull, co-chair of the firm’s Latin American strategy committee who joined Clydes in 2009. Continue reading “Clyde & Co shipping team sets sail to establish boutique firm”

Revolving doors: Back to school for new City Clydes, Kennedys and Pinsents laterals as European hires continue apace

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Revolving doors: Back to school for new City Clydes, Kennedys and Pinsents laterals as European hires continue apace

City firms have been gearing up for what looks to be a busy September as Clyde & Co, Kennedys and Pinsent Masons have added to their London benches and others continue with European investment drives.

Clyde & Co has appointed Stephen Jurgenson as partner in the firm’s global projects and construction group. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Back to school for new City Clydes, Kennedys and Pinsents laterals as European hires continue apace”

Revolving doors: KPMG and Orrick hire City partners as Ashurst and A&O focus on Germany

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Revolving doors: KPMG and Orrick hire City partners as Ashurst and A&O focus on Germany

Lateral hires in London and Germany were the order of last week, with KPMG  bolstering its City legal services bench, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe hiring a London-based energy and infrastructure partner, while Ashurst and Allen & Overy recruited practice heads in Germany.

Big Four accountancy firm KPMG has hired partners Kate Eades from Greenberg Traurig and Usman Wahid from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner in a further boon to its legal services capabilities. Continue reading “Revolving doors: KPMG and Orrick hire City partners as Ashurst and A&O focus on Germany”

Wealth of experience: Fieldfisher hires private client duo from Linklaters

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Wealth of experience: Fieldfisher hires private client duo from Linklaters

Fieldfisher has hired Linklaters’ head of trusts Peter Golden to lead up its private client team.

Golden will replace partner Penny Wotton, who will be remain in the team and focus on the firm’s charity client base and building out the private client practice. He will be joined by Alistair Robertson, who will be promoted from managing associate to partner in the move. Continue reading “Wealth of experience: Fieldfisher hires private client duo from Linklaters”

Allen & Overy loses litigation partner Florent to Baker McKenzie’s City hiring spree

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Allen & Overy loses litigation partner Florent to Baker McKenzie’s City hiring spree

Allen & Overy (A&O) has lost its second London partner in as many weeks with the defection of Marc Florent (pictured), head of the Magic Circle firm’s UK insolvency litigation practice, to the expansive City office of Baker McKenzie.

The rare London exit nevertheless follows the news last week (19 August) that A&O’s head of fraud Mona Vaswani was leaving after 26 years to join US rival Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy. Continue reading “Allen & Overy loses litigation partner Florent to Baker McKenzie’s City hiring spree”

Revolving doors: US moves for Baker McKenzie and Linklaters as Morgan Lewis makes City play

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Revolving doors: US moves for Baker McKenzie and Linklaters as Morgan Lewis makes City play

US and City firms have extended their reach in key jurisdictions with Baker McKenzie making a move in Silicon Valley and Linklaters hiring in New York, while Morgan, Lewis & Bockius welcomes infrastructure partner from US rival Latham & Watkins in London.

In London, Morgan Lewis hired infrastructure partner Ayesha Waheed from Latham & Watkins. Waheed focuses on international energy and infrastructure transactions and has experience working through Europe as well as emerging markets in Africa and Asia. She has acted for developers and lenders in oil and gas, power generation, and infrastructure projects around the world and has advised on all aspects of international project financings and privatisations. Continue reading “Revolving doors: US moves for Baker McKenzie and Linklaters as Morgan Lewis makes City play”