MoFo strikes London pay dirt with hire of Latham finance co-chair Kandel

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MoFo strikes London pay dirt with hire of Latham finance co-chair Kandel

Further evidence of significant lateral movement between US players in London emerged today (7 February), with news that one the City’s most respected finance veterans, Chris Kandel, has quit Latham & Watkins after nine years to join Morrison & Foerster’s resurgent City arm.

Kandel, a standout performer with a proven track record in leveraged finance, acquisition finance and restructuring, joined Latham in 2010 from White & Case, where he was co-head of the London bank finance practice. He was global co-chair of Latham’s finance offering. Continue reading “MoFo strikes London pay dirt with hire of Latham finance co-chair Kandel”

Revolving Doors: Weil loses buyout rising star McGonigle to fund as Fried Frank taps Linklaters’ finance team and King & Spalding and Simmons & Simmons make European hires

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Revolving Doors: Weil loses buyout rising star McGonigle to fund as Fried Frank taps Linklaters’ finance team and King & Spalding and Simmons & Simmons make European hires

The most significant moves are not always to rival law firms as the exit of Weil Gotshal & Manges’ City private equity partner Samantha McGonigle to co-found a growth fund goes to show.

Perpetuating the busy start to the lateral market, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson has added to its City finance practice as King & Spalding and Simmons & Simmons have hired in Europe at the expense of Ashurst and Allen & Overy respectively. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Weil loses buyout rising star McGonigle to fund as Fried Frank taps Linklaters’ finance team and King & Spalding and Simmons & Simmons make European hires”

Double whammy for Ashurst as London head quits for BCLP and Macfarlanes hires former corporate head

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Double whammy for Ashurst as London head quits for BCLP and Macfarlanes hires former corporate head

Ashurst London managing partner Simon Beddow and former corporate head Robert Ogilvy Watson have quit the firm to join Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) and Macfarlanes respectively.

A partner at the firm for 21 years, Beddow had led the firm’s City base since 2016 and was previously the firm’s corporate co-head. He will become BCLP’s deputy head of corporate. Continue reading “Double whammy for Ashurst as London head quits for BCLP and Macfarlanes hires former corporate head”

Revolving Doors: Signature Litigation launches in Paris while Kirkland and Mishcon make City moves

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Revolving Doors: Signature Litigation launches in Paris while Kirkland and Mishcon make City moves

The January shopping spree is well underway with firms making moves at home and abroad last week, most significantly in City dispute specialists Signature Litigation crossing the channel to open shop in Paris.

Kirkland & Ellis, meanwhile, continued its expansion in the City with a tax hire and Mishcon de Reya filled the gap left by Alison Levitt QC in London. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Signature Litigation launches in Paris while Kirkland and Mishcon make City moves”

CMS adds to Northern line up with Liverpool launch

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CMS adds to Northern line up with Liverpool launch

CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang has extended its chain of northern offices with a Liverpool office opening following a hire from DWF, its first launch since its tripartite merger with Nabarro and Olswang in 2017.

The new office – located in Exchange Flags amidst Liverpool’s commercial district – will complement legacy Nabarro’s Manchester and Sheffield offices. DWF real estate partner Abigail Dry has been hired for the Liverpool launch, but the firm would not comment as to how many employees will be driving the opening. Liverpool is the firm’s tenth UK office. Continue reading “CMS adds to Northern line up with Liverpool launch”

Accountants keep coming as Deloitte hires A&O banking partner as UK legal head

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Deloitte has made a clear statement of intent in legal services by announcing today (14 January) that it has lured Allen & Overy (A&O) banking partner Michael Castle across to lead its UK legal arm, as the Big Four outfit looks for greater traction in the legal sector.

Based in Deloitte’s London office, Castle will now lead a technology-orientated legal offering for Deloitte, having spent more than two decades at A&O. Becoming an partner in 2007, Castle was not a standout name in a finance department replete with leading individuals but did gain profile in recent years after unsuccessfully running for the managing partner role at A&O, before eventually being beaten by current leader Andrew Ballheimer. Continue reading “Accountants keep coming as Deloitte hires A&O banking partner as UK legal head”

‘A global solution’: Pinsents hires six partners for Frankfurt launch as DLA expands in Dublin

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‘A global solution’: Pinsents hires six partners for Frankfurt launch as DLA expands in Dublin

Pinsent Masons has hired six partners from a range of firms for a new Frankfurt office, the firm’s third opening in Germany since 2012.

Frankfurt follows moves into Munich and Düsseldorf for Pinsents in 2012 and 2016 respectively. The new office will focus on the technology, energy and real estate sectors initially with an eye to developing in financial services. Continue reading “‘A global solution’: Pinsents hires six partners for Frankfurt launch as DLA expands in Dublin”

White & Case loses two capital markets veterans as Bakers ramps up City transactional investment

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White & Case loses two capital markets veterans as Bakers ramps up City transactional investment

Baker McKenzie has kicked off 2019 with another step towards its long-stated aim of beefing up its London transactional capabilities, hiring capital markets partners Rob Mathews and David Becker from White & Case.

Veteran Mathews played a key role in White & Case’s high-yield practice and led on a number of large mandates including the $10bn refinancing of Wind Tre in 2017. Continue reading “White & Case loses two capital markets veterans as Bakers ramps up City transactional investment”

Dechert bolsters European funds team with key City and Dublin hires

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Dechert bolsters European funds team with key City and Dublin hires

Dechert has ramped up investment in its European funds business with a pair of hires, including Marianna Tothova in London from Ashurst.

The hire of Tothova, which comes amid a pacey recruitment drive for the US firm in London in recent months, coincides with that of Carol Widger from Maples and Calder as the managing partner of its Dublin office. Continue reading “Dechert bolsters European funds team with key City and Dublin hires”

Revolving doors: DAC Beachcroft christens new year with Paris opening as WFW, Cooley and HFW make European hires

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DAC Beachcroft has extended its European footprint with the opening of a new two-partner Paris office, while Watson Farley & Williams, Holman Fenwick Willan and Cooley also kicked off 2019 with key lateral hires.

The new Paris office is DAC’s first in France and its 12th worldwide. Two partners have been hired from local firm HMN to staff the new branch: Vladimir Rostan d’Ancezune, who will head the office, while Christophe Wucher North also joins. Continue reading “Revolving doors: DAC Beachcroft christens new year with Paris opening as WFW, Cooley and HFW make European hires”