Moves:
UK & Ireland
Sullivan & Cromwell makes rare London lateral with hire of high-profile A&O Shearman partner
A&O Shearman global financial services regulatory co-head and financial institutions sector lead Barnabas Reynolds has left the firm to join Sullivan & Cromwell.
HSF Kramer hires partner from Ashurst to head up real estate disputes team
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer has hired real estate lawyer Alison Hardy from Ashurst to head up the newly merged firm’s real estate dispute resolution practice.
Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has announced the addition of Chris Buck as a shareholder in its London Private Equity Practice. He joins from his role as general counsel and head of operations at Spheres, a European private investment firm.
Baker McKenzie has hired an investment funds partner in London
Baker McKenzie has hired investment funds partner Nick Benson into its London office from Latham & Watkins. He joins from Weil.
Lavelle Partners hires Paul McCutcheon as partner and head of housing
Lavelle Partners LLP has appointed Paul McCutcheon as a partner and head of housing within the firm’s property team. He joins from RDJ.
Mason Hayes & Curran welcomes charity law partner Ursula McMahon
Mason Hayes & Curran has appointed Ursula McMahon as a partner in its charity and not-for-profit team. She joins from Matheson.
NatWest Group’s Tracy Watkinson announced as global firm Kennedys’ first chief operating officer
Global firm Kennedys has announced that Tracy Watkinson, NatWest Group’s former chief operating officer of finance, will be its first chief operating officer.
The Americas
Brian Rose and Allison Pearce join Troutman Pepper Locke from Porter Hedges.
Cooley Taps Adam Longenbach as Debt Finance Partner in New York
Adam Longenbach joined Cooley as a partner in its debt finance practice in New York. He joins from Paul Weiss.
Latham & Watkins Poised to Hire Wachtell Deals Star Podolsky
Latham & Watkins is set to hire Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz dealmaker Zach Podolsky, a major coup for Latham’s global mergers and acquisitions practice.
Fisher Phillips Welcomes James Holt in Pittsburgh
James Holt joins Fisher Phillips from Reed Smith with extensive first-chair litigation experience and a formidable reputation in the Pittsburgh legal community.
Kathryn Inman, who served as general counsel for the Florida Office of the Attorney General since 2022, has joined Holland & Knight’s Tallahassee office as a member of the Public Policy & Regulation Group.
Akin makes second double partner hire in Chicago from Mayer Brown
The incoming duo include M&A partner Joshua La Vigne and investment management partner Jessica Pan, from Mayer Brown.
EMEA
McDermott hires Herbert Smith Freehills partner for Paris IP practice
Frédéric Chevallier has joined McDermott’s IP team in Paris as a partner. He moved from Herbert Smith Freehills.
Norton Rose Fulbright bolsters its real estate offering with two new partners in Paris
Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright has announced that David Lacaze and Isabelle Augais have joined as partners in its real estate team in Paris. They join from Herbert Smith Freehills.
White-collar defence partner returns to K&L Gates
Global law firm K&L Gates announced on Tuesday (17 June) the hire of former Alston & Bird partner Isabelle De Smedt
Geradin Partners debuts in Germany with high-profile hires
The German expansion will be spearheaded by two leading antitrust partners: Thomas Höppner, who joins from Hausfeld, and Thomas Funke, who comes from Osborne Clarke.
APAC
Boyle joins White & Case from Bird & Bird, where he was a partner.
Withers expands Singapore disputes practice with key hire from Simmons & Simmons
Withers has enhanced its dispute resolution capabilities in Asia by appointing Mohammed Reza as partner and head of international arbitration at Withers KhattarWong, its affiliated practice in Singapore. Reza joins after a decade at Simmons & Simmons.
Stephenson Harwood hires CC counsel for HK restructuring team
Stephenson Harwood hires Alvin Cheung as a partner to enhance its Hong Kong restructuring and insolvency practice, from Clifford Chance.
PRC firm Jia Yuan bolsters cap markets practice with hire from Davis Polk
PRC law firm Jia Yuan Law Offices has hired Jennifer Ng as a partner in Beijing and Hong Kong from Davis Polk & Wardwell.
