Welcome to this week’s update, where we bring you the latest moves, promotions, and strategic appointments shaping the legal industry.
Partner Moves
Individual
UK & Ireland
Reed Smith hires London Antitrust Partner from Morgan Lewis
Reed Smith has hired experienced Antitrust Partner Paul Johnson in London from Morgan Lewis & Bockius. Paul leaves Morgan Lewis after 18 months, having previously worked at Baker McKenzie, where he was based in London and Brussels and made partner in 2015.
Latham hires new Private Equity Partner from Hg
Latham & Watkins has continued its tech M&A push with the addition of a Private Equity Partner from Hg. Samantha McGonigle has joined the law firm’s London office as a Partner in its M&A and private equity practice after just over two years as general counsel at Hg.
Anderson Strathern appoints Partner to expand disputes team in Edinburgh
Anderson Strathern has strengthened its dispute resolution team with the appointment of a new Partner as demand for specialist estate dispute advice continues to grow. Sarah-Jane Macdonald has joined the firm to support the expansion of its contentious trusts and estates practice and joins from Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie.
Lewis Silkin adds corporate crime specialist to growing dispute resolution team in London
Lewis Silkin has announced that Iskander Fernandez has joined the firm as a Partner, specialising in corporate crime. Iskander joins from Kennedys.
BCLP expands Corporate practice in London with new Partner hire
Sian Williams has joined the Corporate Transaction practice in London as a Partner at BCLP. Sian joined from Baker Botts.
BCLP hires longtime Squire Patton Boggs Employment Head in London
BCLP has hired Employment Partner Caroline Noblet in London from Squire Patton Boggs, continuing to expand its employment practice. Noblet joins after more than 35 years at Squires, where she built an international employment practice and served as the firm’s global Head of Employment for more than a decade.
Christopher Love joins Weightmans in Manchester
Christopher Love joins Weightmans Manchester office as an Insolvency and Restructuring Partner. Christopher was previously a Partner at Primas.
Simmons & Simmons hires new practice Co-Head
Amir Ghaffari has left the UAE-UK boutique he founded just over a year ago to join Simmons & Simmons in London as Global Co-Head of international arbitration.
Paul Hastings continues London build with A&O Shearman Partner hire
Paul Hastings has hired High Yield Partner Brad Weyland from A&O Shearman in London, continuing the expansion of its London finance practice.
Trowers & Hamlins hires Partner to lead Birmingham Real Estate team
Law firm Trowers & Hamlins has appointed a new Partner to lead its Real Estate team in Birmingham. A qualified solicitor with 30 years’ experience, David Meecham joins Trowers from TLT, where he was Head of Housing and Regeneration.
Browne Jacobson appoints Real Estate Litigation Partner in London
UK and Ireland law firm Browne Jacobson has appointed Simone Ketchell as a Real Estate Litigation Partner, the latest appointment in what has been the most ambitious real estate expansion in the firm’s history. Simone joins from global firm CMS and has twenty-five years practising real estate litigation.
Strengthening Finance and Capital Markets practice with Stephen Hannigan hire
Stephen Hannigan joins as a Partner in Walkers’ Finance & Capital Markets team in Dublin. Stephen joins from A&L Goodbody where he was a Senior Associate.
Fieldfisher Expands Personal Injury Team with Partner Megan Goodyer from Stewarts
European law firm Fieldfisher has announced the appointment of leading personal injury partner Megan Goodyer to join its personal injury and medical negligence team in London. Megan joins from Stewarts where she was a Senior Associate.
Europe
Mike joins from Clifford Chance with more than 15 years’ experience advising developers, operators, sponsors, lenders and investors on complex domestic and cross-border project and infrastructure financings. He has spent over a decade advising on data-centre transactions.
McDermott expands investment funds practice with Partner hire in Frankfurt
Global law firm McDermott Will & Schulte is continuing to strengthen its European transactions platform with the addition of Olena Tokman as a Partner in its investment management practice. Olena joins from Linklaters.
