Moves:
UK & Ireland
White & Case boosts City private equity practice with hire of Ropes Hall of Famer
White & Case has ramped up its private equity capabilities in London with the hire of leading partner Helen Croke from Ropes & Gray.
Hausfeld hires competition partner from Scott+Scott in London
Litigation boutique Hausfeld has hired competition lawyer Belinda Hollway from Scott+Scott to bolster its class actions bench in London.
EMEA
Gibson Dunn drives Dubai growth with funds hire
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has boosted its Middle East offerings with the hire of Carolyn Abram, who joins the firm’s investment funds team in Dubai as a partner. She joins from Morgan Lewis.
Paul Hastings LLP announced the continued expansion of its international energy and infrastructure with the hires of Stefan Mrozinski and projects lawyer Habeeb Rahman as partners in Abu Dhabi. Both join from White & Case LLP.
APAC
Former Disney and Star India General Counsel Mihir Rale has joined Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas as a Partner (Co-Head – Digital | TMT).
JSA corporate lead Khan joins CAM after one-year stint
Star dealmaker Iqbal Khan has joined Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) as a partner in its corporate practice after spending just one year leading J. Sagar Associates’ national corporate/M&A practice.
India’s CAM hires BofA compliance chief as regulatory practice head
Indian law firm Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas (CAM) has appointed Nishith Mehta, a senior executive from Bank of America (BofA), as its new head of financial regulatory and compliance.
The Americas
Seven Willkie Farr Partners Exit for Cooley After Trump Deal
Seven partners left Willkie Farr & Gallagher, one of the nine firms that made a deal with President Donald Trump, to join Cooley’s litigation department in San Francisco. The seven are Simona Agnolucci, Ben Hur, Joshua Anderson, Tiffany Lin, Jonathan Patchen, Michael Rome and Eduardo Santacana.
Lewis Brisbois is pleased to welcome Partners Jesse Zirillo, Samantha Cavalier, Gabrielle Carbonara, and Bridget Sasson. The team join from Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote
Frost Brown Todd Bolsters Labor and Employment Practice with Addition of Partner Elizabeth La Rocca
Frost Brown Todd welcomes new Partner Elizabeth La Rocca. She joins from Foster LLP.
Leading Private Equity Partner Carolyn Vardi Joins Kirkland & Ellis
Kirkland & Ellis announced today that Carolyn Vardi has joined the Firm as a partner in the Corporate Practice Group. Carolyn joins from Ropes and Gray.
Leading Commercial Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets Partner Rejoins Kilpatrick in Atlanta
Kilpatrick announced today the addition of Bob Stupar, partner, to its Real Estate Finance and Capital Markets Team in the firm’s growing Corporate Department. He joins from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner.
Pérez-Llorca adds disputes partners in Mexico from Jones Day
Elite firm Pérez-Llorca (Mexico) has added firepower to its disputes offering by hiring a partner and of counsel from Jones Day’s Highly Recommended Mexico City office to its senior rank.
Alberto Sepúlveda joins White & Case as a partner in Mexico City
Global law firm White & Case LLP has expanded its Global Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) Practice with the addition of Alberto Sepúlveda as a partner.Sepúlveda was previously the General Counsel, Corporate Secretary and Head of Legal and Corporate Security at Wal-Mart de Mexico
Paul Hastings Strengthens Premier Private Equity Platform With Two-Partner Team
Christopher Zochowski and Bradley Noojin have joined the firm as partners. Zochowski and Noojin come to the firm from A&O Shearman
Former Sotheby’s chair joins Withers to head art advisory practice in New York
Former Sotheby’s chair and president for the Americas Mari-Claudia Jiménez has joined UK law firm Withers as a partner and head of its newly formed art and advisory practice in New York.
In-House
Robot chef-maker Circus Group hires GC from German defence tech company Helsing
German AI food service business Circus Group has hired Sasha Borovik as general counsel ahead of the company’s push into the defence industry. Borovik joins from defence business Helsing, where he was GC and compliance director.
Promotions & Appointments:
Dorsey Names Seth Goertz as Head of Cybersecurity Practice
International law firm Dorsey & Whitney LLP announced that it has launched a Cybersecurity Practice Group with Phoenix Partner Seth Goertz as the group’s Chair.
Baker McKenzie elects Sunny Mann as Global Chair
Baker McKenzie has announced the election of Partner Sunny Mann as the firm’s new Global Chair, succeeding Milton Cheng in the role. Mann is based in London and is the global chair of Baker McKenzie’s International Trade Practice Group
TLT names financial services head as new senior partner
TLT has elected its head of financial services, Andrew Lyon, as its new senior partner. Lyon will begin his three-year term on 1 January 2026 and succeed Sasha Butterworth, who has served as senior partner since 2022.