Singapore’s Oon & Bazul welcomes back shipping lawyer as partner
Singapore-based law firm Oon & Bazul has hired Fazlina Sapuan as a partner in its shipping and international trade practice. She joins from being legal counsel at Scandinavian dry bulk operator Western Bulk.
Japan’s Isshiki bolsters life sciences practice with senior hire
Isshiki & Partners hired Hiromi Furushima as a partner. He previously served as director of international legal at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
Duane Morris Singapore hires former Birds partner to head India disputes
Duane Morris & Selvam has appointed Akshay Kishore as director and head of its India dispute resolution practice from Bird & Bird.
In-House
SaskCentral hire new General Counsel
Suzanne Anton joins SasksCentral as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary.
VEON Appoints Vitaly Shmakov as Acting General Counsel
VEON Ltd., a global digital operator, appointed Vitaly Shmakov as the Acting General Counsel, based in VEON’s headquarters in the Dubai International Financial Center.
Team Moves
White and Williams LLP is pleased to announce the addition of four Partners and two Counsel to the Firm. The Firm welcomes as Partners Bonita K. Black, James P. Carlon, Michael JW Rennock, and Clara Krivoy.
Promotions & Appointments:
Australian Law News – King & Wood Mallesons Promote Four Partners
Joining the KWM Australia partnership are:
- Adam Black – Energy, Resources & Infrastructure, Brisbane. Adam specialises in project development, acquisitions and disposals, joint ventures/capital partnering, commercial contracts, corporate work and regulatory advice.
- Karim Issa – Mergers & Acquisitions, Brisbane. Karim focusses on private M&A, private equity, joint ventures, capital raisings (including secondary equity and debt capital raisings) and other corporate transactions.
- Genovieve Lajeunesse – Mergers & Acquisitions, Melbourne. Genovieve represents corporate and financial clients across diverse domestic and cross-border transactions, including public and private M&A, joint ventures and other corporate governance matters.
- Richard Shi – Energy, Resources & Infrastructure, Perth. Richard specialises in LNG, carbon capture storage, new energy, iron ore and lithium projects.
Reed Smith appoints Valvanis to lead Princeton office
Diane Bettino stepped down after 11 years as office managing partner. In a June 16 press release, the firm named financial services group member Nicholas Valvanis as her successor.
SNG & Partners announces promotions across Leadership positions
Anju Gandhi has been made a Senior Partner (Head of Banking & Finance), and Sadhav Mishra has been elevated as Senior Partner (Head of Real Estate). Aditya Vikram Dua has been appointed as the Head of Financial Services. In addition, Samreen Paloba has been promoted as a Partner, and Nishtha Arora has been promoted as an Associate Partner.
Deloitte Ireland strengthens leadership team with nine partner promotions
- Aoife Bayne (strategy, risk and transactions advisory)
- Paul Kerrigan (enabling areas)
- Sean Gascoine (audit and assurance)
- Grace Cunningham (technology and transformation)
- Dominic McNeill (tax and legal)
- Ailbhe Flynn (audit and assurance)
- Jake O’Sullivan (strategy, risk and transactions advisory)
- Aisling Cronin (technology and transformation)
- Ciarán Treacy (audit and assurance).
Two new equity partners promoted at Weightmans
The addition of Catriona Wolfenden and Jane Price increases the firm’s total equity partnership strength to 45, with the total partner count currently standing at 267.
Mergers & Alliances:
Former ZICO Cambodia firm Sok Siphana in Kinstellar tie-up
European law firm Kinstellar has expanded its presence in Southeast Asia after announcing a tie-up with a new firm in Cambodia called Sok Siphana Sethalay in association with Kinstellar Southeast Asia.
Conflicts, weak brand drive KPMG-ZICO Law merger to end
The much-touted merger between KPMG and the ZICO Law network has largely collapsed, around two-and-a-half years after the Big Four consulting firm expanded its legal arm across Southeast Asia.
Office Openings & Closing:
Goodwin to exit Frankfurt and shutter German real estate business
US firm Goodwin Procter is planning to scale back its German operations by ‘winding down’ its German real estate practice and shutting its Frankfurt office later this year, the second US firm in the past month to announce retrenchment plans in the city.
