Starting off this week’s lateral roundup, White & Case has bolstered its global intellectual property practice and technology industry group in London by hiring Legal 500 IT and telecoms leading partner Dan Reavill.
Previously head of technology and commercial transactions at Travers Smith, Reavill’s move comes shortly after longtime partner Ben Chivers left Travers for Temple Bright after a similar two-decade career with the firm.
Reavill’s arrival is the latest in a series of hires aimed at expanding the firm’s IP capabilities, following the recruitment of partner Michael Evans from Clifford Chance in London last December, along with the addition of five IP and technology partners in the US over the past year from leading firms including Latham & Watkins, Orrick, and A&O Shearman.
‘It’s essential that we have top-tier IP partners across our global offices to support our clients,’ said Yar Chaikovsky, head of White & Case’s global IP practice.
Elsewhere in the City, Simmons & Simmons has appointed Kay Morley as a partner in its restructuring and special situations team. Morley, who joins from Dechert, brings extensive experience advising clients on complex cross-border matters.
Dechert’s restructuring practice also saw the departure of Legal 500 corporate restructuring & insolvency Hall of Famer Adam Plainer in November, who left to join DLA Piper’s global restructuring practice.
Fried Frank continues to expand its City presence with two hires this week. Geoff O’Dea, an expert in restructuring, insolvency, acquisitions, and complex financings, has joined the firm’s restructuring department from Goodwin.
Additionally, Aranpreet Randhawa has joined the firm’s global asset management practice as a partner from Proskauer. Randhawa brings expertise in advising clients on the formation, operation, and maintenance of private investment funds across Europe and globally.
‘The addition of Aranpreet demonstrates our strong commitment to offering our clients top-tier advice on all aspects of fund formation,’ said Kenneth Rosh, Fried Frank chairman and head of the firm’s private equity funds group, in a statement.
Meanwhile, Squire Patton Boggs has strengthened its environmental, safety & health practice in Brussels with a seven-lawyer team led by partners Peter Sellar and Gerard McElwee. The team joins from Freshfields’ EU regulatory group, enhancing the firm’s regulatory capabilities in Europe.
Also in Brussels, Reed Smith has expanded its global regulatory practice with the hire of Philippe Heeren as a partner. Previously corporate counsel at Amazon’s EU operations team, Heeren brings significant experience in customs, trade, and excise tax matters across the EU and UK.
In the US, Skadden hired Vinson & Elkins corporate partner Stephen Gill in Houston. Gill leaves V&E after 23 years at the firm, where he headed its corporate group and strategic mergers & acquisitions practice.
Kirkland & Ellis has opened a new office in Philadelphia with the addition of a five-strong mass tort team from Skadden. Led by Allison Brown, the team includes partners Jessica Davidson, Christopher Cox, Geoffrey Wyatt, and Nina Rose, all of whom bring significant expertise in high-stakes civil and multidistrict litigation from trial to appeal.
Brown will be based in Kirkland’s new Philadelphia office, while Davidson and Cox will work from New York, and Wyatt and Rose will be based in Washington, D.C.
‘We’re proud that clients turn to Kirkland for their most complex, wide-ranging, bet-the-company litigation and that our firm continues to attract the world’s best litigators, like Alli, to our platform. We’re excited to work alongside her as we embark on this new chapter for Kirkland in Philadelphia,’ said Jon A. Ballis, chairman of Kirkland’s executive committee in a statement. ‘The arrival of this team will build on the significant growth and success of Kirkland’s litigation department in recent years.’
Meanwhile, In New York, Cravath has hired antitrust partner Andrew Finch. Finch, formerly co-chair of Paul Weiss’ antitrust practice, has broad experience in civil and criminal antitrust litigation and investigations. He also served as principal deputy assistant attorney general and acting assistant attorney general in the Justice Department’s antitrust division.
In Johannesburg, Herbert Smith Freehills has appointed Ziyanda Ntshona to lead its South Africa corporate practice. Ntshona, who specialises in M&A, private equity, and corporate transactions in Sub-Saharan Africa, joins from South African firm Poswa Incorporated along with two associates.
Meanwhile, HFW continues its global expansion with the addition of M&A projects partner Graeme Gamble in Perth. Gamble, who moves from Herbert Smith Freehills, brings over 25 years of experience in energy-related M&A and project development, including Carbon Capture and Storage, LNG, and offshore wind projects. Graeme’s appointment comes after a string of partner hires that has seen the firm bring on more than 52 laterals globally since 2023, adding talent in key locations such as Hong Kong, Kuwait City, London, Melbourne, Paris, and Perth.
Concluding this week’s moves, Saudi Arabian firm Abdulaziz H. Al Fahad & Partners has joined forces with King & Spalding in Riyadh. The merger brings four new partners – Abdulaziz H. Al Fahad, Fahad N. Alarfaj, Ibrahim Alkhudair, and Phil Loynes – creating a 26-fee-earner office. The expanded firm will focus on core areas including corporate, finance, energy, real estate, Islamic finance, and dispute resolution.
‘As Saudi Arabia attracts more international investment, integrated local and global legal expertise is essential,’ said Abdulaziz H. Al Fahad, founder of Al Fahad & Partners. ‘Joining King & Spalding is a perfect fit for our growth ambitions.’