Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has hired a three-partner corporate team from Paul Hastings in New York, in the biggest stateside hires yet for the recently merged firm.
The hires include Robert Leung (pictured left) – a Legal 500 leading partner for corporate and M&A work for international firms in Latin America, who joins HSF Kramer as its new head of energy, mining and infrastructure in the Americas.
Making the move with him are Mike Huang (pictured centre) and Daniel Grossman (pictured right), who both joined Paul Hastings as associates in 2017 after leaving Boies Schiller Flexner alongside Leung, who was a partner at BSF.
Jason Hill, who also moved from BSF to Paul Hastings in 2017, and was of counsel at the latter firm, is also joining HSF Kramer, as a counsel.
The team brings experience advising public and private companies and investors on a range of complex cross-border matters, with a focus on energy, infrastructure, natural resources, and mining.
‘Team hires are always exciting,’ said global CEO Justin D’Agostino. ‘Adding this level of strategic M&A talent further strengthens our US platform and underscores our commitment to long-term investment and sustained growth in the region.’
He continued: ‘Their top-tier experience enhances our ability to deliver high‑impact advice on domestic and cross‑border transactions. We are deepening the capabilities our clients need to navigate increasingly strategic and complex transactions in the US and globally.’
US executive partner Paul Schoeman added: ‘These three partners have the background and skill sets vital for growth to enhance our M&A platform, especially in the rapidly changing energy, infrastructure and mining sectors.’
The hires mark a major step towards HSF Kramer’s post-merger goal of building out its US transactional capabilities. Last September, D’Agostino told Legal Business that the firm aimed to add around 20 partners stateside in key practice areas including energy as well as private equity, bankruptcy and restructuring, and technology.
Since the merger between legacy HSF and legacy Kramer Levin went live last June, the firm’s US hires include restructuring partners Kyle Ortiz and Brian Shaughnessy, who joined from New York bankruptcy boutique Togut Segal & Segal, technology and IP partner Burr Eckstut, who joined from White & Case as US head of tech transactions, and a pair of antitrust hires in Washington DC: John Elias from the Department of Justice in October, and David Pearl from boutique Axinn Veltrop & Harkrider last week.
The firm has also been open about its desire to grow in Texas to maximise its energy capabilities, with D’Agostino telling LB last year that the 20 partner target ‘doesn’t include a Texas build.’
He continued: ‘All options are on the table for us there. It could be anything from organic growth to looking for another law firm to combine with HSF Kramer.’
