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
Steptoe & Johnson adds LIDW26 Co-Chair to London Disputes team from Clyde & Co
Steptoe & Johnson has hired outgoing London International Disputes Week Co-Chair Professor Loukas Mistelis from Clyde & Co as an Arbitration Partner in London.
Orrick adds four Partners across US and UK as it continues Structured Finance buildout
The US firm has added Victor Liang in New York and Brittany Fox in Austin from Morrison Foerster, alongside John Paul Igoe in Charlotte from Mayer Brown. Polly O’Brien will also join in London from McDermott Will & Schulte.
Corporate Partner Stuart Hatcher, from Forsters, and Litigation Partner Russell Strong, from Gunnercooke, were the London office’s first two hires. They join Real Estate and Tax Partners Ross Shine and Euri Yoon, who are already based in the capital.
gunnercooke hires Real Estate lawyer from Penningtons Manches Cooper
Louis Manches has joined gunnercooke as a Real Estate Partner. Louis is based in London,
Broadfield Adds Two London Partners To Expand Private Wealth And IP Capabilities
Broadfield announced the appointment of Sarah Sarwar (Private Client) and Ash von Schwan (IP and Technology) as Partners in its London office, strengthening the firm’s private wealth and intellectual property capabilities as it continues to expand its international platform. Sarah joins from Morr & Co and Ash joins from Baker McKenzie.
Simmons & Simmons Patent Head joins European IP firm
Former Simmons & Simmons Patent Head Kevin Cordina has joined Carpmaels & Ransford as a Partner in its Engineering and Technology team. Kevin is based in London.
Emma-Jane Flannery joins A&L Goodbody
A&L Goodbody (ALG) has announced the appointment of Emma-Jane Flannery as its new Head of Employment law in its Belfast office. Emma joins from Coca-Cola HBC, where she was Senior Legal Counsel.
Knights bolsters Bristol Private Client offering with Partner appointment
Professional services firm Knights has strengthened its Private Client team in Bristol with the appointment of a Partner. Nerys Thomas is an expert across all aspects of Private Client law and advises clients on tax, trusts and succession planning. Nerys joins from Michelmores.
Mishcon de Reya boosts Employment team with new Partner hire
Mishcon de Reya has announced that Anna Byford has joined the firm as a Partner in its Employment department. Anna will lead the Employment Innovate team, which provides the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious employment, business immigration and incentives advice to fast-growth, scale-up businesses in the Innovation economy. Anna joins from Deloitte Legal, where she was a Director.
Europe
Freshfields adds Private Equity Partner in Madrid from Pérez-Llorca
Freshfields has hired a Private Equity Partner from Pérez-Llorca to lead its Madrid-based Private Equity team. Pablo González Mosqueira will take up his new role as Partner to help drive the expansion of Freshfields’ global M&A and Capital practice.
Fieldfisher hires M&A and Private Equity Partner from Squire Patton Boggs
Carlos Blanco Morilla will join Fieldfisher as a Partner in their Madrid Office.
Eversheds Sutherland has made a further lateral Partner appointment, welcoming Alexander Wojtek to its Hamburg office, Germany. Alexander joins from Bird & Bird where he advised banks, alternative debt funds, institutional investors and sponsors on complex project finance transactions and joint ventures, with a strong focus on renewable energy and infrastructure projects.
Florian Schwuchow joins Orka in Real Estate law
The law firm Orka is bringing in a specialist in commercial tenancy law for its Berlin office. Florian joins from CMC Center Management GmbH.
Italian firm hires International Arbitration Lawyer from BonelliErede
Michela D’Avino has left BonelliErede after two decades to join the partnership at Milan-headquartered De Berti Jacchia Franchini Forlani.
Carole Nerguararian coming soon to HSF Kramer
The Paris office of the firm Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has just promoted Restructuring Lawyer Carole Nerguararian to Partner.
Freshfields swoops for Hengeler Partner as German regroup continues
Freshfields has made another rare lateral hire in Germany, recruiting Partner Daniel Möritz from Hengeler Mueller. Möritz is set to join the firm’s Munich office after having spent nearly 15 years at Hengeler Mueller, with six years in Hengeler’s Düsseldorf office and just under nine years in Munich. He is experienced in advising industrials, insurers and private equity investors on international, complex and regulated transactions.
Team
Mishcon de Reya adds Litigation trio from Watson Farley & Williams in the UAE
Mishcon de Reya has hired a team of Litigation and Arbitration specialists from Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) to expand its dispute resolution practice in the UAE. The team is led by Partner Charlotte Bijlani, who joins as Co-Head of the UAE disputes practice, alongside Managing Associate Haya Al Bawab and Associate Gabriela Benavides.
King & Spalding raids WilmerHale for heavyweight Disputes team
King & Spalding has hired a five-strong Disputes team from WilmerHale across London, New York and Washington DC. WilmerHale’s former Head of International Arbitration, Gary Born, who is based between London and New York, joins the firm after nearly four decades at WilmerHale. He is joined from WilmerHale by London-based Partners Frank Schwarz and Marleen Krueger, and Washington DC-based Partners Rachael Kent and Danielle Morris.
