In a quieter week for lateral hiring in the City, Global 100 firms have been strengthening their international operations.
Mayer Brown partners Jochen Seitz and Peter Maier will move to Hogan Lovells’ international debt capital markets practice in Frankfurt.
The firm’s global head of finance, Sharon Lewis, told Legal Business the two laterals offered a ‘unique proposition’ thanks to a combination of deals and regulatory expertise. ‘Their expertise derives from being transactional lawyers, but through their experience they have become leading regulatory experts. That part was missing in Germany. It was a good way to complement what we have with what they have and this was seen by both sides.’
Speaking to Legal Business, a spokesperson for Mayer Brown said: ‘We continue to have a broad and deep capital markets team in Europe, which includes German-qualified capital markets partners in both our German and London offices. Mayer Brown has one of the most active capital markets practices in the world representing issuers and managers, so we do not expect these departures to adversely affect our global practice.’
Hogan Lovells has been actively recruiting over the summer: in August, it took investment funds partner Jonathan Baird from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. In July, it expanded in Beijing, appointing corporate partner Larry Sussman.
Last week saw other Global 100 firms build up in key markets, notably CMS’ French member firm, CMS Bureau Francis Lefebvre hiring a two-partner real estate team from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) in Paris. HSF made significant hires of its own last week, recruiting three projects partners from Pinsent Masons.
Closer to home, Kennedys strengthened its presence in Edinburgh with the hire of Brodies’ head of casualty insurance Peter Demick. He joined Brodies in 2008 from DLA Piper and made partner in 2011. As Kennedys’ seventh lateral partner hire in the UK and Ireland this year, he takes the firm’s total headcount in Scotland offices to 15, including three partners.
