Allen & Overy (A&O) suffered another significant loss with the departure of litigation partner Marc Florent to Baker McKenzie. Florent is experienced in banking disputes, particularly in the wholesale and retail banking areas, asset management, funds and sponsors on cross-border matters. A&O also lost its head of fraud Mona Vaswani to US rival Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy.
Alston & Bird launched a City branch, hiring three partners for its UK finance and payments practices. Andrew Petersen joins from K&L Gates where he was head of the finance practice, alongside fellow finance partner James Spencer. The pair have worked together on real estate private equity, commercial mortgage-backed securities deals, restructuring, and debt and equity workouts. James Ashe-Taylor, former head of European antitrust at US boutique Constantine Cannon, also joins the new City office.
Dentons made a significant City hire with M&A and private equity partner Paul Doris joining from the London office of US firm Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe. Doris advises financial sponsors in energy and infrastructure and in markets including Spain and Latin America. Meanwhile, restructuring and insolvency partner Richard Pallot-Cook rejoined Dentons from Simmons & Simmons.
Simmons, meanwhile, lost further partners to US and City firms, with Latham & Watkins hiring head of equity capital markets Chris Horton, while fellow capital markets partner Simon Ovenden moved to Watson Farley & Williams. A&O also hired employment partner Vicky Wickremeratne.
Clyde & Co appointed partner Stephen Jurgenson in the firm’s global projects and construction group. He joins from Winston & Strawn and advises on project development and financing, banking and institutional finance, and M&A in the utilities, renewable energy, oil and gas, natural resources, real estate and transport sectors.
Kennedys strengthened its professional liability teams across three UK offices. Paul Castellani joins the London office from RPC, while partners Paul Chaplin and Steve Oates join the Birmingham office from DWF. Helen Ager was also hired as head of the professional liability team in Taunton, joining from DAC Beachcroft.