Comment: A triumph of hope over experience – Lateral hiring needs an upgrade for the post-Covid era

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Comment: A triumph of hope over experience – Lateral hiring needs an upgrade for the post-Covid era

Law firm leaders are getting restless. They are beginning to look past Covid-19 to what comes next. Even if finances remain a concern, there are fewer ‘unknown unknowns’. The process for getting people back to the office is mapped out. Huge uncertainties and challenges remain, but a way forward is emerging. The question now is: how to regain momentum and rally the troops?

A key part of any proactive strategy will likely include lateral hiring. It’s striking that a steady trickle of strategic hires has continued during the coronavirus crisis. Expect that trickle to become a gush by early 2021. And whether your firm is calling potential partners, other firms are calling yours. Continue reading “Comment: A triumph of hope over experience – Lateral hiring needs an upgrade for the post-Covid era”

Corporate losses continue for Freshfields as Latham makes public M&A play in London

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Corporate losses continue for Freshfields as Latham makes public M&A play in London

Kirkland & Ellis topped M&A rankings for Europe last year, bringing in a total of $224.2bn in deals, while Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer came in second at $221.7bn. Little wonder then that rival Latham & Watkins has targeted Freshfields for its most significant London lateral hire in some time, bringing in public M&A rising star Sam Newhouse.

It is inevitable that public M&A work in London – long-considered the preserve of the Magic Circle – has become the latest hunting ground for ambitious US players as an alternative to private equity and funds-driven corporate work. White & Case is well-established in the area and Weil, Gotshal & Manges has made no secret of its desire to find talented company for veteran Mike Francies, as it did with the hire of David Avery-Gee from Linklaters last year. Continue reading “Corporate losses continue for Freshfields as Latham makes public M&A play in London”

Significant hires

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Significant hires
  • Cooley has revisited Latham to further boost its capital markets practice in London. New partner David Boles advises on international capital markets and securities regulation, and represents investment banks, issuers and investors. Cooley previously hired from Latham’s capital markets team in March 2019, taking on Claire Keast-Butler. Capital markets partner Ed Lukins departed Cooley to join Orrick in September.
  • Greenberg Traurig has continued its London recruitment push, this time hiring Ian Jack from Baker McKenzie to strengthen its City restructuring practice as firms look to hedge against increasing economic uncertainty. Jack, who was co-head of global restructuring and insolvency, has joined Greenberg after more than two decades at Bakers.

Continue reading “Significant hires”

Ashurst launches consulting arm to handle Covid-19 demand with Deloitte partner hire

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Ashurst launches consulting arm to handle Covid-19 demand with Deloitte partner hire

Ashurst has launched a consulting business with the hire of a senior Deloitte partner in Australia to deal with growing client demand amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The firm said today (31 March) it had hired Philip Hardy, a partner at the Big Four consultancy since 2008 and head of its Australian governance, regulation and conduct advisory business. The resulting Ashurst Consulting will initially be offered in Australia and will advise clients on minimising risk, manage change and bolstering business performance. Continue reading “Ashurst launches consulting arm to handle Covid-19 demand with Deloitte partner hire”

A&O defies coronavirus turbulence to lure back New York litigation partner

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A&O defies coronavirus turbulence to lure back New York litigation partner

 Allen & Overy has not let market turmoil wrought by the Covid-19 pandemic get in the way of its US recruitment ambitions, having re-hired IP litigation partner Paul Keller from Norton Rose Fulbright in New York. 

The move, announced today (30 March), comes as part of its strategy to accelerate investment into its US business after its failure to merge with O’Melveny & Myers last year. It is the third US hire announced in a week after adding Billy Jacobson and Jonathan Lopez, both veterans of the fraud section of the US Department of Justice, from Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe in Washington DC.  Continue reading “A&O defies coronavirus turbulence to lure back New York litigation partner”

Revolving doors: Alston & Bird adds London structured finance partner as Signature’s Bushell departs

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Revolving doors: Alston & Bird adds London structured finance partner as Signature’s Bushell departs

City recruitment clearly slowed down last week but  Alston & Bird  managed to add to its relatively new City branch while Signature Litigation partner Simon Bushell leaves the firm after three years.