Mergers & Alliances:
Foot Anstey Expands Outside England with New Merger
Foot Anstey, a law firm headquartered in England, has merged with McKees, a commercial law firm located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, marking its initial expansion outside of England. Announced on June 9, 2025, this strategic partnership enables Foot Anstey to access Northern Ireland’s expanding professional services market and broaden its presence throughout Britain and Ireland.
Kinstellar builds in Asia with Cambodia launch
European law firm Kinstellar has entered the Cambodian market by partnering with two local firms—Sok Siphana & Associates and Sethalay Law Office—under a new brand, Sok Siphana Sethalay in association with Kinstellar Southeast Asia. This move follows its 2024 joint venture in Vietnam with Asia Counsel and aligns with its strategy to build a top-tier legal network in emerging markets. The combined firm, led by Vanseka Sok, includes around 30 lawyers offering corporate and commercial services. Kinstellar, which recently expanded into Vienna and absorbed Noerr’s Central and Eastern European operations, continues to strengthen its Southeast Asian presence.
“New chapter ahead” as JCP Solicitors announces merger with fellow law firm
JCP Solicitors, based in South Wales, is set to merge with Port Talbot firm Howe & Spender on 11 August 2025, creating an £11 million legal business aimed at boosting regional growth and investment. The merger will enhance JCP’s presence in Port Talbot, expanding its services to private and commercial clients while retaining Howe & Spender’s experienced team. Ian Spender will join JCP’s Lifetime Planning team as a director, and the move opens up opportunities for future roles, including apprenticeships and trainee positions. The merger supports JCP’s wider growth strategy across South Wales and reflects both firms’ commitment to community-focused legal services and regional regeneration.
Malaysian law firm Lee & Poh grows following merger
Malaysian law firm Lee & Poh Partnership has expanded after merging with the dispute resolution team of Tuang Chu & Co (TCC), creating a strengthened legal practice with 25 lawyers.
Office Openings & Closing:
Goodwin to scrap Frankfurt office and German real estate team
Goodwin Procter has revealed it will shut down its Frankfurt office and wind down its German real estate practice later this year.
UK Top 100 firm Ward Hadaway launches Birmingham office and names Joanna Lee-Mills as Equity Partner
Ward Hadaway, a UK Top 100 law firm, has opened a new office in Birmingham, its first outside the North of England and first new location in over a decade. The firm has also appointed Joanna Lee Mills, a Colmore BID Board Director, as an Equity Partner to lead the expansion. The Birmingham office, based in Chamberlain Square, is part of the firm’s strategy to double its turnover over the next ten years and marks a significant commitment to the Midlands. Ward Hadaway plans to grow its team in the region to meet rising demand for legal services across housing, employment, and community development.
Foot Anstey Expands Outside England with New Merger
Foot Anstey, a law firm headquartered in England, has merged with McKees, a commercial law firm located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, marking its initial expansion outside of England. Announced on June 9, 2025, this strategic partnership enables Foot Anstey to access Northern Ireland’s expanding professional services market and broaden its presence throughout Britain and Ireland.
Aitken Partners expands to Brisbane
Aitken Partners has officially expanded its presence to Brisbane with the opening of a new branch.
Financials:
DLA Piper, CMS, Ashurst hike NQ pay
A trio of firms – CMS, DLA Piper and Ashurst – have raised pay for their newly qualified lawyers, signalling the continued importance of junior lawyers in the battle for talent. CMS has upped its London NQ salary to £120k, DLA Piper to £130k and Ashurst to £140k.
DLA Piper has announced a pay rise for its junior lawyers, with newly qualified solicitors in London set to earn £130,000 from September following an 18 percent increase. Those based in regional offices will see their salaries rise by 9.3 percent to £82,000. Trainee solicitors are also receiving a boost, with London trainees earning £52,000 in their first year and £57,000 in their second. Outside London, trainee pay will rise to £35,500 in year one and £39,000 in year two.
Ashurst hikes NQ solicitor pay to £140k
Ashurst has announced a pay rise for its newly qualified associates, with salaries increasing from £125,000 to £140,000, representing a boost of £15,000 or 12 percent. This change brings Ashurst in line with firms such as Baker McKenzie, Hogan Lovells, and Macfarlanes, and places it ahead of Herbert Smith Freehills, where NQs earn £135,000. Trainee solicitors at Ashurst will also see improved pay, with first-year salaries rising to £57,000 and second-year pay increasing to £62,000, up from £52,000 and £57,000 respectively.
