Milbank has ramped up its City infrastructure capabilities with the hire of a trio of partners from White & Case.
Katie Hicks – a Legal 500 leading partner for infrastructure: M&A and acquisition financing – Tim Sheddick and Tom Pound are making the move less than four years after joining White & Case from legacy Shearman. The trio also previously worked together at Baker McKenzie, where Sheddick had been a partner since 2006.
Hicks made partner on moving to Shearman in 2019, while Pound was made up at White & Case two years ago. The team work with sponsors and lenders on infrastructure acquisition financings and refinancings, advising clients across Europe on both public and private M&A in the sector.
Elsewhere, Travers Smith has appointed Mandip Englund as its new head of restructuring and insolvency. Englund, who will join the firm in May from Fried Frank, brings expertise across the full spectrum of restructuring and insolvency, including financial restructuring, distressed investing, and formal insolvency proceedings.
Eversheds Sutherland has expanded its technology, media, and telecoms practice with Legal 500 ranked leading individual Simon Kenyon.
Joining after 27 years at DLA, where he was co-lead of its international technology disputes practice, co-head of its UK technology disputes practice, and lead UK litigation partner in its India group, Kenyon brings with him experience on complex technology and outsourcing disputes, advising both users and suppliers of IT, commercial, and outsourcing services.
Mark Davenport, partner and co-head of global litigation & dispute management at Eversheds Sutherland, said: ‘Our aim is to deliver cutting-edge and comprehensive TMT dispute resolution advice to our clients across multiple jurisdictions, locally and globally.’
‘Simon’s extensive experience in the TMT sector and strong relationship networks form the ideal combination to help drive our success in this highly competitive space,’ he continued.
DLA Piper has appointed corporate and regulatory adviser Charles Rix to its international insurance team in London. Rix joins from Keystone Law, where he was a partner for a year following a nearly 23-year tenure at Hogan Lovells. He brings almost 30 years of experience advising global insurance companies on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions, insurance business transfers, business restructurings, and regulatory matters.
Jones Day has appointed Paul Jones to its energy practice in London, joining from Addleshaw Goddard. Jones has over 18 years of experience across the full energy value chain, focusing on upstream oil and gas, LNG, and energy transition projects.
‘Paul has advised a number of leading companies in the energy sector on high-stakes transactions and projects,’ said Jeff Schlegel, who leads Jones Day’s energy practice. ‘In addition to his track record in private practice, he has also worked as the head of legal operations for a major oil company in the Middle East, giving him a real and practical understanding of what it takes to support clients in the pursuit of successful commercial and legal outcomes.’
In a dual hire, Nabil Khodadad and Alistair Wishart have joined Baker Botts’ project finance group in London, with Khodadad taking on the role of head of project finance for the firm’s international offices.
Previously global head of project finance and head of the Middle East and CIS practice at Vinson & Elkins, Khodadad brings experience advising on high-profile projects across sectors including oil and gas, petrochemicals, pipelines, conventional and renewable power, mining, and energy transition. Wishart specialises in energy and infrastructure projects, with expertise in negotiating engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contracts.
Ashurst has grown its London real estate team, hiring Lee Foxcroft from Mishcon de Reya. With experience in real estate joint ventures and co-investment structures, Foxcroft handles complex, high-value transactions for private capital clients, including significant data centre and senior living deals.
In its private funds group, Proskauer has hired Duncan Woolard, who brings decades of experience across a variety of asset classes, with particular expertise in private equity, private credit, and real assets.
Woolard’s arrival continues a strong lateral growth streak for Proskauer’s private funds group, which has welcomed 11 partners across New York, London, and Paris since the start of 2024, including James Oussedik and Delphine Jaugey in London.
Leaving his role at A&O Shearman, where he previously led legacy Shearman & Sterling’s London litigation practice, Jonathan Swil has joined King & Spalding’s international disputes practice as a partner.
Bringing extensive experience advising financial institutions, corporates, and professional services firms on a range of UK and cross-border disputes, he has been involved in several high-profile cases, including the trial of one of the largest financial frauds in history and a significant anti-suit injunction and arbitration claim.
Swil’s departure is the latest in a series of exits from A&O Shearman, which, according to Legal Business research, recorded more than 100 departures in January since the merger was announced in 2023.
‘The convergence of contentious financial services regulatory enforcement and litigation is a growing issue for many major financial institutions, and adding Jonathan further reinforces our ability to help clients navigate these challenges, ’said Wade Coriell, co-leader of the firm’s international disputes practice group.
In its Paris office, King & Spalding has hired corporate, finance, and investments partner Delphine Guillotte, from Bredin Prat, bolstering the firm’s finance and restructuring practice.
Guillotte advises both French and international clients on a broad range of financing matters, including acquisition financing, leveraged buyouts, corporate and leveraged financing, credit facilities, and debt restructuring transactions.
Elsewhere in Europe, Macfarlanes has hired Foad Hoseinian as a competition partner in its Brussels office from Gernandt & Danielsson. With over 15 years of experience advising on merger control and regulatory matters in Brussels and London, he assists clients in M&A negotiations and on all aspects of market regulatory law before regulators.
Hoseinian also brings unique EU litigation experience, having worked at the European Court of Justice for six years.
