The fight to bolster transactional teams globally rattles on in the latest round of partner recruitment.
Shearman & Sterling is expanding its London M&A team with the addition of corporate finance partner Maegen Morrison. Morrison joins from Hogan Lovells and has a broad practice covering public and private M&A and capital markets transactions.
Phil Cheveley, who was appointed head of mergers and acquisitions in EMEA following his arrival from Travers Smith in March 2021 and the retirement of Laurence Levy later that year, said: ‘We are very focused on growing the team and further deepening bench strength in London by bringing in complementary skillsets through steady lateral and organic growth. Maegen joining us is the next step in this growth strategy, and we are delighted to be joined by such a strong partner.’
As one partner leaves in London, another arrives across the Atlantic at Hogan Lovells. The firm announced this week the addition of private equity partner Parikshit Dasgupta in New York.
Dasgupta, who joins from Reed Smith, is the third partner to join the corporate and finance practice group in the US in 2022, following the arrivals of Rich Puttré in Miami and Denis Segota in Philadelphia in January.
‘Parik’s experience of advising private investment funds on their establishment, management and regulation will enable us to further meet growing demand in this space. His skillset is a great match for our established teams in the US, London, Luxembourg and China; enabling us to offer clients a seamless service,’ said James Doyle, head of Hogan Lovells’ global corporate and finance practice group.
Elsewhere, Dentons added Simon Prendergast to its London banking and finance team. Prendergast, who joined from Addleshaw Goddard, is ranked by The Legal 500 as a ‘leading individual’ for asset-based lending. His arrival follows the departure of banking and finance partner Greg Kahn last month from Dentons to Keystone.
Meanwhile, the latest Big Four departure in City saw EY’s head of tech law Richard Goold join Palo Alto-headquartered Wilson Sonsini. The firm, which has a strong technology, life sciences and the venture capital client base, has grown from one to 22 lawyers in London since opening the office in 2018.
‘Given Richard’s background of being a transatlantic advisor and working in both the US and the UK ecosystems, him coming to the firm is a perfect fit’ said Daniel Glazer, founding partner of Wilson Sonsini’s London office.
Goold, who acts for innovative start-ups and scale-ups throughout all stages of their business lifecycle will be pursuing dual qualification while at the firm and said of his move: ‘Over the last five years, it has become clear that what European entrepreneurs, and their investors, really want and need is a seamless transatlantic service. The firm has made heavy investment into London having moved various American lawyers over and there is a really strong integrated team that I’ll be part of.’
Also in London, Irwin Mitchell has hired Cannings Connolly’s managing partner Matthew Sillett to its commercial practice. This latest addition brings the firm’s tally of lateral partner hires for the financial year to 15.
In Singapore, Herbert Smith Freehills goes some way to recoup its 2021 departures by welcoming back project finance partner Rupert Baker from Tokyo-headquartered multinational conglomerate SoftBank Group.
Last year, the firm lost its head of private capital Nicola Yeomans to King & Wood Mallesons in August and energy partner David Clinch to Shearman & Sterling in May.
Meanwhile in Sydney, KPMG has lost a prominent M&A and capital markets team led by David Morris to Lander & Rogers, while White & Case adds project development partner Joanne Emerson Taqi from Norton Rose Fulbright.
Finally, in the sole disputes hire of this week’s headline recruitment, commercial litigation specialist Rathi Thiagamoorthy has joined RPC in London as a partner from Dentons, where she was a senior associate.
