In another blow for Travers Smith, respected corporate M&A and ECM partner Richard Spedding has left to join Linklaters, on the back of the departure of a private equity duo to Goodwin late last month.
A Legal 500 Hall of Famer for small to mid-cap equity capital markets, Spedding was at Travers or 25 years. Experienced in public M&A and the UK Takeover Code, Spedding recently co-led the firm’s team advising key private equity client Inflexion on its £342m takeover of DWF.
In the contest for the biggest legal story of the moment, the A&O Shearman merger may be more transformational for the firms involved, but it is fair to say it has not quite captured the imagination like Paul Weiss’s dramatic and audacious hiring spree in London.
‘The question is whether a firm can genuinely build an elite PE practice by lifting out the top guys from different shops,’ muses one US firm partner, on Paul Weiss’s bid to crack London. Continue reading “Market forces: Paul Weiss, Kirkland and the war for London talent”
Paul Weiss, Kirkland, and Skadden were all active in London lateral hires this week, with two partner exits from Linklaters amid the moves.
Prominent high-yield partner Kevin Muzilla has retired from Allen & Overy, in the latest departure from the practice ahead of next month’s A&O Shearman mega-merger.
Ranked in the Legal 500 Hall of Fame for London high-yield, Muzilla joined A&O from Milbank as a partner in 2009, and has since headed up the firm’s leveraged finance teams, first the US and then Europe.
Mayer Brown has strengthened its London tax practice with the addition of tax partner Sam Riesenberg. US-qualified Riesenberg has joined the firm’s City base from KPMG in Washington, where he worked within the firm’s national tax practice. His hire bolsters Mayer Brown’s international tax offering across the asset management and funds sectors as he has significant experience in the space, working with clients including fund sponsors, sovereign wealth and pension funds, institutional investors, family offices and fund managers.
His hire is Mayer Brown’s second into its London tax practice this year, following closely on the heels of real estate investment specialist Ben Eaton’s appointment hire in January this year. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Mayer Brown, CRS and BCLP boost tax teams as Linklaters and Fieldfisher join firms announcing partner promotions”
Paul Weiss has broken through the $2bn global revenue mark, posting a 10.8% hike on last year, as the firm’s bold London recruitment drive continues to make headlines.
The firm’s 178 equity partners took home an average of $6.5m in 2023, with profit per equity partner (PEP) up 14.8% from $5.73m the previous year.
Continue reading “Paul Weiss and Kirkland break revenue records amid London lateral shakeout”
Quelling weeks of market speculation, former Kirkland & Ellis deal star Roger Johnson has finally landed at Paul Weiss, along with three other Kirkland partners and a partner from Linklaters.
The move sees Johnson, who was asked to leave the partnership of Kirkland in early August, reunited with debt superstar Neel Sachdev to co-lead Paul Weiss’ London office. Continue reading “Deal star Johnson lands at Paul Weiss amid fresh round of hires from Kirkland and Linklaters”
Leading the moves this week, Goodwin has hired McDermott partner Arvin Abraham for its private equity practice in London. He brings with him experience advising on transactions for private equity sponsors, venture capital funds and strategic investors, mainly in the fintech, healthcare and life sciences sectors.
Speaking to Legal Business about why he decided to move, Abraham said: ‘Partly due to several overlapping client relationships and synergies. But, equally so for the firm’s collaborative culture and demonstrated strengths in each of my areas of focus. I can’t think of a firm that better combines expertise in private equity and venture capital transactions and sector specialism in fintech, healthcare and so much more.’ Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Lateral market continues apace as private equity and regulatory dominate in the City”
Following the announcement of the proposed A&O Shearman merger, news came that Shearman & Sterling had lost two partners to Ashurst in London, which leads the headline moves – dominated by energy and infrastructure hires – in recent weeks.
London-based Shearman partners Sanja Udovicic and Julia Derrick moved over to Ashurst to expand the firm’s global energy team. Continue reading “Departures from Shearman and Allen & Overy as merger is unveiled and energy dominates lateral hiring”
What have been the main trends in legal tech recruitment over the last year?
We have seen legal tech employers place greater emphasis on technical skills, such as coding, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. This reflects the need for legal tech professionals who can effectively develop, implement, and manage technology solutions.
What we are really proud of in the legal tech space is the growing recognition and importance of diversity and inclusion.
Many legal tech employers are implementing strategies to foster a more inclusive workplace.
Have you seen demand increase for legal tech professionals?
I think with the ongoing digital transformation in the legal industry, there has been a growing demand for legal tech professionals. This trend was really fuelled by the pandemic, where there had almost been a pause on new projects, and once we came out the other side, the market just exploded – so many tech companies creating innovative products and solutions, and law firms and corporate legal teams wanting to be at the forefront of this tech. However, with all this tech available, the one thing that is always imperative is that you must have the right people in place to implement and help with the adoption of technology in the legal sector. This market has been quick to realise that tech and the professionals running this tech come hand in hand, which is why there is such a demand for legal tech professionals right now.
What have been the biggest drivers of activity?
Some of the biggest drivers for recruiting legal technology professionals is a combination of technological innovation, changing client expectations, and the need for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness in the legal industry.
How do you see the recruitment market evolving over the next few months to a year?
While there is still a continued demand for legal tech professionals, there is also an increased competition for talent. Therefore, we are going to see more employers looking at ways to make their organisations stand out, with benefits like employee perks, remote working, skill development, and career advancement being offered.
We are also going to see a lot more use of AI in our day-to-day tasks, from training, researching, knowledge and many more uses as the technology advances.
Darren Kantor, director, head of legal tech implementation and recruitment
Jameson Legal Tech
24 Greville St
London EC1N 8SS
T: +44 (0)20 3950 0534
M: +44 (0)7961 153 478
E: darren.kantor@jamesonlegal.com
