Law Firm Partner Moves in London

Addleshaw Goddard

Addleshaw Goddard has hired construction partner Julia Court from King & Wood Mallesons. Court specialises in advising private and public sector owners, developers, funders, and contractors.

Akin Gump

U.S firm Akin Gump welcomes Kambiz Larizadeh from Addleshaw Goddard into the Dispute Resolution practice. Larizadeh focuses on highvalue, cross-border commercial litigation and international arbitration matters.

Ashfords

National law firm Ashfords has hired Jim Morris as head of the firm's Aviation team. Morris moves from Irwin Mitchell and was a former RAF pilot.

Baker Botts

Baker Botts has strengthened its Energy practice with the hire of James Douglass. Douglass, was head of Energy, Infrastructure and Resources EMEA at King & Wood Mallesons, and specialises in the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects.

Baker McKenzie

Global law firm Baker McKenzie has hired Will Holder and Carl Richards in the M&A/Private Equity and Employment departments respectively. Holder was head of King & Wood Mallesons’ China group and his practice spans across corporate/M&A and private equity, with a particular focus on technology, sports, media and entertainment. Richards was head of Employment at King & Wood Mallesons, he advised on employment aspects of corporate transactions, including complex carve outs. He also has worked with a number of funds on employment/incentive issues.

BDBF

Cerys Williams joins this leading employment law boutique as a partner. Williams was a counsel at King & Wood Mallesons, and advises businesses and senior executives on contentious and non-contentious matters.

BDBF

Cerys Williams joins this leading employment law boutique as a partner. Williams was a counsel at King & Wood Mallesons, and advises businesses and senior executives on contentious and non-contentious matters.

Bird & Bird

Bird & Bird has launched an international Tax Disputes practice based in the UK, with the appointment of a team from PwC Legal led by Andy Brown and Justin Balson. Brown is recognised as one of the leading tax disputes practitioners in the UK, specialising in tax investigations and high profile tax disputes. Balson is an experienced tax disputes solicitor. Guadalupe Sampedro also joins as a partner in the International Privacy & Data Protection practice from PayPal where she was the EU data protection officer.

BLM

BLM rehires Ross Baker as partner in its London-based Professional Indemnity team. He was previously solicitor at the firm between 2002- 2009. Baker joins BLM from Bond Dickinson. Baker specialises in professional indemnity and directors’ and officers’ insurance.

Blake Morgan

Blake Morgan has recently appointed Kate Silverman and Justin Weare as partners. Silverman, was a partner in the Social Housing team at TLT and joins the London-based Built Environment team. She specialises in housing and regeneration and advises Registered Providers and local authorities. Weare, an associate at Jones Day, joins the Commercial Litigation team as a partner. He advises domestic, international and multinational corporates, as well as individuals, on shareholder and joint venture disputes, offshore claims, energy disputes and product liability matters.

Boodle Hatfield

Boodle Hatfield has appointed Thomas Williams in the Litigation practice. Williams joins the firm from Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP. Much of his practice is international and focuses on commercial litigation and arbitration.

Bristows

Bristows has hired Robert Bond who was head of Data Protection and Cyber Security at Charles Russell Speechly. Bond joins the Commercial IT team and specialises in e-commerce, computer games, media and publishing, data protection, information security and cyber risks.

Browne Jacobson

Browne Jacobson continues to widen its insurance offering with the appointments of Colin Peck and Francis Mackie, who both join from Weightmans. Peck advises on insurance and reinsurance policy coverage and related disputes, litigation, arbitration and mediation, focusing on the London and Lloyd's markets. Mackie specialises in the London insurance and reinsurance market.

Bryan Cave

Bryan Cave expands its U.S. Private Client team with the hire of David Adler who joins from McDermott Will & Emery. Adler is a U.S. tax lawyer who advises international entities, individuals and intermediaries on U.S. related planning.

Clyde & Co

Clyde & Co has appointed two partners: Robert Lawson QC and David Hansom. Commercial barrister Lawson QC joins from Quadrant Chambers and will be in the firm’s Aviation team. Hansom, a partner and national head of the Public Sector team at Veale Wasbrough Vizards, will lead the firm's public procurement offering.

