Welcome to this week’s legal industry update, where we spotlight the latest partner moves, strategic hires, and market shifts across the UK, Americas, EMEA, and APAC. From headline-grabbing lateral hires to new office launches and major promotions, here is what is shaping the global legal landscape.
Moves
UK & Ireland
Pillsbury expands tech sector strength in London with arrival of IP partner Steven James
Pillsbury has appointed Steven James as a London IP partner, boosting its tech-focused practice and advising startups on IP protection, commercialisation, and disputes.
DLA Piper to boost PE bench with Ashurst partner
DLA Piper is set to hire Markjan van Schaardenburgh, a corporate partner from Ashurst London, to strengthen its private equity practice. Van Schaardenburgh has over five years as a partner at Ashurst and experience in cross-border M&A, restructuring, and governance across Europe and Africa.
Michelle Seddon joins Clarke Willmott as private client partner
Clarke Willmott has appointed Michelle Seddon as a partner in its Taunton office, strengthening its private client team with her expertise in wills, trusts, probate, and trustee advice.
Whitney Moore welcomes new partner Sean Ryan
Whitney Moore has appointed Sean Ryan as a partner and head of its EU and competition group, strengthening its corporate M&A and regulatory practice. He joins from Eversheds Sutherland and brings extensive experience in complex transactions and regulatory matters.
Leicester City’s legal chief moves back to private practice
Reed Smith has hired Matthew Phillips, the general counsel of Leicester City Football Club, who is joining the firm’s entertainment and media industry group. Prior to his move to Leicester City, Phillips was at BT as a chief counsel and then legal director for media and IP.
Americas
Private Equity GC Returning to Ropes as Co-Head of Private Capital Transactions Practice
Amanda Morrison is returning to Ropes & Gray on Dec. 1 as a Boston partner and co-leader of its global private capital transactions practice, after three years as general counsel at Advent International. She will also serve temporarily as interim external general counsel.
People in the News—Nov. 13, 2025—Marshall Dennehey, Buchanan Ingersoll
Marshall Dennehey has bolstered its Pennsylvania workers’ compensation practice with Perry D. Merlo joining as shareholder and Andrew W. Maffett as special counsel in the Harrisburg office.
EMEA
K&L Gates Bolsters International Arbitration Practice With Partner in Paris
K&L Gates has hired Maria Kostytska as a Paris partner in Litigation and Dispute Resolution, boosting its International Arbitration practice. Kostytska, formerly Head of Arbitration at Winston & Strawn Paris, has 18+ years of experience across energy, infrastructure, and finance sectors and is admitted in the US, France, and England & Wales.
APAC
Sparke Helmore takes insurance partner, team from GSG Legal
Sparke Helmore hired Patrick Tuohey (with Hilary Stokes) from Colin Biggers & Paisley to expand its professional indemnity practice, and Mark Gray-Spencer from GSG Legal, with his team, to boost its aviation and aerospace insurance capabilities.
Australia’s MinterEllison Takes PE Partner from KWM
MinterEllison has hired Lee Horan, a partner from King & Wood Mallesons, to its Sydney office, strengthening its expertise in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and public market transactions.
Abhishek Tilak joins DSK as associate partner
Abhishek Tilak has joined DSK Legal’s Mumbai office as an associate partner in dispute resolution. He brings over 12 years of experience across commercial disputes, arbitration, taxation, insolvency, real estate, criminal law, and securities law.
Jones Day powers up APAC finance with Australia partner hire
Jones Day has hired Benjamin Downie as a partner in its Sydney office to strengthen its financial markets practice in Australia and APAC. Downie, formerly at Allens, has 24 years of experience in credit and private capital, securitisation, structured finance, and debt capital markets, including advising CEFC on green financing for Metro’s auto loans.
In House
EY Law hires new partner and strengthens core areas
EY Law Portugal has hired Miguel Cordeiro as a partner in its banking and insurance practice, strengthening the firm’s expertise in financial regulation, fintech, and compliance.
