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
Norton Rose Fulbright strengthens real estate practice with appointment of new Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright has strengthened its real estate practice in London with the appointment of Simon Woodcock as a Partner. Simon joins from Goodwin Procter.
Hill Dickinson Strengthens Restructuring Practice with London Partner Appointment
Rhiannon Paine has joined Hill Dickinson as a Partner in its London restructuring team. She was previously a Managing Associate at Simmons & Simmons.
Deloitte Ireland Hires Matheson Private Wealth Partner
Deloitte Ireland has welcomed Maeve Lochrie as a Partner in its Tax & Legal practice in Dublin. Formerly a Private Wealth Partner at Matheson, she will support entrepreneurs and family businesses on issues ranging from business succession and ownership planning to long-term wealth preservation.
Fieldfisher Expands Tax Disputes Capability with EY Partner Appointment
Fieldfisher has recruited Julian Balson as a Partner in its Contentious Tax practice in London. Joining from EY, he brings significant expertise in tax investigations and disputes, with particular experience across VAT, customs and excise, and civil and criminal tax authority investigations.
Broadfield has appointed David Brennand as a Partner in its corporate team in London. He joins the firm with more than 20 years of experience advising on corporate transactions, investment funds and joint venture arrangements, having previously been a Partner at Katten Muchin Rosenman and Walkers.
Anderson Strathern Appoints Immigration Partner Amid Autumn Growth
Anderson Strathern has appointed Immigration Lawyer Jamie Kerr as a Partner in Scotland. Jamie joins from Burness Paull.
Private equity heavyweight David Walker to leave Latham after 13 years
Private equity heavyweight David Walker is set to leave Latham & Watkins after 13 years at the firm, and over three decades in the legal industry. Walker, who has held multiple leadership positions at Latham, joined the US firm in 2013 from Clifford Chance.
DLA Pipers adds to Global Private Equity Team with the addition of Cillian Moynihan
DLA Piper has appointed Cillian Moynihan as a Partner in its London global Private Equity group, further strengthening the firm’s capabilities in advising clients on cross-border transactions and investment strategies. Cillian joins from Global Innovation Fund where he was General Counsel.
Hill Dickinson strengthens corporate practice with PE partner hire
Commercial law firm Hill Dickinson has continued its senior recruitment programme with the appointment of a new Corporate Partner, Ben Davies. Ben joins the firm’s national corporate practice from Addleshaw Goddard’s private equity team and will be based in Hill Dickinson’s Liverpool office.
Mishcon reinforces its market-leading position in Private Wealth Disputes
Mishcon de Reya has announced that Elliott Phillips will join the firm’s London office as a Partner in its Private Wealth Disputes practice. Elliott joins from Signature Litigation.
Travers Smith Strengthens Disputes Practice with Senior Baker McKenzie Hire
Travers Smith has appointed Andy Moody as a Partner in its Dispute Resolution practice in London. He joins from Baker McKenzie, where he served as Global Chair of International Arbitration and London Head of Dispute Resolution.
TLT Appoints David Hamilton and Ruth Griffin as New Partners
TLT has appointed two new Partners. David Hamilton joins TLT from Howard Kennedy, to further strengthen the firm’s Investigations and Contentious Regulatory practice in London. In addition, the firm has appointed construction lawyer Ruth Griffin, who joins from Gowling, as a Partner in its Projects, Infrastructure and Construction team in Birmingham.
Fladgate Strengthens Disputes Practice with Construction Partner Hire
Fladgate has appointed Alex Delin as a Partner in its Dispute Resolution team in London. He joins from Irwin Mitchell, where he was a Partner in the construction team, bringing extensive experience advising developers, funders, contractors and consultants on complex construction and engineering disputes.
Mayer Brown continues London lateral push with MoFo capital markets duo
Mayer Brown has continued its London hiring push with the addition of two long-serving MoFo Capital Markets Lawyers. Scott Ashton has joined the US firm as a Partner, while Brian Bates has joined as Senior Counsel. Ashton spent 21 years at MoFo, including a decade as a Partner, while Bates was at the firm for nearly 25 years.
Keystone Strengthens Disputes Team with Key Partner Appointment
Keystone Law has welcomed Charles Enderby Smith as a Partner in its London Dispute Resolution practice. Joining from Carter-Ruck, he brings significant experience advising clients on high-profile disputes, sanctions issues, and complex cross-border regulatory and reputational matters.