CMS has increased the salaries of its newly qualified solicitors, raising the London base pay from £110,000 to £120,000 starting June 2025. The firm has also boosted NQ salaries across its regional offices, with Manchester, Sheffield, and Liverpool now offering £68,000, up from £62,000; Scotland’s pay rising to £68,000 from £60,000; and Bristol’s increasing to £76,500 from £70,000. This adjustment positions CMS alongside firms like Travers Smith and Simmons & Simmons, both paying £120,000 for London NQs, and places it above firms such as Taylor Wessing, which offers £115,000.
Technology & Innovation:
A New Era of Legal Drafting and Review: Introducing the AI Associate from DraftWise
DraftWise AI Associate, a drafting agent that, from a simple request, can draft, review, and markup contracts using precedent-based insights and firm-endorsed language to deliver higher-quality contracts more efficiently than ever before.
Paladin Partners with 30 Law Schools to Create Pro Bono Platform for Students
Paladin, the leading legal technology company powering pro bono engagement across law firms, in-house legal teams, and legal services organizations, is thrilled to announce the launch of a pro bono platform designed specifically for law schools and their students.
Diversity & Inclusion:
“Magic Circle” Firms Remove Pride Logos Following Trump’s Criticism of DEI
Several leading City law firms, including Ashurst, Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Freshfields, and Linklaters, have removed rainbow-themed Pride logos from social media this year following pressure from Donald Trump’s executive order targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The firms, all with major US operations, have scaled back Pride support amid warnings from the Trump administration that DEI policies may be discriminatory. Only Slaughter & May continues to display Pride logos, likely due to its smaller US presence. Other professional services firms like PwC have also reduced their Pride visibility.
Big Law Secondment Program Opens Doors for Young African Lawyers
The International Lawyers for Africa (ILFA) secondment program has supported over 300 African lawyers since 2006, placing them in global law firms’ London and Dubai offices for hands-on legal experience. Participants, like Silver Kayondo of Uganda’s Ortus Advocates, gain exposure to international legal work—Kayondo notably contributed to projects for Meta while at White & Case. ILFA alumni include Jennifer Chimanga and Kayode Oladipo, now leaders at Clifford Chance, and the program is supported by firms such as Freshfields, Clifford Chance, White & Case, Hogan Lovells, Debevoise & Plimpton, and Latham & Watkins.
Kirkland Replaces Inclusion Leader and Trims DEI Team
Kirkland & Ellis has made major shifts within its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leadership, reportedly dismissing its global inclusion director, Joi Bourgeois, and several other DEI staff members in recent months. Grace Geronimo, formerly associate director of firmwide inclusion, has stepped into the top DEI role. According to sources familiar with the changes, the restructuring is part of a broader internal reorganisation that began before the U.S. election. However, the timing aligns with former President Donald Trump’s increased scrutiny of law firms’ DEI efforts, prompting a noticeable shift in Kirkland’s external messaging on inclusion.
Keker Recommits to Diversity Fellowships, Deepening Opposition to Trump Administration Aims
“Our Diversity Scholarship program is lawful, anti-discriminatory, and aligned with our core values and professional ethics,” said Keker van Nest managing partner Laurie Carr Mims, who’s previously spoken out against the president’s assault on law firms.
Law fellowship program Skadden Foundation eliminates racial justice references from applications
The foundation, which is funded by US-headquartered firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom LLP, had last year required program applicants to address “the role of public interest work in addressing systemic racism” and describe the intended impact of their projects on racial equity in the US. The question has since been removed from current application materials.
Market Commentary:
The Largest 50 Firms by UK Revenue: US Firms Continue to Capture Market Share
Chicago-founded behemoth Kirkland & Ellis is on course to become the largest law firm by U.K. revenue, according to the latest table by Law.com International.
GCs Hunt for New Talent Pools as Supply of Law Firm Associates Wanes
Thomson Reuters’ research highlights the decline in associates (from 44.5% in 2005-2009 to 40.2% in 2020-2024) and equity partners (from 31.2% to 27.8% over the same period), signalling the need for GCs to explore new approaches to developing in-house legal talent.
Two in Five UK In-House Lawyers Have CEO Aspirations
The research, conducted by Pinsent Masons, found that 39% of the in-house lawyers surveyed said they would like to be a CEO later in their career—while 61% did not.