Team Moves
HFW expands into Brisbane with team from boutique
HFW has launched in Brisbane, hiring partner Christopher Rowden, special counsel Jason Pungsornruk and Thomas Law, senior associate Samantha Fry, and associate William Lowes from CDI Lawyers to advise on construction and infrastructure projects, expanding the firm’s Australian presence and supporting growth across the Asia-Pacific.
Promotions & Appointments
JWS adds leading dispute resolution, arbitration partners
Johnson Winter Slattery hired Andrew Gill and Lee Carroll as partners to boost its dispute resolution and arbitration teams, with Gill focusing on complex disputes and Carroll on domestic and international arbitration.
Tughans announces 16 promotions and appointments
Tughans has announced 16 promotions and appointments in its Northern Ireland offices.
BCLP promotes 17 to partner – 3 in London
BCLP is promoting 17 lawyers to partner across its US, London, and Frankfurt offices, effective January 2026. The smaller promotion round, down from 24 last year, reflects a more selective focus on its US-UK core following the closure of its Singapore and Hong Kong offices and London redundancies. London adds three partners: Edward Gardner (real estate litigation), Georgia Henderson-Cleland (commercial litigation), and Alexandra Hildyard (competition). The moves come after modest global revenue growth of 2.3% in 2024, with UK revenue up 12%.
McKee Campbell Morrison appoints Linards Lūks as associate director
McKee Campbell Morrison has appointed Linards Lūks as associate director in its corporate team, bringing expertise in M&A, investments, and corporate structuring. The move supports the firm’s growth and high client demand for corporate advice.
Trilegal recruits Raya Hazarika as corporate partner
Raya Hazarika has been promoted to partner in Trilegal’s corporate practice, bringing the firm’s equity partner count to 150. She adds expertise in M&A, infrastructure, and real estate, strengthening the firm’s corporate, PE, and cross-border deal-making capabilities
Office Openings & Closing
Seitz launches in Hamburg with 11-strong team from WFW
German law firm Seitz is expanding into Hamburg by hiring an 11-strong team from Watson Farley & Williams, led by partner Nikolaus Krienke. The team specialises in employment, restructuring, compliance, and M&A-related employment matters. The new office, opening in January, strengthens Seitz’s presence in northern Germany and supports its Frankfurt and Munich offices, marking the firm’s sixth office since 2023. Seitz now has around 150 lawyers across employment, corporate, tax and digital practices.
Squire Patton Boggs to Open in Azerbaijan, drawn by Emerging Business in Renewables, IT, Logistics
Squire Patton Boggs is opening its first office in Baku, Azerbaijan, led by Richard Gibbon, to support clients in the country’s growing economy. The office will launch in early 2026 in Port Baku Tower 2.
Akin to Close Singapore Office, Leaving Hong Kong as Only Asia Outpost
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is closing its Singapore office, leaving Hong Kong as its sole Asian location, where 12 lawyers—including two dispute partners—now operate from a new business district office.
Norton Rose Fulbright South Africa update
Norton Rose Fulbright’s South African business will become an independent law firm on March 31, 2026, led by current CEO Brent Botha. The firm will continue serving clients in South Africa, across Africa, and internationally. The transition reflects a strategic evolution to meet changing market and client needs, while the global Norton Rose Fulbright network will remain unaffected.
Ellisons moves into new Chelmsford office
Ellisons has moved to larger Chelmsford offices to support growth, unite its practice teams, and strengthen its commitment to the local business community.
BAC/BIAC opens Hong Kong centre to expand global footprint
The Beijing Arbitration Commission (BAC/BIAC) opened its first overseas branch in Hong Kong on 12 November, aiming to make the city a hub for international arbitration. The centre aligns with the UNCITRAL Model Law and Hong Kong Arbitration Ordinance, supporting cross-border cases. BAC/BIAC handled 14,060 cases in 2024, including 277 international disputes, and the new office strengthens cooperation with local and global arbitration bodies.
