Move of the week
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer M&A partner Ben Spiers is exiting the firm for Simpson Thacher & Bartlett in London. Spiers has various FTSE 100 clients in the technology sector, having led Freshfields’ TMT practice for five years. He also co-headed the firm’s M&A practice between 2012 and 2015.
UK
London
Dechert is continuing to bulk up in London, this time hiring from Kirkland & Ellis and White & Case. The US firm has recruited Kirkland European debt finance partner John Markland and White & Case private equity partner Ross Allardice.
RPC partner Christopher Butler has joined Kennedys professional indemnity construction practice as a partner.
King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) global energy co-head Neil Upton has left the firm to join Squire Patton Boggs. He will be accompanied by associates Sushma Maharaj, Jasdeep Puri and Maurice Katsigazi, as well as two business services staff.
Corker Binning has recruited Claire Cross as of counsel. Cross was formerly a senior lawyer at the Financial Conduct Authority in the criminal prosecution team.
Clyde & Co has hired Waltons & Morse lawyer Chris Pratts as a partner in its marine cargo group. Waltons & Morse is now part of Kennedys Law.
Arnold & Porter has announced that Guney Clark & Ryan partner Sean Curran has joined the firm’s white-collar defence practice in London.
Fieldfisher has hired another lawyer from Mayer Brown’s finance team – this time recruiting partner Richard Todd.
Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle has hired Stewarts Law partner Thomas Williams to its litigation practice.
South
Family and divorce lawyer Katharine Shaw has joined Irwin Mitchell’s partnership in Southampton. She was formerly a partner at Wilsons Law.
Midlands
Nottingham-based firm Richard Nelson has hired Nick Holroyd as a financial crime consultant solicitor. He was previously a partner at Slater & Gordon.
Veale Wasbrough Vizards has appointed immigration lawyer Tom Brett Young as an associate in its Birmingham office. He joins from ASG Immigration, where he was also an associate.
North
Knights has hired Philip Woolham as head of its new pensions team. Woolham was formerly an associate at Brabners. The firm has also picked up a team from TLT Solicitors led by partner John Lord. The team specialises in commercial litigation and debt recovery.
Corporate lawyer Ian Vicary has joined Excello Law from the partnership of Weightmans. At Weightmans, Vicary led the Liverpool company and commercial team.
Bolton and Bury-based Clough & Willis has recruited Susan Mackintosh as a private client solicitor from Woodcocks Haworth & Nuttall.
Europe
Taylor Wessing has hired a five-lawyer banking team from KWM in Frankfurt. German banking and finance head Sabine Schomaker is leading the team over to Taylor Wessing and she will be joined by partner Clemens Niedner, as well as KWM associates Ulf Gosejacob, Michael Beyer and Jacqueline Urbing.
Pedersoli e Associati partner Alessandro Fosco Fagotto has joined Dentons as head of its banking and finance practice in Italy. He joins with a team of five professionals including senior associates Edoardo Galeotti and Franco Paolo Gialloreti, and associate Silvia Cammalleri.
Emmanuelle Porte has joined Bird & Bird as a partner in its corporate and life sciences groups in Paris. She joins from boutique firm Redlink, where she was a partner.
US
K&L Gates has hired Joseph Condo as a partner in the energy and infrastructure projects and transactions practice. He joins from renewable energy company Invenergy, where he acted as senior vice-president and general counsel.
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett partner Matthew Reilly has joined Kirkland & Ellis’s Washington DC office as a competition partner.
Cooley is growing its communications regulatory practice in Washington DC with the arrival of Wiley Rein partner Robert McDowell. He will co-lead the firm’s communications group.
Asia Pacific
Addleshaw Goddard has bolstered its Asia corporate practice with the appointment of Goodwin Procter partner Andrew Yang to its Hong Kong office.
Australia
Clifford Chance Australia co-founder Mark Pistilli and DLA Piper’s former Australia chief Tony Holland are among six new partners to join PwC Legal in Sydney and Melbourne. Clifford Chance partner Danny Simmons and counsel Joni Henry are also joining along with HSF senior associate Paul Saward and Lander & Rogers partner Andrew Farr.
HSF is set to lose further lawyers to White & Case’s new offices in Australia. Melbourne-based HSF senior associates Adeline Pang and Ged Cochrane, as well as special counsel Michelle Keen, will join the project finance team as partners.
Osborne Clarke’s associated Singapore office OC Queen Street has hired Drew & Napier director Ralph Lim as head of the office’s corporate and M&A practice.
Promotions
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has promoted eight partners across the US and Europe. Jim Ho is the firm’s sole promotion in London. Ho has been made up in the firm’s corporate practice.
Bristows has appointed corporate partner Marek Petecki as one of the firm’s joint managing partners. He will work alongside Theo Savvides, and succeeds Mark Watts.
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