Pinsent Masons strengthens restructuring practice with new partner Mark Wilson
Pinsent Masons has appointed contentious insolvency Partner Mark Wilson to join its restructuring team in Birmingham. Mark joins from Gateley, where he was Co-Head of the Complex and International Recovery group.
Europe
Paul Chiellini-Morge named Partner at Harneys in Luxembourg
The law firm Harneys has appointed Paul Chiellini-Morge as a Partner in the corporate practice in its Luxembourg office. Prior to being named Partner at Harneys, Chiellini-Morge practiced corporate/M&A law at cross-town rivals Maples, Baker McKenzie and AMMC Law.
Fieldfisher appoints Vanessa Armas as Banking and Finance Partner
Fieldfisher has strengthened its financial and transactional practice in Madrid with the incorporation of Vanessa Armas as a new Partner in its Banking and Finance department. Vanessa joins from Gómez-Acebo & Pombo.
Signature appoints seasoned Litigator to lead Gibraltar office
Signature Litigation announces the appointment of Partner Charles Simpson to lead its Gibraltar office succeeding Elliott Phillips, who will be relocating to London to pursue the next chapter of his career. Charles joins from Triay Lawyers.
Thomas Forin joins as Partner in Addleshaw Goddard’s Corporate/M&A team in Paris
Thomas Forin has joined Addleshaw Goddard’s Paris office as a Partner in the Corporate/M&A team, alongside Managing Associate Édouard Delfour. Their arrival further strengthens the firm’s Corporate practice. Thomas joins Addleshaw Goddard from HFW, where he spent several years.
Middle East
Charles Russell Speechlys Hires Clyde & Co Middle East Corporate Head as Gulf Talent War Deepens
Charles Russell Speechlys has hired Philip O’Riordan, Clyde & Co’s longtime Head of Corporate for the Middle East and North Africa, as a Partner and Head of its own Middle East corporate practice based in Dubai.
WFW strengthens Middle East dispute resolution practice with key Partner hire
Watson Farley & Williams has appointed Guillaume Hess as a Partner in its Dispute Resolution group in Dubai. He was previously Special Counsel at K&L Gates.
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader strengthens its Public Policy and Regulatory capabilities in Riyadh with the appointment of Dr. Yazid Almasoud as a Partner. Dr. Almasoud will lead the firm’s Public Policy and Regulatory practice in Saudi Arabia and across the wider region. He was a Partner at Greenberg Traurig LLP.
Akin expands UAE funds practice with Morgan Lewis, White & Case hires
Akin announced it has strengthened its investment management practice in the UAE with the appointment of Andrea Dougall from Morgan Lewis and Marie-Sophie Bandeira Vieira from White & Case as Partners in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, respectively.
BonelliErede announces that Giovanni Minuto, a Partner in the firm’s international arbitration practice, has relocated from the Milan office to the Dubai office. This move further strengthens the firm’s international arbitration and cross-border litigation capabilities in the UAE.
Team
Mayer Brown continues Baker McKenzie raid with Brussels team hire
Mayer Brown has hired another Partner from Baker McKenzie, bringing in International Trade Partner Pablo Bentes and his team in Brussels just days after poaching three finance Partners from the firm in London. Bentes joins Mayer Brown’s international trade practice after nearly seven years at Baker McKenzie, where he led the firm’s global international economic disputes resolution practice.
Kirkland trio set to rejoin Latham in latest Saudi push
Latham & Watkins is set to tap its biggest rival, Kirkland & Ellis, for a three-Partner team that helped found the Chicago giant’s Riyadh office in 2023. The West Coast firm is set to hire Corporate Partners Noor Al-Fawzan and Osama Lone alongside Capital Markets Partner Manal Al-Musharaf.
In house
Law Debenture Hires Clifford Chance Lawyer for Senior Commercial Role
Louise Keary has joined Law Debenture as Senior Commercial and Legal Partner in London. She arrives from Clifford Chance, where she specialised in advising corporate trustees and agents on capital markets, structured finance and distressed transaction matters.
Sari Anabtawi Joins AlRajhi United as CEO
Sari Anabtawi has joined AlRajhi United as Chief Executive Officer in Riyadh. A seasoned real estate investment executive, Anabtawi brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across listed and private platforms, advisory firms and investment institutions in Saudi Arabia.
Nostrum Oil & Gas Hires Robin Storey as Chief Legal Officer
Nostrum Oil & Gas has appointed Robin Storey as Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary. Based in London, he joins from Strategia Worldwide and begins his tenure alongside the company’s $304.6 million sale of its Kazakhstan oil and gas assets.