Covington & Burling

Covington & Burling has hired King & Wood Mallesons’ head of Fraud and Investigations Ian Hargreaves. Hargreaves will join the U.S firm in its European Dispute Resolution practice. He focuses on major European white collar and related civil and regulatory issues.

DAC Beachcroft

Former King & Woods Malleson counsel Helen Murcott joins the London Real Estate practice at DAC Beachcroft as a partner. She acts for occupiers on HQ relocations and has extensive experience of structured real estate transactions and real estate finance. She also brings with her the Royal London relationship. The firm has promoted to partner two legal directors from Clyde & Co: Michelle Traxler and Tom Walshaw. Both follow four other partners from Clyde & Co who joined the firm’s Claims Solution Group at the end of 2016.

Debevoise & Plimpton

The New York firm has appointed leading arbitration and public international law practitioner Wendy Miles QC as partner in the International Dispute Resolution group. She joins from Boies, Schiller & Flexner. Miles QC has experience conducting arbitrations under all the major institutions, as well as ad hoc arbitrations and significant public international law matters.

Dentons

Dentons welcomes Nick Hayday, counsel at Freshfields, into the Capital Markets group as a partner. Hayday specialises in a wide range of securities work, including advising underwriters and issuers in connection with issues of debt, equity, equity-related and Islamic finance securities.

DLA Piper

DLA Piper has hired Omer Maroof as a partner in the Real Estate department. Maroof, a managing associate at King & Wood Mallesons, and follows the Real Estate team led by William Naunton. Maroof advises on real estate investment, management, forward funding, corporate structured real estate and development work.

DWF

DWF has appointed Alistair Hogarth as partner in the Corporate M&A team. He joins from PwC Legal. He specialises in mid-tier mergers and acquisitions transactions, large-scale due diligence projects, private equity transactions, and joint ventures across sectors including energy and industry, retail and technology.

Eversheds Sutherland

Eversheds Sutherland welcomes four new partners: Peter Harper, Karim Mahmud, Frank Thompson and Carl Allen. Harper who was a senior associate at Allen & Overy, joins the firm as a partner in the EU Competition team. He has advised clients on high profile, complex and strategic global and UK-focused transactions and investigations. Mahmud, a projects partner, was recruited from Jones Day. His practice focuses on the structuring, development and implementation of major energy projects with an emphasis on the oil & gas sector. Thompson leaves K&L Gates, where he was a senior associate. Thompson’s practice focuses on insurance coverage disputes and noncontentious coverage advice. Allen joins from Pinsent Masons and specialises in financial restructuring and business recovery.

Fieldfisher

Fieldfisher continues its expansion with the hire of three new partners: Keith Barrett, James Walsh and Shane De Beer. Claimant personal injury partner Keith Barrett joins from Irwin Mitchell. Tech partner Walsh joins from King & Wood Mallesons and advises clients on network infrastructure projects, IT and business process outsourcing, data centre projects and digital regulation. Energy partner de Beer joins from Dechert. His practice focuses on Russia, the CIS and the Middle East, and he is experienced in international energy and M&A transactions.

Foot Antsey

Foot Antsey has appointed Ian Stubbs as a partner in the firm’s Construction team. Stubbs joins from Pinsent Masons, where he headed a team working on some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects.

Forsters

Previously a counsel at Hogan Lovells, Victoria du Croz joins Forsters as a partner in the Planning team. Du Croz advises developers, institutional investors and public sector bodies on the whole range of complex planning issues.

Fox Williams

Fox Williams has strengthened its Dispute Resolution practice with the hire of David Butler. Butler was a partner and co-head of Harvey’s Cayman Island Litigation and Insolvency practice.

Goodwin

Matthew Pohlman joins Goodwin’s London office as a Real Estate partner in the Hospitality group. Pohlman was previously senior vice president and corporate counsel at the Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts.