Fieldfisher appoints litigator from Flick Gocke Schaumburg
Dr. Benny Wünschmann is moving to Fieldfisher as a Partner from Flick Gocke Schaumburg, where he will strengthen the conflict resolution practice in Berlin.
New Partner strengthens Corporate M&A and PE capabilities in Amsterdam
International law firm Simmons & Simmons has strengthened its Amsterdam office and European transactional offering with the appointment of Tjerk de Jonge as Partner in its Corporate practice. Tjerk joins after over a decade at Clifford Chance, where he was Counsel.
Middle East
Reed Smith hires Mohammed Basama as Partner in Middle East
Reed Smith has appointed Mohammed Basama as Partner in its Corporate Group, the firm officialised. Basama joins from King & Spalding and will be based across the firm’s UAE and Saudi Arabia operations.
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer expands Riyadh team with Regulatory and Public Policy Partner
Leading global law firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer announced today that Abdullah Al‑Obaid has joined the firm as a Partner establishing a Regulatory and Public Policy practice, based in Riyadh. Abdullah joins the firm from AS&H Clifford Chance in Riyadh.
Team
King & Spalding takes WilmerHale London raid to 11 lawyers
King & Spalding has hired International Disputes Partners Steven Finizio and Jonathan Lim from WilmerHale in London, completing an eight-Partner raid from the firm. The pair reunite with Gary Born, Franz Schwarz, Marleen Krueger, Rachael Kent and Danielle Morris, who joined King & Spalding in June, and Charlie Caher, who followed in July.
DAC Beachcroft significantly expands UK Cyber team, hiring three Cyber Partners
International law firm DAC Beachcroft has significantly strengthened its Cyber and Data Risk practice with the appointment of three specialist Cyber Partners. Richard Breavington, Rachel Ford and Daniel Guilfoyle join from RPC where they were partners in its Cyber & Technology Insurance team, which Richard led.
Promotions & Appointments
Shane Hogan Elected Matheson’s New Managing Partner
One of Ireland’s leading law firms Matheson LLP, has announced that the Partners have elected Shane Hogan, Partner and Head of Tax, as the new Managing Partner. Shane succeeds Darren Maher, who resigns after 23 years with the firm.
Martin Manduľák returns to Dentons as a Partner in the Prague Banking & Finance team. Martin joins from J&T Banka where he was Head of Legal.
DSK Legal UAE Appoints Bapsy Dastur as Partner
The leading law firm, DSK Legal UAE, has appointed Bapsy Dastur as a Partner in its Abu Dhabi office. Bapsy joins DSK Legal after serving as Chief Legal Officer at Landmark Group.
Notable Moves in the US
HSF Kramer 34-lawyer IP team exits to Brown Rudnick
US firm Brown Rudnick has recruited a 34-lawyer intellectual property litigation team from HSF Kramer, leaving it with only two lawyers listed in Silicon Valley and no Partners based there, according to its directory.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
German firm opens in Ukraine to target defence and infra work
German independent Luther has opened a new office in Ukraine. The operation will be headed by of counsel Andreas Knaul. Knaul joined Luther’s Berlin office in August 2022, becoming head of the firm’s Ukraine desk in February 2023.
Willkie launches Litigation practice in Dallas
Willkie Farr & Gallagher has launched a litigation practice in Dallas with the hire of Litigation Partners Grant Schmidt and Andrew Bean, extending its litigation capabilities to Texas. Schmidt will join the firm as Chair of Litigation in Texas after leaving Hilgers. Schmidt specialises in commercial disputes, intellectual property litigation and white-collar criminal defence. Meanwhile, Bean’s practice encompasses commercial disputes and appeals. The pair are also bringing Associate Hannah Luke from Hilgers with them.
Studio A is the new headquarters of Fieldfisher
The tenants of Warsaw’s Studio A, a skyscraper developed by Skanska Commercial Development Europe, are joined by the European law firm Fieldfisher. The Law Firm has decided on a new headquarters based on the location and innovativeness of the new office.
