Revolving Doors: Strategic growth for A&O, Eversheds, Wiggin, Dentons, Field Fisher and Olswang

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In the last major round of hires before 2013 draws to a close, Allen & Overy (A&O) has boosted its international competition capability while Eversheds has expanded its City tax team and firms including Wiggin, Dentons, Field Fisher Waterhouse and Olswang have this month made strategic lateral hires across the media, energy, real estate and insolvency space.

At the start of December, A&O hired Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) competition partner Peter McDonald to head its Australian antitrust and competition practice. Previously a senior officer at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), at HSF McDonald advised clients in the energy, mining, industrial, retail and financial services sectors. Continue reading “Revolving Doors: Strategic growth for A&O, Eversheds, Wiggin, Dentons, Field Fisher and Olswang”

Ashurst delves into Magic Circle for Linklaters DCM partner as Beddow named corporate co-head

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Ashurst has tapped into the magic circle in a bid to strengthen its finance practice, hiring Linklaters debt capital markets (DCM) partner Francis Kucera to its City-based securities and derivatives practice.

In his new role, Kucera will strengthen Ashurst’s DCM offering in the emerging markets. He joins a two-partner team – including former Linklaters’ colleague Stephen Edlmann who joined in 2010 and Clifford Chance senior associate Derwin Jenkinson, who joined as a partner in January this year. The team is led by Anna Delgado, who joined from Allen & Overy ten years ago.

Continue reading “Ashurst delves into Magic Circle for Linklaters DCM partner as Beddow named corporate co-head”

Team hire: Pinsents boosts Paris practice with TMT hires from local boutique

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Pinsent Masons has launched a Paris TMT practice with a six-strong team from Paris-based boutique technology firm Ichay & Mullenex Avocats (IMA).

Led by partners Diane Mullenex and Frédéric Ichay, along with Annabelle Richards who joins as a legal director, the team will bolster Pinsents’ around 25-strong French base, which opened in September 2012 and includes 10 partners.

Since forming in 2004, IMA has focused on technology, telecoms, e-commerce transactions and in regulated online businesses, including gaming and gambling and is recommended in The Legal 500.

Continue reading “Team hire: Pinsents boosts Paris practice with TMT hires from local boutique”

Germany: McDermott hires Ashurst Munich partner to head private equity

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Ashurst has lost a second senior partner in Germany as Nikolaus von Jacobs leaves to head up McDermott Will & Emery’s Munich private equity practice, citing a growing interest among US private equity funds in European investment opportunities.

Von Jacobs, who previously headed Ashurst’s local private equity team, specialises in venture capital, public and private M&A as well as private equity. One of his main clients is  independent Luxembourg-based fund Palero Capital. Continue reading “Germany: McDermott hires Ashurst Munich partner to head private equity”

Ashurst’s Lloyd set to join Allen & Overy subject to partner vote

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Ashurst’s high profile global head of corporate Stephen Lloyd appears set to join Allen & Overy (A&O) after resigning from the newly-merged firm in November.

While Lloyd’s move is still subject to a vote by the Magic Circle firm’s partnership, one corporate partner at A&O told Legal Business: ‘It’s not final, but it’s very likely. We are pretty excited about him joining. He is a really good operational lawyer and a good cultural fit.’ Continue reading “Ashurst’s Lloyd set to join Allen & Overy subject to partner vote”

Revolving doors: Strategic growth for Mishcon, Hill Dickinson, Herbert Smith Freehills, Orrick Rambaud and Addleshaw Goddard

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Mishcon de Reya this week (25 November) announced that it is to completely restructure its tax offering, consolidating its real estate, corporate tax, and private tax and wealth planning divisions and invest in the area with the hire King & Wood Mallesons SJ Berwin tax partner John Skoulding and solicitor Charlie Sosna from Berkeley Law.

Focusing on UK and international M&A, management buy-outs and corporate restructurings, among other issues, Skoulding has worked across sectors including betting and gaming, fashion, retail, intellectual property and financial services. Continue reading “Revolving doors: Strategic growth for Mishcon, Hill Dickinson, Herbert Smith Freehills, Orrick Rambaud and Addleshaw Goddard”

Team hire: TLT takes on 30-strong Irwin Mitchell team in Manchester

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TLT is putting its fledgling Manchester office at the centre of its UK-wide growth plans as the top 60 LB100 firm takes on a 30-strong Irwin Mitchell team, including former commercial litigation head John Lord.

The six-partner team, who will join the 250-lawyer firm’s six month old Manchester office before Christmas, also includes non-contentious property partner Andrew Bell, employment partner Ed Cotton, corporate partner Jon Close, commercial litigation partner Julien Luke and banking and finance litigation partner Tom Seabrook, along with 24 solicitors, paralegals and support staff. Continue reading “Team hire: TLT takes on 30-strong Irwin Mitchell team in Manchester”

PwC boosts energy capability with hire of NRF head of nuclear Fiona Reilly

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PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has boosted its nuclear energy capability with the hire of longstanding Norton Rose Fulbright energy partner and head of nuclear services Fiona Reilly, the third departure from the top 10 LB100 firm’s London office this month.

Reilly joined the now 2647-lawyer firm in January 1999, having previously worked in-house as commercial counsel at UK nuclear steam turbine producer Alstom.

During her time at Norton Rose Reilly, who became a partner in 2011, was seconded to Star Energy as its general counsel, advising on corporate and commercial issues. Continue reading “PwC boosts energy capability with hire of NRF head of nuclear Fiona Reilly”

NRF loses second competition veteran as Mark Jones joins Hogan Lovells

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Hogan Lovells has confirmed its latest lateral hire is Norton Rose Fulbright longstanding antitrust partner Mark Jones, who is to join the antitrust, competition and economic regulation (ACER) practice at the transatlantic firm in the New Year.

Jones is experienced in various aspects of competition law including behavioural and market investigations, merger control and compliance and utilities regulation, across the energy, infrastructure, insurance, and retail sectors. Continue reading “NRF loses second competition veteran as Mark Jones joins Hogan Lovells”

Dentons’ Howard Morris to join Morrison & Foerster as head of business restructuring

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One of Dentons best-known long term senior managers and a solid restructuring partner, Howard Morris has joined Morrison & Foerster to head its business restructuring & insolvency group in London, nearly three months after the banking lawyer resigned from the firm after 22 years as a partner.

Morris (pictured) joined legacy Denton Hall in 1991 and served in a number of senior positions as the firm grew and changed names under successive mergers, including the shared role of chief executive alongside current CEO Elliot Portnoy at SNR Denton, created out of the 2010 merger with US-based Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal. Continue reading “Dentons’ Howard Morris to join Morrison & Foerster as head of business restructuring”