Gowling WLG

Gowling WLG welcomes Gordon Bell as a partner in the International Arbitration team. Bell was previously a partner and co-head of International Arbitration at Reed Smith and before that was head of International Arbitration at Pinsent Masons. He has experience in the construction, energy, oil and gas sector.

Greenberg Traurig

Greenberg Traurig further strengthens its Real Estate department with the hire of leading real estate partner Danielle Martin from Reed Smith. Martin focuses her practice on complex transactions in the private equity real estate sector.

Haynes and Boone

U.S firm Haynes and Boone has appointed three partners this round-up. Emma Russell and Zoe Connor are hired as partners in the Financial Services team and Andreas Silcher re-joins the firm. Russell, who was previously at Carey Olsen, is an experienced finance lawyer specialising in real estate finance and funds finance. Connor joins the firm from Ashurst, where she was senior associate, her practice focuses on the financing of investment funds and financial institutions. Silcher rejoins the firm following a time as general counsel of the LNG division at the Cardiff/Dryships Group. Silcher represents clients in transactional matters in the maritime and offshore energy sectors.

Hill Dickinson

International law firm Hill Dickinson has further expanded its Shipping practice with the hiring of Tony Swinnerton and Lewis Moore from Swinnerton Moore LLP. Swinnerton specialises in all aspects of contentious dry shipping. Moore specialises in ship sale and purchase, ship finance and all shipping related contentious matters. The firm has also made two senior appointments to its Insurance practice. Neil Trayhurn and Dragos Stoica join from Triton Global Limited. Trayhurn joins as head of Insurance and Stoica joins the firm as partner having held the position of commercial director and solicitor.

Hogan Lovells

Hogan Lovells welcomes Claire Lipworth as a partner in its Financial Services Litigation practice. Lipworth was previously chief criminal counsel at the FCA. She brings criminal expertise to the firm’s financial services litigation, investigations and white collar fraud practices.

Howard Kennedy

Blake Morgan head of Residential Real Estate Pervaze Ahmed has left to head Howard Kennedy’s Residential Real Estate team. Ahmed’s specific expertise resides in purchasing or disposing of prime or super-prime residential property in Central London.

Irwin Mitchell

Irwin Mitchell expands its Private Client team with the hire of family law and divorce barrister Ian Cook. Cook joins from 1 Kings Bench Walk Chambers and is a specialist finance practitioner within family law.

Jenner & Block

U.S firm Jenner & Block hires Jason Yardley, a Litigation partner from White & Case, into the Litigation team. Yardley has represented clients in a broad range of matters involving banking, finance, mining, energy, technology, media and telecommunications issues.

K&L Gates

K&L Gates has hired three partners. Disputes partner Clarissa Coleman joins K&L Gates from Addleshaw Goddard. Coleman’s practice focuses on corporate crime, specifically serious fraud cases. Aviation Finance partners Philip Perrotta and Sidanth Rajagopal both join from Kaye Scholer. Perrotta was the managing partner of Kaye Scholer in London, prior to the firm’s merger with Arnold & Porter.

Katten Muchin Rosenman

This roundup sees Katten expanding its Corporate practice with the hiring of Paul Rosen as partner. Rosen was a legal director at Clyde & Co. He has a broad corporate practice cover; M&A, private equity, corporate finance and capital markets. He also advises on asset management and funds.

Kingsley Napley

Kingsley Napley has expanded its London practice with the hire of Juliet Carp as an Employment partner. Carp was previously at the London office of U.S firm Dorsey & Whitney.

Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins continues to grow its Dispute Resolution practice in 2017 with the hire of commercial litigation partner Martin Davies. Davies was a partner in the Litigation group at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and is the first partner to leave the firm in London.

Lewis Silkin

Lewis Silkin makes two new hires during this roundup; Dr. Christopher Hayes and Andrew Wanamwaba. Hayes, a barrister from IBB Solicitors joins as a partner, advises hightechnology and brand-driven multinational businesses across a variety of sectors, including IT and telecoms, software, automotive, manufacturing and pharmaceuticals. Wanamwaba, a litigation partner from Ogier has extensive experience in advising major corporations, technology market innovators in emerging industries such as Fin Tech, and
financial institutions.

