Paul Hastings has hired two tax partners into its London office, building out its City tax offering following a pair of senior exits last month.
Jenny Doak (pictured right) is due to move across before the end of the year from Weil, where she has been a partner since 2019. Prior to that, she was head of UK tax at Vinson & Elkins, where she made partner in 2014.
Also making the move to Paul Hastings is Catherine Richardson (pictured left), who joins today (10 November) from Cadwalader, where she spent more than 11 years and made partner in 2022.
The hires come after Paul Hastings saw two high-profile departures last month, when White & Case hired tax partners Jiten Tank and Arun Birla, who was also the firm’s former London office chair and global second managing partner.
Doak advises on M&A, joint ventures, financings, debt and equity capital markets, with a focus on energy and infrastructure and TMT. Her clients include British Columbia Investment Management, Global Infrastructure Partners and Lone Star.
The breadth of Paul Hastings’ practice was a key driver in Doak’s decision to join the firm. ‘Paul Hastings’ strength across multiple complex transaction areas, M&A, finance, private capital, funds, provides the perfect platform to grow a top tier UK tax practice,’ she told Legal Business. There’s also great momentum about the firm at the moment that is outpacing other firms.’
Richardson brings particular capabilities in structured credit transactions, funds and real estate finance, and banking in distressed situations. Richardson’s clients include CVC and JP Morgan, and she recently advised BNP Paribas, as arranger, on the first European middle-market private credit CLO for Barings.
‘Our London office is projected to be up over 20% this year, driven by incredible demand across all of our transactional practices. The addition of Jenny and Catherine and likely more tax hires to come reflects our strategic priority of building a premier tax practice in London and globally,’ said Frank Lopez, the firm’s chair.
Richardson’s departure is the latest in a string of exits from Cadwalader, which has been exploring merger options.
‘[Frank] has been extremely engaged in the hiring process and it’s great to have such senior buy-in.’ Doak said.
‘The clarity and the focus around the strategy of the firm and putting the resources behind that ambition tells a very compelling story,’ Richardson added.
Since September, Paul Hastings has seen a number of London departures, including Stephen Nicholas, who left after a decade at the firm to establish Cleary Gottlieb’s real estate practice in the capital.
At the same time, the firm has also made a number of hires in the City, including structured credit partner Thomas Picton, who joined from Ashurst last week, as well as antitrust partner Sally Evans, who joined from Kirkland & Ellis in September, and will work across the firm’s offices in London and Brussels.
Paul Hastings has also hired a raft of energy and infrastructure partners, largely from White & Case, into its offices around the world, beginning with the March hires of George Kazakov and Din Eshanov.
