Legal Business

Revolving doors: Reed Smith, Haynes and Boone hire in London, K&L Gates in Washington

Law firms have continued to grow their London ranks, with Reed Smith and Haynes and Boone LLP hiring in the City, while K&L Gates boosted its Washington office.

Reed Smith appointed Petar Orlic as a partner in its real estate group in London. He joined from US firm Faegre Baker Daniels where he was head of real estate.

Orlic’s practice focuses on commercial real estate acquisitions and developments, real estate finance, and real estate management in the UK and across Europe.

Reed Smith’s chair of the global real estate group, Joe Sarcinella, said that Orlic fits ‘perfectly with the strategy’ of its real estate group’ to work cohesively with lawyers across its global network and broaden the scope of its practice’.

Radcliffe was a director in EY’s fraud investigation & dispute services practice in London. His practice focuses on advising clients in complex, cross-border litigation and arbitration, often involving CIS and Russian clients.

Haynes and Boone launched a corporate practice in London with a double partner hire, having formed its City base through a merger with London-headquartered Curtis Davis Garrard in June 2016.

Tom Ferns and Nick Foss-Pedersen joined Haynes and Boone from Rosenblatt Solicitors. Ferns was Rosenblatt’s head of corporate. The two focus on M&A, including public and private acquisitions, IPOs and equity fundraisings, among other matters.

Haynes and Boone’s managing partner Tim Powers said the double hire was ‘a promise kept in terms with our firm’s commitment to build significant corporate strength in the UK legal market to support their global needs’.

In Washington, energy partner Elias Hinckley joined K&L Gates from Sullivan & Worcester, where he led the energy group. He specialises in complex and innovative energy financing and transaction structures, including tax equity financing and project finance, with a focus on clean energy.

Legal Business

Faith in London: Texas firm Haynes and Boone to open in the City with boutique merger

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Texas headquartered law firm Haynes and Boone is to open its first European office, announcing a merger with London boutique Curtis Davis Garrard (CDG).

The merger will bump Haynes and Boone’s headcount above 600, with CDG’s 20 lawyers set to join the firm’s 585 lawyers.

Shipping and oil & gas boutique CDG will join the US firm, which posted turnover of $362m in 2015 and has a practice covering corporate and M&A, litigation, restructuring, energy, banking and finance, franchise, private equity, intellectual property, employment, real estate tax and antitrust.

With 14 offices across the US, one in China and one in Mexico, Haynes and Boone said its mission is ‘to be a pre-eminent law firm that serves clients globally’. The firm said it sought a London office to ‘better serve its clients’ growing needs for English law advice on international business and litigation matters.’

Partner Brad Richards will move from Haynes and Boone’s Houston office to integrate 20-year-old CDG, which was a 2015 boutique finalist in the Legal Business Awards, into the firm.

In the first law firm merger confirmed after the Brexit referendum, both parties had contemplated the impact of a Leave vote during discussions, ‘but agreed at the outset that this would not alter the many strategic advantages of a merger’. Haynes and Boone said the merger underscores its belief that London’s position as a leading financial centre will not be impacted long term by the Brexit vote.

Haynes and Boone managing partner Tim Powers said: ‘Our clients will continue to seek out accomplished London practitioners for English law advice on their global business transactions. In CDG, we found a supremely talented group of lawyers who will help us establish a premier London practice capable of providing a full range of services to companies in the industries we serve.’

madeleine.farman@legalease.co.uk