In the most notable London lateral move of recent weeks, Latham & Watkins bolstered its banking and finance practice with its hire of partners Jonathan Brownson, Joydeep Choudhuri, and Prue Criddle from New York banking heavyweight Cahill Gordon & Reindel’s City office.
Mishcon de Reya’s head of international arbitration Louis Flannery KC has left the firm, and is set to join Littleton Chambers in August as a silk in the set’s international arbitration team.
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”