Linklaters

A rare lateral partner hire for Linklaters in London with the appointment of ex-Goldman Sachs managing director and senior counsel, Susanna Cao Miranda. Joining the Litigation department, Cao Miranda’s practice focuses on contentious regulatory issues within the financial services sector.

Locke Lord

Locke Lord expands its Corporate practice with the hire of Sean Page, from Pinsent Masons. Page's work includes public and private M&A and equity capital markets transactions, with a cross-border element.

Memery Crystal

Memery Crystal appoints two new partners this roundup: Jonathan Riley who joins the Commercial and Media Technology team and Alex Barnes who joins the Tax department. Riley, previously a partner at Gowling WLG, advises on sales and marketing, agency, distribution, licensing, franchising, sponsorship, merchandising, e-commerce, and related regulatory areas. Barnes was a former partner at Irwin Mitchell, focuses his practice on a wide range of corporate and real estate matters.

McGuire Woods

McGuire Woods has hired Jennifer Kafcas in the firm’s Debt Finance and Derivatives practice in London from O’Melveny & Myers where she was a senior counsel. She advises lenders and borrowers in complex structured and crossborder transactions in Europe and the U.S.

Mishcon de Reya

Dispute Resolution partner Shaistah Akhtar joins Mishcon de Reya from King & Wood Mallesons. Akhtar will be responsible for the coordination of the firm's Investigations, Fraud and Compliance group. The firm has also hired Jo Rickards as a partner in the Business Crime group from Kingsley Napley. An expert in white collar crime, Rickards represents individuals and corporate clients embroiled in corruption, fraud and money laundering.

Morrison & Foerster

Morrison & Foerster has recruited Rob Mailer as a partner in corporate/private equity from King & Wood Mallesons. His practice focuses on private investment fund formation and fundraising, acting for both managers and investors.

O’Melveny & Myers

U.S law firm O’Melveny & Myers has hired leading investment management partner Jonathan Blake. Blake was previously the managing partner of SJ Berwin and head of King & Wood Mallesons’ International Funds group. Blake’s experience focuses on various private and public funds.

Osborne Clarke

Osborne Clarke makes three lateral hires this roundup: Rachel Couter from King & Wood Mallesons, where she led the firm’s Contentious Financial Services Regulatory practice; Nikki Worden from Addleshaw Goddard who was a partner in the Financial Regulatory team; and Arty Rajendra, who previously headed up the UK Litigation practice at Rouse Legal. She has extensive experience in trade mark, patent and design litigation.

Pinsent Masons

Pinsent Masons welcomes two partners this round-up. The firm has rehired EU Competition partner Alan Davis from Jones Day, as head of its EU and Competition practice. Hammand Akhtar, who joins from Ashurst, is a corporate partner who advises clients in the insurance, retail banking and private banking sectors.

Radcliffes LeBrasseur

Radcliffes LeBrasseur expands its Real Estate team hiring three partners who all join from Veale Wasbrough Vizards; Ping Leung, Philip Vickers and Hei Leung. The team has experience acting for wealthy overseas individuals, investors, trust companies, and private banks on all aspects of residential and commercial real estate portfolio.

Reed Smith

Reed Smith secures multiple lateral appointments as a result of the demise of King & Wood Mallesons in London. The firm has added seven partners to its London office, with the hires of partners in financial regulation, corporate, private equity and tax all from King & Wood Mallesons. Financial regulatory partners Tim Dolan, Tamasin Little and Adrian Brown join alongside corporate partners Delphine Currie and Mark Sanders, private equity partner Laura Brunnen, and tax partner Gareth Amdor.

Seddons

Seddons has hired Susan Monty as a commercial litigation partner. Monty, joins from Simons Muirhead & Burton where she led the Financial Crime, Civil Fraud & Regulatory Litigation team. She specialises in the resolution of complex financial and regulatory disputes.

Shakespeare Martineau

Shakespeare Martineau has hired Winston Bell- Gam as a partner specialising in energy and infrastructure finance. Bell-Gam was previously at the East African Development Bank, where he was head of legal.

Shoosmiths

National law firm Shoosmiths has hired two new partners into the firm's London office specialising in corporate and financial services practices. Andrew Lockerbie, from TLT, joins the corporate team as a restructuring and insolvency partner. David Pacey joins as a partner from the FCA. He leads the firm's Financial Services Litigation strategy nationally.

Sidley Austin

Sidley Austin strengthens its Corporate Restructuring practice in London with the hire of Linklaters managing associate Jennifer Brennan, who joins as a partner. Brennan advises the full range of stakeholders across the capital structure on restructuring and finance transactions.

Signature Litigation

Litigation boutique firm Signature Litigation has hired two partners: Simon Bushell and Josh Wong. Bushell was Latham & Watkins’ London Litigation chair. His practice focuses on international commercial litigation and arbitration. Wong, who joins from DLA Piper, is a commercial litigator and international arbitrator and leads on matters involving Europe and China.

Simmons & Simmons

Simmons & Simmons has made seven partner hires this roundup: Jen Yee Chan, Cindy Valentine, Jonathan Mellor, Simon Ovenden, Rosali Pretorius, Helen Hagan, and David Parkes. Yee Chan, who was a partner at King & Wood Mallesons, specialises in funds finance and general bank lending. Valentine, formally cohead of King & Wood Mallesons’ Africa Group, focuses her practice on a wide range of international funds. Mellor, joining from Allen & Overy, advises underwriters and issues on capital markets issuances. Ovenden, a partner from Cleary Gottlieb & Steen Hamilton, has extensive experience representing corporate and sovereign issuers, as well as financial institutions, in issuances of debt and equity securities. Pretorious joins from Dentons where she led the firm’s Non-Contentious Financial Regulatory practice in London. She specialises in market infrastructure, commodities, derivatives and alternative investment funds. Hagan joins from Herbert Smith Freehills where she was an of counsel. She advises borrowers and lenders on a broad range of lending transactions and debt restructurings. Parkes joins from King & Wood Mallesons and specialises in domestic and international M&A.

Slaughter and May

Slaughter and May has hired its first ever London lateral partner, taking Herbert Smith Freehills head of pensions Daniel Schaffer. Schaffer, specialises in advising on all aspects of pensions law, with a particular focus on strategic advisory and transactional work.

Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs welcomes projects/energy partner Ian Wood and real estate partner John Danahy, who both join from King & Wood Mallesons. Wood’s practice focuses on nuclear energy, waste management and decommissioning. Danahy has experience in major real estate transactions and energy and infrastructure projects.

Stephenson Harwood

Stephenson Harwood has hired a trio of King & Wood Mallesons corporate partners, including former UK private equity co-head Jonathan Pittal, corporate finance partner Warren Allan and private equity partner Gabriel Boghossian. Pittal advises private equity houses and other leading financial institutions on a wide range of corporate finance matters. Allan deals with a wide range of corporate finance matters including private fund formation, secondary transactions and leveraged buyouts. Boghossian works principally in M&A and private equity, acting for corporates, sponsors and management teams.

Wiggin

Wiggin appoints Chris Hanson as partner in its Film & TV practice. Hanson was previously head of DLA Piper’s IPT department. His practice focuses on the film, television and video-game industries.

Winckworth Sherwood

Winckworth Sherwood hires three partners to its London office in social housing finance, private client and litigation. Ruby Giblin, previously a senior associate at Clifford Chance, joins as a partner in the Social Housing Finance Team. Tim Fogarty, previously a partner at RPC, joins in the Real Estate Disputes team. He represents UK house builders in development disputes. Amanda Andrews joins as a partner in the Private Client group. She has extensive knowledge and experience in all aspects of family law and especially complex children issues and finances. Andrews was previously a partner at specialist family law firm Levison Meltzer
Pigott.

Winston & Strawn

U.S firm Winston & Strawn has continued expansion of its London office, hiring finance partner Ian Borman. Borman was the Head of Finance for EMEA and the global coordinator of the Acquisition Finance Practice at King & Wood Mallesons. He has a broad practice, covering a range of debt financing and structured transactions.