Atlanta-based Alston & Bird has hired structured finance partner James Fisher from Reed Smith to its finance practice in London. He has experience advising  corporate trust and agency clients on the full gamut of deals, including securitisations and CDOs. He also focuses on post-closing matters such as restructurings, defaults, remediations and exercises of discretion. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Alston & Bird adds London structured finance partner as Signature’s Bushell departs”

Revolving doors: Orrick adds four-partner WFW projects team as Taylor Wessing invests in employment bench

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Revolving doors: Orrick adds four-partner WFW projects team as Taylor Wessing invests in employment bench

After an eventful week and with many lawyers  working from home until further notice, City firms and US rivals continue to ramp up hires as Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, Taylor Wessing and Pinsent Masons all made hires in London.  

Orrick appointed a four-partner team to its energy and infrastructure practice in London from Watson Farley & Williams. The team includes energy and infrastructure partners Evan Stergoulis, Simon Alsey and Ravinder Sandhu, as well as real estate partner Simon Folley. Stergoulis will co-head the firm’s global renewables practice.  Continue reading “Revolving doors: Orrick adds four-partner WFW projects team as Taylor Wessing invests in employment bench”

Greenberg strengthens City restructuring practice in preparation for economic downturn

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Greenberg strengthens City restructuring practice in preparation for economic downturn

Greenberg Traurig has continued its London recruitment push, this time hiring from Baker McKenzie to strengthen its City restructuring practice as firms look to hedge against increasing economic uncertainty. Bakers’ co-head of global restructuring and insolvency Ian Jack has left the firm for Greenberg after more than two decades, bringing with him extensive experience in restructuring as well as banking and financial transactions.

The hire comes as many in the industry anticipate a demand for restructuring and insolvency lawyers amid the disruption caused by the coronavirus. Greenberg executive Chairman Richard Rosenbaum commented: ‘I have been around a long time, but all countries, businesses and law firms are no doubt facing an unprecedented period of disruption, change and challenges. We just concluded our strongest year on record by any measure, and began 2020 in the same manner, but we all know we are facing new challenges given the coronavirus, oil price wars, stock market gyrations, and the uncertainties stemming from all of those circumstances.’ Continue reading “Greenberg strengthens City restructuring practice in preparation for economic downturn”

Revolving doors: Akin Gump adds to levfin bench as Eversheds and TLT hire disputes partners

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Revolving doors: Akin Gump adds to levfin bench as Eversheds and TLT hire disputes partners

In a week that saw firms on high alert due to coronavirus, the City lateral market has maintained a steady pace as Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld appointed a finance partner and both Eversheds Sutherland and TLT added to their dispute resolution benches.

Akin Gump added leveraged finance partner Amy Kennedy from Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in London. Kennedy represents private equity sponsors in leveraged buyouts, as well as banks and other financial institutions. She has worked in sectors including oil and gas, telecoms, real estate and retail. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Akin Gump adds to levfin bench as Eversheds and TLT hire disputes partners”

Revolving doors: Addleshaws, Proskauer and MoFo bolster London benches as CC looks to US

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Revolving doors: Addleshaws, Proskauer and MoFo bolster London benches as CC looks to US

City recruitment maintained momentum last week as Addleshaw Goddard hired a commercial partner, Proskauer Rose added a litigation partner and Morrison and Foerster made a finance play.

Addleshaws appointed Lewis Silkin partner Nathalie Moreno to its data and information practice in London. Moreno advises multinational clients on UK, French and EU data protection, privacy and cyber security issues as well as compliance programmes and audit projects.  Continue reading “Revolving doors: Addleshaws, Proskauer and MoFo bolster London benches as CC looks to US”