Mergers & Alliances
Ashurst secures long-awaited US merger deal
Ashurst is to merge with US firm Perkins Coie, ending the former’s lengthy search for a transatlantic tie-up. Washington-headquartered Perkins Coie recorded revenue of $1.26bn in 2024 and has over 1000 lawyers spread across offices primarily in the US. The firm is led by chair and managing partner William Malley. Ashurst’s global revenue surpassed £1bn for the first time last year. The firm is run by CEO Paul Jenkins. The firm has nearly 516 partners globally. The combined firm is expected to be called Ashurst Perkins Coie and is expected to have an annual revenue of over $2.7bn.
HCR steps in to acquire Wright Hassall in pre-pack administration
HCR Law has acquired Wright Hassall in a pre-pack administration, renaming it HCR Wright Hassall. Wright Hassall, based in Leamington Spa, faced declining revenues and shrinking staff, falling from 115th to 183rd in the UK200 over six years. HCR described the move as strengthening client and staff opportunities, with operations continuing as usual. The SRA confirmed it is monitoring client protection amid the transition.
Technology & Innovation
Harvey and Legora compete in legal tech, but OpenAI’s new ChatGPT tools pose the bigger threat. Firms like Juro are integrating OpenAI to stay competitive, as the rapidly evolving AI market could disrupt products and drive consolidation. Law firms are urged to adopt AI now, or risk falling behind.
Legal AI implementation: Are you prepared?
A business readiness assessment is essential for law firms to adopt AI effectively, helping evaluate infrastructure, processes, and team skills to maximise investment. Implementation should be tailored to firm size, from cost-effective solutions for solo practitioners to customised platforms for global firms. As AI becomes central to legal services, firms must also communicate its use to clients to build trust and demonstrate value.
Investment in tech sees City surge ahead of regional firms
City law firms are outpacing regional firms through technology investment, with partner profits up 12% compared to an 11% drop in regional firms, despite overall revenue growth in the UK legal sector. City firms benefit from operational efficiencies and faster billing, while regional firms excel in payment collection but struggle with inflation. Cybersecurity is a growing focus, with most firms increasing spending, though AI adoption remains cautious due to client confidentiality concerns.
Market Commentary
McDermott Will & Schulte Considers Outside Investment in Firm
McDermott Will & Schulte said it is in preliminary discussions about selling a stake in the law firm to outside investors, a novel move that could advance acceptance of non-lawyer backing of Big Law operations. The approach under consideration would split the firm into a business owned by lawyers that advise clients and a separate operation that would sell administrative services to the lawyer-owned firm, according to the Financial Times.
EXCLUSIVE ‘We’ll quit if WFH is reduced,’ say law firm staff
Staff responding to RollOnFriday’s Best Law Firms to Work At 2026 survey said flexible working remains crucial, with some warning they would leave if firms reduced WFH options. While several firms were praised for supportive hybrid policies, others were criticised for pushing towards more office days, which respondents said could drive talent away. For many, flexibility offsets other drawbacks, boosts productivity and improves work–life balance, making it a key factor in staying with their firm.
Stewarts listed in The Times Best Law Firms 2026
Stewarts has been named in The Times Best Law Firms for the eighth-year running, earning recognition in inheritance and succession, family, commercial dispute resolution and personal injury and clinical negligence. Based on peer feedback, the rankings highlight the firm’s consistently strong performance across family law, serious injury, commercial disputes and trust and probate litigation.
Irwin Mitchell kickstarts consultation as firm removes litigation assistant role
Irwin Mitchell has taken the decision to remove its litigation assistant role, with affected team members required to apply for positions on the PA or paralegal team. Amid ongoing consultations, Irwin Mitchell said: “Following a review of legal support we’re proposing to evolve our litigation assistant role into a team PA role, moving some of the billable tasks to paralegals and planning to increase our paralegal headcount.”
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
A&L Goodbody achieves top diversity accreditation
A&L Goodbody has received the Investors in Diversity Gold Mark, recognising its strong commitment to embedding diversity and inclusion across the firm. The accreditation follows recent national and European D&I awards and reflects the work of its leadership and five employee groups focused on equality, cultural diversity, social mobility and accessibility. Managing partner David Widger said the award shows the firm’s dedication to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive.