Moves:
UK & Ireland
Perkins Coie recruits technology specialist as partner
Perkins Coie has appointed Arnav Joshi as partner in London. He joins from Clifford Chance.
Bloomsbury Square Employment Law welcomes partner
Bloomsbury Square Employment Law has hired Emily Bradshaw as partner. Bradshaw joins Bloomsbury Square from national firm Pattinson & Brewer, where she was partner and head of employment.
Knights adds regulatory expertise in Bristol
Knights has strengthened its Bristol team with the appointment of experienced regulatory partner Charles Metherell. Bringing 40 years of expertise, Charles joins from JMW Solicitors LLP and specialises in risk, operational, restructuring and strategic services for the legal sector.
The Americas
Pillsbury charges energy capabilities with latest appointment
International law firm has welcomed expert Stephen Humes to its New York office as partner. He joins from Holland & Knight.
Axinn, Veltrop & Harkrider LLP has announced that Jacklin “Jackie” Lem, who most recently served as Civil Chief of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division’s San Francisco Office, has joined its Antitrust practice as a partner in the San Francisco, CA office.
Foley Hoag hires former US agency head as partner following Trump firing
Hampton Dellinger joins in Washington DC after being dismissed from the US Office of Special Counsel by president Donald Trump in February.
King & Spalding secures IP litigator pair from Goodwin Procter – The Global Legal Post
King & Spalding has boosted its national IP litigation practice with the hire of two partners from Goodwin Procter. Andrew Ong and Amadou Kilkenny Diaw are joining the Atlanta-based firm in San Francisco and Washington DC respectively.
Perkins Coie has announced that former California Deputy Solicitor General Josh Patashnik has joined the firm’s Litigation practice as a partner in the San Diego office focused on appeals, issues, and strategy.
Davis Polk welcomes West Coast Finance partner Rob Morrison
Davis Polk has announced that leading finance lawyer Rob Morrison has joined the firm as a partner in the Finance practice. He joins from White & Case.
Morrison Cohen Hires K&L Gates Real Estate Partner in New York
Aaron Taishoff joined Morrison Cohen as a partner in its real estate practice in New York. He joins from K&L Gates.
Greenberg Traurig Adds Shareholder to Energy and Infra Practices in Mexico
Carlos Ochoa has joined Greenberg Traurig from Holland & Knight in Mexico.
EMEA
Ex-Baker McKenzie Partner Launches Austrian Antitrust Boutique
Andreas Traugott, the former head of Baker McKenzie’s competition practice in Austria, has departed the global law firm to establish a new boutique specializing in antitrust and regulatory law.
Greenberg Traurig adds new Partner in the Middle East
Greenberg Traurig, LLP has hired a partner from Pinsent Masons to co-lead its Middle East and Europe hospitality practice based from the UAE. Louisa Clare Lynch will steer the practice alongside Elias Hayek, who also recently joined the firm.
APAC
Fenchurch grows SG partner count with ex-DAC Beachcroft partner, promotion
Insurance disputes-focused law firm Fenchurch Law has expanded the partnership at its recently launched Singapore office with the addition of Julian Teoh, a former partner of DAC Beachcroft, and the promotion of director Toby Nabarro.
Former Shook Lin partner joins Nishimura-allied Bayfront as director
Singapore law firm Bayfront Law, Nishimura & Asahi’s local alliance firm, has strengthened its commercial disputes practice with the appointment of Joseph Tay as director from Shook Lin & Bok, where he was an equity partner.
India’s Trilegal grows corporate practice with hire of SAM trio
Indian law firm Trilegal has expanded its corporate offering with the additions of Abhishek Guha (L), Tanya Uppal, and Mahesh Wasadikar as equity partners from Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co.
South Korea’s Yoon & Yang grows M&A practice with ex-Yulchon duo
South Korean law firm Yoon & Yang has hired two partners to expand its mergers and acquisitions practice, adding Jin Kook Lee and So Yeon Yoon from rival firm Yulchon.
In-House
Canada’s Manulife lines up former JPMorgan lawyer as next general counsel – The Global Legal Post
Canadian financial services giant Manulife has named Mike Coyne as its next general counsel, replacing Jim Gallagher who is retiring from the company this month. Coyne joins from global banking think tank The Bank Policy Institute (BPI), where he has been working as a senior fellow and litigation strategy advisor since last November.
Anthropic Taps New General Counsel Amid AI Firm’s Funding Push
Anthropic PBC, an artificial intelligence startup in talks to secure $10 billion in new funding, has hired Jeffrey Bleich, a former diplomat and litigator well-known in political and technology circles, as its general counsel.
Team Moves
CMS adds team of seven ex-BCLP lawyers in Hong Kong and one in Singapore – The Global Legal Post
CMS has hired a group of seven lawyers from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (BCLP) in Hong Kong, taking advantage of the latter firm’s decision to close its office in the special administrative region earlier this year. The incoming team includes two partners – Glenn Haley and Wayne Ma – and will bolster the firm’s construction, infrastructure and real estate coverage in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to the Hong Kong hires, the firm is also adding another lawyer from BCLP in Singapore.
