Moves:
UK & Ireland
John Small joins Marsh as head of private equity, M&A and transactional risk
Lawyer John Small has joined insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh as head of private equity, M&A, and transactional risk in Ireland.
Squire Patton Boggs appoints Jason O’Donnell to lead real estate practice
Mr. O’Donnell, who joins from A&L Goodbody, brings over ten years of experience advising on complex real estate transactions both in Ireland and internationally.
BCLP adds London partners from A&O Shearman, Taylor Wessing
Lerika Le Grange, with expertise in corporate finance, leveraged and acquisition finance, and litigation funding, has joined the firm from Taylor Wessing. At the same time, Simon Letherman, the longtime leader of legacy Shearman & Sterling’s London tax practice, has transitioned from A&O Shearman.
APAC
Simpson Thacher Hires Restructuring Partner as Dechert Closes China Offices
U.S. law firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has hired restructuring expert Daniel Margulies as a partner in its Hong Kong office from Dechert, which shuttered its office in the Chinese city last year.
Squire Patton Boggs Hires Private Equity Lawyer in Sydney
Private capital is growing quickly in Australia. SQB have hired James Nguyen from Allens.
Former KWM and PwC Legal Leader Tony O’Malley Joins Australian Transaction Boutique
Kain Lawyers have enhanced their Board with the appointment of Tony O’Malley as an independent Non-Executive Director, adding significant global expertise in business transformation and growth.
Alexander Danne will join the firm’s partnership from law firm Gilbert+Tobin, where he founded and led the firm’s energy and infrastructure team.
Addleshaws bolsters SG office with construction disputes hire from Eldan
UK law firm Addleshaw Goddard has named construction and commercial disputes lawyer Danna Er as partner in its Singapore office, joining from Singapore construction specialist Eldan Law.
EMEA
Linklaters Secures First German Addition for Compliance Advisory Arm
The former chief compliance officer at Vitesco Technologies is joining the firm’s Munich office as European director of its global non-legal services team.
Bird & Bird hires three new partners into international Corporate Group
International law firm Bird & Bird is advancing its ambitious growth strategy by appointing Dr. Sebastian Weller, Shahin Foroughian, and Matthijs van Leeuwen as partners in its global Corporate Group. Sebastian joined the Düsseldorf office on May 1, Shahin started in Singapore on May 5, and Matthijs is set to join the Amsterdam office on May 15.
The Americas
Morgan Lewis Financial Services Duo Jumps to Sidley Austin
Partners David Monteiro and Kristin Lee have joined the firm in Dallas and New York City, respectively.
Akin Adds Real Estate Funds, Infrastructure M&A Duo from Mayer Brown in Chicago
Wendy Dodson Gallegos and Jason Wagenmaker have joined Sidley Austin as partners in respective practices.
Clifford Chance Expands Energy, Infrastructure Finance Team in Houston
Former Cheniere Energy executive joins the firm’s Houston office, bringing deep LNG and energy transition financing experience.
Polsinelli Sports Practice Group Leader Moves to Barnes & Thornburg In Nashville
Tim Browne, a seasoned attorney with a background in sports and entertainment and a former NBA Vice President, has joined Barnes & Thornburg in Nashville.
Milbank Hires Cleary Partner to Boost Latin America Practice
Adam Brenneman, a New York-based banking and finance partner, has departed Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton after nearly 20 years to begin a new chapter at Milbank.
Sheppard Mullin Adds New CIO From Cadwalader
Sheppard Mullin, an Am Law 100 firm, has appointed David Lampert as its new Chief Information Officer in New York, succeeding Britton Choi. In his new role, Lampert will lead a 90-person team responsible for information governance and records, network infrastructure, support systems, software training, project management, and data operations.
Davis Wright Adds Longtime Knobbe Martens IP Duo In Seattle
Maria Anderson and Mauricio Uribe joined Davis Wright Tremaine as intellectual property partners in Seattle, the firm announced Wednesday.
Restructuring Partner Returns to A&O Shearman From Schulte
Ned Schodek, who spent nearly two decades at Shearman & Sterling before its merger with Allen & Overy, is now returning to A&O Shearman after serving as a partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel.
Cooley Recruits Former Troutman Pepper Fintech Practice Lead in New York
James Kim spent over three years at Troutman Pepper Locke, where he led the financial technology advisory group.
Alston & Bird Corporate Debt Finance Partner Jumps to Polsinelli in Dallas
Stacie Cargill, who joined Polsinelli as a partner in Dallas in the capital markets and commercial lending practice, sees opportunity to expand her practice and the firm’s by cross-selling Polsinelli clients.
Dorsey Taps Minneapolis Banking Industry Lawyer as New Managing Partner
Minneapolis partner Peter Nelson, set to become Dorsey & Whitney’s managing partner on July 1, is a policy committee member who played a key role in integrating the firm’s Dallas and Phoenix offices.
Polsinelli Onboards Real Estate Partner From Latham & Watkins in Los Angeles
Matthew Friedrich joined the firm following nearly three years at Latham & Watkins’ Los Angeles office.
Pierson Ferdinand Launches Latin America Practice
The practice will be headed by Miami-based arbitration partner Yine Rodríguez Pérez, one of over 130 attorneys who departed FisherBroyles to establish the new firm.
In-House
Johns Hopkins Hires Former White House Counsel for Biden as GC
Johns Hopkins University has appointed former White House Counsel Tiffany Wright to help address the complex legal challenges facing higher education.