Promotions & Appointments
Mills Selig Appoints Glenn Watterson as Head of Corporate
Belfast firm Mills Selig has announced the appointment of Partner Glenn Watterson as Head of Corporate. The appointment recognises Glenn’s outstanding contribution to the firm and follows another year of growth for Mills Selig’s Corporate team.
Notable Moves in the US
Linklaters lures Wachtell dealmaker to become Americas Managing Partner
Linklaters has hired veteran Wall Street dealmaker Mark Gordon from Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz to become Managing Partner of the UK Magic Circle firm’s Americas business. Gordon joins in New York and will also Co-Chair the firm’s global M&A practice as it seeks to further expand its footprint in the lucrative US market.
Freshfields adds Cravath dealmaker and Weil white collar co-chair
Freshfields has recruited partners from Cravath and Weil in back-to-back New York hires as the firm continues to build out its US platform. M&A lawyer Bethany Pfalzgraf is joining from Cravath, while white collar litigator Daniel Stein has left Weil to become co-head of Freshfields’ global investigations group.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
Browne Jacobson announces new Nottingham home as part of continued UK and Ireland investment
Browne Jacobson announced its commitment to relocate its Nottingham office to Archers Wharf, 4 Canal Street. The UK and Ireland law firm will occupy three floors of Archers Wharf, providing 46,352 sq ft of contemporary workspace with 350 desks, representing a significant and purposeful long-term commitment to the city and region.
Boyes Turner to move to new Reading office at One Forbury Square
Boyes Turner is moving to a new 19,611 sq ft office at One Forbury Square in Reading in October 2026.
Lawfront makes two more acquisitions as revenue heads for £175m
Private equity-backed Lawfront has completed two more acquisitions through its group firms as it continues to build out its network of regional law firms. Essex and Suffolk firm Fisher Jones Greenwood (FJG) has acquired Giles Wilson, a 35-person firm, while Lancashire-based Farleys has acquired Houldsworth Solicitors.
Australian Law Firm Enters NY Amid US-Aussie Investment Boom
Johnson Winter Slattery, a Sydney-based corporate law firm, is opening up an office in New York City amid what its managing partner said is a high volume of demand for investment into Australia from the United States.
Jones Day Targets Bigger London Office Amid Sharp Growth
Jones Day is looking for a new office in London as a result of its recent expansion in the capital.
Mergers & Alliances
Fennemore to merge with Gallagher & Kennedy to reshape Arizona legal scene
Arizona-founded law firms Fennemore and Gallagher & Kennedy (G&K) have agreed to merge later this year. The combined firm will have nearly 300 lawyers and legal professionals in Phoenix, Arizona, and more than 800 across the wider firm. The merger is expected to complete on 1 December.
Judge & Priestley announces merger with William Heath & Co.
Judge & Priestley LLP (J&P), the Bromley-based Top 200 UK law firm, is delighted to announce that it will merge with established London practice William Heath & Co.
Market Commentary
Lord Briggs named as next UK Supreme Court President
Lord Briggs of Westbourne, Sir Michael Briggs, has been named as the next President of the UK Supreme Court, succeeding Lord Reed at the start of next year. His Majesty King Charles III made the appointment on the advice of Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Lord Chancellor Alex Norris, following the recommendation of an independent selection commission. Briggs will assume his new role in January when Lord Reed retires.
Kirkland leads law firms with six-year path to partnership
Publicly available data tracked by legal analytics company Pirical shows that 72% of the firms analysed sit within roughly two years of a 12.5-year partnership track, suggesting that despite differences in geography and partnership structures, much of the market works to a similar timetable. One firm, however, stands out. Kirkland & Ellis lawyers who make Partner do so after an average of just 6.1 years, roughly half the time of the market’s main cluster.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Latham buys its own AI servers in BigLaw first
Latham & Watkins has splashed out on its own Nvidia-powered servers as the US giant looks to build and customise AI models in-house, in a move thought to be a BigLaw first.
White & Case invests in legal AI platform Clauze.AI
White & Case LLP announced that it has made a strategic investment in Clauze.AI, a new legal AI platform, founded by Waad Alkurini, serving legal and corporate clients in Saudi Arabia and the wider region. After more than a decade at White & Case, Waad will leave the Firm to focus on Clauze.AI. She has led White & Case’s Riyadh office for the last three years and made a significant contribution to the Firm’s market-leading practice in the Kingdom.