Skadden announced that Robert Griffin, Kapil Vishnu Pandit and Skye Smith have joined the firm as Partners in the Investment Management Group. Robert and Skye will be based in Skadden’s office in Abu Dhabi’s ADGM, and Kapil in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.
Promotions & Appointments
Jo Hewitt Appointed Baker McKenzie London Office Managing Partner
Jo Hewitt has been appointed Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie’s London office, the first female leader to take up the role. Her term will run from 1 October 2026 until 30 June 2029.
Travers Smith promotes three in scaled-back Partner round
Travers Smith has added three lawyers to its partnership, its smallest round since 2014 when just two new appointments were made.
Thorntons promotes Corah Franco to Partner
Thorntons has promoted Corah Franco to Partner in its Private Client team. Corah joined Thorntons in October 2022, after completing her training and spending more than three years focusing on private client work.
Harper Macleod promotes 35 lawyers across Scotland
Harper Macleod has promoted 35 lawyers across Scotland, including seven Legal Directors and five Senior Associates, nine Associates and 14 Senior Solicitors across a range of practice areas.
Gateley makes senior promotions in Belfast
Gateley has announced a trio of promotions and a new appointment in its Belfast office, including the promotion of a new Partner and Director.
Madelène Leurs appointed M&A Partner
Madelène Leurs has been appointed Partner at Boels Zanders. As a lawyer, Madelène often acts in company acquisitions, investments by private equity, venture capital and family offices, and in the design and advice of joint ventures. In this way, she combines her specialisations in mergers and acquisitions and corporate law within Boels Zanders, where she has been working since 2017. Madelène is based in Maastricht.
Appointment of Rein Bressers as M&A Partner
Boels Zanders has a new Partner. Rein Bressers started his career in 2015 as a mergers and acquisitions specialist at a law firm in the Zuidas. A year ago, he made the switch to Boels Zanders, where he assists clients with his characteristic quality and commitment. Rein is based in Eindhoven.
Christopher Bullock promoted to Partner at Browne Jacobson
Christopher Bullock was recently promoted to Partner in the Corporate team at Browne Jacobson following the tie-in with Davidson McDonnell. Christopher is based in Cookstown, in Northern Ireland.
Gerson Raiser joins the Clifford Chance Partnership
Gerson Raiser has been promoted to Partner in the Frankfurt office of Clifford Chance. Gerson specialises in Disputes.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
Addleshaw Goddard announces expansion into the Netherlands
Addleshaw Goddard (AG), the international law firm, is entering the Netherlands’ legal market with the integration of Florent, a leading Amsterdam-based law firm. The merger with Florent, a full-service Dutch corporate law firm located in the heart of the Zuidas financial district, is a significant milestone in the firm’s ambitious AG2030 international growth strategy.
Northern firm Brabners has opened its first London office.
Swale & Spark launches across Luxembourg and Paris
Swale & Spark, a new multidisciplinary business law firm operating across Luxembourg and Paris, has officially launched.
Immigration solicitor Eimear Nugent opens new practice
Experienced immigration solicitor Eimear Nugent has announced the opening of her new practice, Nugent Solicitors, based in Swords, North County Dublin.
Financial Results
Browne Jacobson revenue nears £150m following 9% rise
Browne Jacobson has reported revenue of £148.8 million for FY26, up 9% on the previous year. The figures continue an impressive run of growth for the UK and Ireland firm, which recorded double-digit revenue increases in each of the last four years.
Market Commentary
Simpson Thacher launches private equity-focused training contract
Simpson Thacher is launching a private equity-focused training contract in London, the first formal path to qualification the firm has offered in the City. The US powerhouse – known for its top-tier PE practice – said the rotational programme will give trainees aiming for a career as a private equity specialist experience across “the core practice areas that underpin the firm’s market-leading private capital platform”.
Dr. Vivien Vacha joins Jade Energy as General Counsel in Berlin
Vivien previously worked at TES-H2, where she was Legal Counsel for Germany.
Kennedys bags Trowers’s GC in latest major hire
Kennedys has hired Trowers & Hamlins’ General Counsel, Claire Larbey, to become the firm’s new General Counsel. Larbey will replace Andrew Coates, who is retiring after 25 years serving as the firm’s Chief Risk Officer – a role that will be replaced by the new General Counsel position.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
AI-native IP firm Lightbringer raises $10m in Series A funding round
Swedish native AI law firm start-up Lightbringer, which specialises in IP law, has secured $10m in a Series A funding round. The round was co-led by London-based venture capital firm 6 Degrees Capital alongside Dutch investment company Newion.
UK government launches legal AI scheme
Lawyers have welcomed UK government-backed “AI Growth Labs” to build and test AI technology for the legal sector, including tools to speed up conveyancing during property sales. The Ministry of Justice said the labs will enable innovative AI software to be tested securely and released to the market sooner. It will work with lawyers and liaise with regulators to make it easier to introduce new legal AI.