Financials:
Browne Jacobson’s revenue hits record £137m after 16% growth
Browne Jacobson has rung in this year’s UK financial reporting season, announcing it grew turnover by 16% in the year to 30 April to a record high of £137m
How UK Lawyer Pay Rates Are Reshaping the Legal Job Market
CMS has raised its London NQ salary to £120k, up from £110k, which means they’re now on par with Simmons & Simmons and Travers Smith. DLA Piper NQs are now looking at £130k and Ashurst used to pay its London NQs £125k, but as of May 1, that’s jumped to £140k putting them on a par with Macfarlanes.
Revenue Per Lawyer Rankings: The US Firms Outpacing the Pack
Law.com International’s new analysis of revenue per lawyer (RPL) in the UK legal market shows a striking trend: US-headquartered firms continue to lead the pack by a significant margin.
Record year for Leeds law firm as turnover tops £20m for the first time
Blacks Solicitors, a Leeds-based law firm, has reported a record financial year with turnover passing the £20m mark for the first time.
Technology & Innovation:
Consilio Acquires AI Research Lab TrueLaw to Advance Legal AI Capabilities
Consilio’s acquisition of TrueLaw boosts its legal AI offerings, including proprietary LLMs and narrative analysis, amid broader industry shifts.
DISCO Brings Gen-AI-Powered Auto Review to the EU, UK
DISCO announced the launch of its generative AI automated review tool in the European Union and the United Kingdom, bringing the powerful eDiscovery technology to tens of thousands of law firms and corporations across Europe.
The Role of AI and Autonomous Driving in Reducing Transportation Litigation Risk
As pressure mounts, the industry is turning to technology—specifically autonomous systems and AI-assisted driving tools.
Diversity & Inclusion:
New diversity toolkit to help larger firms retain talent
Dr Sam De Silva, global co-head of the commercial practice group at international firm CMS, and chair of the Society’s ethnic solicitors network, said the new guide is designed to help firms retain and advance minority ethnic diverse talent, and stay ahead in a competitive legal market.
ADR: An Urgent Need for More Competition and Greater Diversity
What are the benefits of alternative dispute resolution (ADR)? Ostensibly, flexibility, efficiency, equitable solutions, speed, and cost all favour the use of ADR. Still, the process faces a significant challenge: A lack of diversity among its practitioners, decision-makers and the number of available platforms. These deficiencies present implications not only for fairness and legitimacy but also for the quality and accessibility of justice.
Corporate Legal Departments Reevaluate Diversity Tracking Amid Rising Concerns
The practice of tracking diversity metrics for outside counsel has come under scrutiny. Jennifer McIver, a legal operations consultant at Wolters Kluwer, pointed out that the focus is shifting from the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to assessing whether the risks associated with tracking these metrics are justified.
Market Commentary:
LMEs: The Restructuring Tool That Can Make or Break Client Relationships | Law.com
Partners say using the American-style restructuring process too aggressively can jeopardise future mandates from lenders.
Trump Deals Revealed Deep Tensions Between Corporate and Litigation Departments
Corporate departments, eager to preserve federal access and contracts, are at odds with litigators who fear reputational damage and erosion of ethical norms. This clash signals deeper disruption: firms must now choose between preserving business ties to power or defending core professional principles.
Why Boutique Law Firms Are Strategically Positioned to Serve Entrepreneurial Clients
Their smaller scale fosters stronger personal relationships, nimble decision-making, and customised solutions—critical for startups and high-growth ventures navigating legal and business pivots. For entrepreneurs, that means smarter alignment with strategic goals, better value, and a partner who moves at their pace and scale.
Can Legal Services Corp. Survive the Chopping Block Again?
President Donald Trump seeks to slash continuing funding for The Legal Services Corporation, which provides grants to nonprofit legal aid groups nationwide.
The World’s Highest-Grossing Law Firm Is Investing in Mass Torts Defense.
Kirkland & Ellis, already at a staggering $8.8 billion in revenue and $9 million PEP, is building its defence capability against high-stakes, multi-district litigation, following the pandemic-era slowdown which gave way to renewed litigation momentum, prompting top firms to invest in deep benches and sophisticated legal strategies.