Photoshop-maker Adobe taps streaming platform Roku for next legal chief
US software giant Adobe has appointed Louise Pentland as its chief legal officer, succeeding Gloria Chen, who served as interim legal head since late last year following the departure of former general counsel Dana Rao.
DLA Piper’s Former Singapore Office Head Leaves for In-House Role
In May of last year, Joseph Bauerschmidt stepped down as Singapore managing partner after nearly a decade but continued to play an active role in the firm’s corporate practice. He has now joined Digital Edge DC.
Team Moves
Reed Smith Takes Corporate Trust Team from A&O Shearman in Singapore, Hong Kong
The team is headed by Tim Beech, formerly a partner and co-head of A&O Shearman’s Singapore practice.
Ashurst Hires Two-Lawyer White-Collar Team from Eversheds Paris to Strengthen Cross-Border Practice
Partner Alexis Werl led Eversheds’ Paris white collar crime and investigations team, following a similar position at McDermott Will & Emery.
Sidley unveils triple partner raid on Weil in London private funds push
The group is led by Ed Gander, Weil’s global co-head of private funds and head of its London private funds practice. Joining him in the coming weeks will be partners Stephen Fox and Peter Boulle, also from Weil’s private funds team.
Financials:
Cooley’s London Leaders Optimistic Despite Exits, Shrinking Revenue
Despite a turbulent 2024, the firm’s London office remains ambitious as it marks its 10th anniversary.
Revenue Table: US Firms’ London Growth Continues at Pace
An analysis of 26 U.S. firms’ U.K. revenue reveals that most American firms are seeing double-digit growth in their London operations.
Promotions & Appointments:
Mason Hayes & Curran appoints three partners and seven of counsel
The business law firm has welcomed new partners: Andrew Gill in debt capital markets and financial services, Conor O’Leary in dispute resolution and built environment, and Micheál McCarthy in data and technology.
Nine appointments including five new partners at Hayes solicitors
Hayes Solicitors has appointed five new partners, three senior associates, and one associate. The new partners are Pamela Fitzpatrick and Gill Cotter in commercial and business, Michael Kelly in commercial litigation and dispute resolution, Fergal Mullins in healthcare, and Owen Burke in private client.
HSF names new executive partner for UK, EMEA ahead of Kramer merger
Jeremy Walden will assume leadership of the Anglo-Australian firm’s 270-partner UK and EMEA network starting June 1st.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Two centuries of the Law Society: from exclusion to inclusion
Law Society president Richard Atkinson writes that a diverse legal profession more accurately represents the society it serves.
Office Openings & Closing:
Sorrels Law is growing both its presence and leadership by opening a new office in the port city of Beaumont, Texas, led by seasoned maritime attorney David James.
Eckert Seamans Launches in NYC With 11-Lawyer Lateral Group
Pittsburgh-based Eckert Seamans is expanding into New York by bringing in 11 attorneys from Hawkins Parnell & Young.
Aussie firm Wotton Kearney to expand in SE Asia with Bangkok office
Australian law firm Wotton Kearney, specializing in insurance and risk, is planning to grow its footprint with a new office in Thailand—its second in Southeast Asia and eleventh globally.
U.S. law firm Fisher Phillips opens second international office in Tokyo
U.S. labour and employment law firm Fisher Phillips has opened a Tokyo office, marking its second international location after launching in Mexico in 2023.
Mergers & Alliances:
Morae Global Corporation Acquires Information Governance Platform Gimmal
Morae Global Corporation hopes to improve its information management tools and expand its technology offerings.
Anaqua Acquires UK-Based IP Management Services Provider RightHub
After acquiring RightHub, Anaqua plans to strengthen its presence in the EMEA region and broaden its legal management technology portfolio.
McDermott and Schulte, With Merger Vote Within Months, Plan for Top NY Office
The merged firm would boast one of the largest law offices in Manhattan, matching many Wall Street firms in terms of headcount.
Technology & Innovation:
Dentons Launches Internally Developed AI Tool DAISY Across Europe
The launch of DAISY marks the newest step in Dentons’ broader AI strategy for Europe.
Beyond the Logo: How AI Complicates Trademark Protection In the Digital Age
Nowadays, building brands just by offering a different product or service is no longer sustainable. New and improved features or benefits are rapidly outpaced by competitors. As a result, brands demonstrate their category leadership not through logical claims but by cultivating a unique persona—a distinct “ness” made up of specific traits and behaviors that create an exclusive brand essence hard for rivals to copy.
How an AI-First Law Firm in the UK Received Historic SRA Approval
Garfield.Law co-founder and CEO Philip Young discusses the firm’s milestone as the first AI-driven law firm to gain regulatory authorization, shares insights on the future of the legal industry, and explores the role of generative AI in the U.K. legal landscape.
Market Commentary:
The Successful Mediation of a Family Business Dispute
As with any mediation, the first question a skilled mediator should address is: what are the parties aiming to achieve? Are they working toward making the business successful, looking to facilitate a fair and orderly dissolution, or pursuing an intermediate goal—such as buying out a family member who no longer wants to be involved in the business?
Dutch and German Lawyers Sound Alarm Over Trump Pro Bono Deals with BigLaw
Regulators in the Netherlands and Germany are expressing concerns about U.S. law firms’ pro bono work for Trump, citing potential ripple effects and implications for legal independence in critical European markets.