ORTHPARTNERS Opens in Munich with a Nine-Member Legal Team
ORTHPARTNERS opened its fifth office on August 1, 2026. With the addition of Munich, the firm now has a presence in another major business hub, 16 months after its launch in April 2025. A team of nine attorneys is moving from a medium-sized law firm with offices throughout Germany to ORTHPARTNERS. All of the attorneys were previously based in the Bavarian capital. Several support staff members are also joining the new team.
Latham Watkins Moves to One Leadenhall Marking Significant Milestone in Its London Office Strategy
Latham & Watkins announced that it has relocated its London office to One Leadenhall, marking a major milestone in the firm’s 36‑year history in the city. The new space comprises approximately 300,000 square feet across 20 floors of the landmark One Leadenhall development in the heart of the city.
Mergers & Alliances
Ronan Deasy Solicitors acquires Frank Kelleher & Co. Solicitors
Ronan Deasy Solicitors has acquired the practice of Frank Kelleher & Co, Cobh. Principal Ronan Deasy said: “We are delighted to welcome Frank and his colleagues in Cobh to Ronan Deasy Solicitors. Frank Kelleher & Co. has built a strong reputation over many years for looking after its clients and being part of the local community.
Financial Results
Irwin Mitchell’s profit hit by tech spend and UK tax hikes
Major investments in tech and tax hikes caused Irwin Mitchell’s profit to fall by 26 per cent last year. Irwin Mitchell reported that underlying profit before tax from trading activities was £16.5m for 2025/26, down from £22.4m the previous year. The firm said the drop reflected “planned significant one-off investments in technology, an increase in national insurance contributions due to UK tax changes and several office moves across locations including London, Brighton, Liverpool, Cardiff and Nottingham”.
Market Commentary
Mourant taps private equity to fund AI and international growth
Mourant has sold a minority stake to private equity firm MML, in the latest sign that private capital is gaining traction across the legal sector. The offshore legal heavyweight said the investment will fund AI, technology and international expansion, including acquisitions, strategic law firm partnerships and lateral hiring. Financial terms were not disclosed, although the firm told the Financial Times that MML acquired a 27% stake.
Offshore firm Appleby considers taking private equity investment
In a story first reported in the Financial Times, the firm, which has nearly 90 partners across 11 offices, is reported to have drawn up a list of fewer than 10 potential investors, including private equity house Synova.
Ashurst Perkins Coie pursues ABS model following merger
Following the finalisation of its merger in June, Ashurst Perkins Coie has confirmed it will operate as an alternative business structure (ABS) but denies suggestions that the move is to enable third-party investment.
Burges Salmon and Russell-Cooke release latest NQ retention rates
Law firm duo Burges Salmon and Russell-Cooke have revealed their 2026 retention scores. First up, Burges Salmon. The firm, which has offices in Bristol, London and Edinburgh, will keep 25 of its 27 trainees, an impressive 93% retention rate. Most of these soon-to-be NQs (22, to be exact) will qualify into the Bristol HQ, with the remaining three heading to the Edinburgh office.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Macfarlanes seconds fee-earners to innovation team in AI revamp
Macfarlanes has launched a six-month programme that will second associates and trainees into its innovation department. The initiative, called Maximise, embeds fee-earners within the firm’s LawTech team to work alongside technologists to develop new AI tools and identify opportunities to improve the delivery of legal services. The aim is to bring together lawyers who understand daily legal work with innovation specialists who can build those technology solutions.
Vodafone helps develop challenger to Harvey and Legora
Vodafone has co-developed a legaltech tool to compete against the likes of Harvey and Legora. The telecommunications giant has partnered with startup Aavalynx on an AI-powered litigation management platform that forecasts the financial exposure associated with disputes. In-house lawyers at Vodafone worked with Aavalynx to shape product features of the platform, which offers chronology generation and early case assessment.
AI dispute intelligence start-up Aavalynx raises £1.5m in pre-seed funding round
Jersey-based AI dispute intelligence start-up Aavalynx, founded three years ago by former Quinn Emanuel of counsel Hanna Roos, has secured £1.5m in a pre-seed funding round.