Move of the week
Mayer Brown has hired energy partner Mathew Kidwell from Morgan Lewis & Bockius. Kidwell served in Morgan Lewis’ London office for three years, having previously worked at other US firms such as K&L Gates and Shearman & Sterling. During his career, he has represented companies, banks and project sponsors in transactions spanning the Middle East, Africa and Europe.
UK
London
Hogan Lovells has bolstered its employment and executive compensation and share incentives (ESI) capability with the addition of two partners. Stefan Martin joins from the partnership of Mayer Brown, while Paul Randall, who will co-head the team, led Ashurst’s ESI practice.
Maples Teesdale has hired Jo Preece as a senior associate in its construction team. She formerly worked in the same role at Herbert Smith Freehills.
Irwin Mitchell has appointed legacy Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co legal director Akhil Sharma as a partner in its banking and finance team.
Amrish Sharma has joined DWF as a director in the firm’s City-based banking team. Sharma joins from legacy Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co.
Edward Smith has joined Travers Smith’s restructuring and insolvency practice. He was previously a partner at K&L Gates.
Gordon Dadds has strengthened its private wealth team with the appointment of Iain Mair as partner. He was previously director of international wealth structuring at Miami-based Scotia Private Client Group.
Pinsent Masons has appointed Andrew Scott, the former director of business tax at HMRC’s solicitor’s office, as a legal director in its tax disputes practice.
Private client lawyer Catherine Pugsley has joined Harcus Sinclair as an associate, after founding Pugsley Law in Italy.
Dentons has hired two new partners in London: Clifford Chance structured finance partner Peter Voisey and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer senior associate and projects lawyer Alistair Black.
Andrew Hood is joining Dechert as a senior director in its international trade and government regulation practice. Hood most recently served as legal adviser to the Prime Minister.
South
Gardner Leader Solicitors has recruited commercial property senior associate Joanna Bullard in Newbury. She was previously a commercial property risk manager at Darbys Solicitors.
North
Doncaster firm Atherton Godfrey has hired employment law solicitor Natalie Harris from Hull-based Rradar.
DLA Piper legal director James Crellin has joined Walker Morris as a director in its Leeds banking and finance team.
Jonathan Watmough has joined Bond Dickinson as a managing associate, having been a principal associate in Mills & Reeve’s professional negligence team for 11 years.
Europe
McDermott Will & Emery has welcomed Alexis Werl as a partner in its Paris office. Werl joins the firm’s trial practice group from Teitgen Werl Avocats.
Stéphanie Pautot has joined Elvinger Hoss Prussen in Luxembourg as a counsel. She focuses on private equity transactions.
Heuking Kühn Lüer Wojtek has recruited litigation partner Jens-Hendrik Janzen, who joins from the Stuttgart partnership of Menold Bezler Rechtsanwälte.
PLMJ has hired real estate senior associate Sara Barbot Roquette in Portugal.
Belgian law firm Janson Baugniet has recruited disputes partner Céline Masschelein from Allen & Overy.
Baker & McKenzie has boosted its M&A and private equity practice with the appointment of Peter Wand as a partner in Frankfurt. Wand joins the firm from Debevoise & Plimpton where he was international counsel.
US
Colleen McDonald has joined Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton as a partner in the firm’s finance and bankruptcy practice group based in San Francisco. McDonald joins from Reed Smith, where she was a partner for eight years.
Cooley has continued to bolster its business department in Palo Alto with the return of partner Laura Berezin. She rejoins Cooley’s life sciences group from Hogan Lovells, where she has been a partner since 2011.
Julie Riewe, former co-chief of the asset management unit of the SEC’s division of enforcement, will be joining Debevoise & Plimpton as a partner in the firm’s white collar and regulatory defence group.
South Africa
Hogan Lovells has picked up three partners from Linklaters ally Webber Wentzel. These include corporate partner Vaughn Harrison, and competition duo Lesley Morphet and Nkonzo Hlatshwayo.
Asia-Pacific
K&L Gates has bolstered its Brisbane office with the appointment of real estate partner Chris Wille. Wille joins from the partnership of Holding Redlich.
Jones Day has announced that Roger Dobson and Katie Higgins have joined the firm’s Sydney office as partners in its business restructuring and reorganisation practice. They arrive from Henry Davis York, where they were both partners.
Offshore
Babbé Guernsey Advocates has hired associate Jael Crystal- Azah to its private client wealth management team. She was formerly a solicitor at Meaby & Co.
The Bar
Radcliffe Chambers has hired Peter Crampin QC and Oliver Hilton, who both join from 3 Stone Buildings.
Promotions
Wright Hassall has appointed its first female managing partner. Sarah Perry takes over from Richard Lane, who becomes senior partner of the Leamington-based firm, after seven years as managing partner.
Lisbon-based Miranda & Associados has announced the election of Nuno Antunes as a partner. Nuno specialises in international maritime and oil and gas issues.
Seddons has promoted Daniel Robin and Moshe Moses to the role of partner, bringing the number of partners at the firm to 29. Both trained at the firm and specialise in property litigation and residential property sales respectively.