Promotions & Appointments:
Harris Beach Murtha Names New Office Managing Partner in Hartford
Attorney Alfred R. Casella has been appointed managing partner of Harris Beach Murtha’s Hartford office, its largest Connecticut presence. Alfred succeeds Richard A. Marone who served as Hartford office managing partner for three years.
Mergers & Alliances:
PE in the law expands to Sweden as six firms join new group
Private equity in the law expanded to Sweden yesterday with the launch of AGRD Partners, a new group formed by six firms and backed by a Nordic investment house.
Eversheds Sutherland Advances CEE Strategy With 10-Lawyer Czech Tie-Up
Eversheds Sutherland has expanded its Czech presence through an alliance with 10-lawyer Kropáček LEGAL, advancing its broader Central and Eastern Europe growth strategy.
Philippine, Cambodian law firms ink strategic partnership
Philippine firm Florete Law and Cambodia’s A&D Law Firm have entered into a strategic partnership to provide legal services in international arbitration and corporate law for cross-border clients operating between the two countries, the firms announced.
Office Openings & Closing:
Littler Strengthens Canadian Presence with New Office in Québec
Littler, the world’s largest employment and labour law practice representing management, has further strengthened its global platform with the opening of an office in Montréal, Québec.
Ciarb Australia launches in NT
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb) Australia has launched in NT, bolstering access to arbitration and dispute resolution in the state.
Cliffe Dekker Launches Namibia Office with Four-Partner Breakaway Team
The firm has announced the opening of their Namibia Office with a team of Patrick Kauta, Frieda Kishi, Magano Erkana and Mercy Kuzeeko.
Financials:
Travers Smith sees revenue and profits slip in year of ‘market volatility’
Travers Smith has reported a slight fall in revenue and profits for 2024/25, though profits per partner edged up to a new high. The firm’s turnover slipped 2% to £210 million, while profit dropped to £74.1 million from £77 million last year. Despite the dip, PEP inched up to £1.3 million – a new high for the firm. Revenue per lawyer climbed 6%, also the highest to date.
Law firm A&O Shearman posts $3.7 bln in revenues in first year after merger | Reuters
Global law firm A&O Shearman on Thursday said it generated 2.9 billion pounds ($3.7 billion as converted by the firm) in client revenue last year, as the firm reported its first financial results since the completion of a major transatlantic merger. In the year since London-founded Allen & Overy and New York-founded Shearman & Sterling’s merger, the combined 4,000-lawyer firm recorded profit before tax of 1.1 billion pounds ($1.4 billion) and profit per equity partner of 2 million pounds ($2.6 million) for the fiscal year ending April 30.
Addleshaws reports healthy revenue growth as PEP reaches £1m
Addleshaw Goddard has delivered another strong performance, with revenue reaching £551 million and PEP of £1 million for the 2024/25 financial year. The figures mark AG’s eighth straight year of revenue and profit growth. Revenue rose 11%, continuing a run of double-digit growth after last year’s 12% improvement and 2023’s bumper 18%.
Technology & Innovation:
Law Society launches legal tech hub
The Law Society of Ireland has launched a new online resource focused on legal tech.
AI adoption in legal sector risks leaving small firms behind
LawtechUK has issued a warning regarding the growing disparity between large and small law firms, highlighting that smaller practices are facing significant challenges in leveraging emerging AI technologies to remain competitive. The UK lawtech sector has undergone remarkable growth, with over 90% expansion since 2020, resulting in more than 380 companies now operating in the field. The data reveal that while over 82% of UK lawyers are either utilising or plan to adopt AI tools, larger firms are leading this charge—nearly 80% of them have integrated AI into their operations, compared to just 37% of small firms.
Diversity & Inclusion:
‘Show, Don’t Tell’: How Law Firms Are Promoting DEI to Incoming Talent
Firms shifted toward more inclusivity-based language in the immediate aftermath of President Donald Trump’s executive orders and campaign against DEI efforts. According to both National Association of Law Placement executive director Nikia Gray and Fractional Law Firm CMO and co-founder Katherine Wilson, that language of inclusivity has entwined with law firms’ recruitment language as well.
Businesses ‘Recalibrating’ Public Disclosure of DEI to Avoid Regulatory Wrath
“Companies appear increasingly cautious about publishing sensitive demographic data amid intensifying legal, political and reputational scrutiny,” The Conference Board said in a new report.
Market Commentary:
Dubai or Riyadh? Middle East Relocation Options Broaden for Expats
Dubai’s status as the leading legal hub for expat lawyers in the Middle East is being challenged by Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
A panel of experts in artificial intelligence said during a Law.com International webcast last week that the appetite for AI adoption in the legal sector in Asia has gained substantial traction, with the industry no longer focused on the potential risks that technology presents and concerns around data protection. Over the past year, SAL has launched new programs to support young lawyers in areas such as the ethical use of generative AI, which in turn helps address key challenges in the local legal market, including high attrition rates and limited practical training. Last year, SAL also launched LawNet AI to research and summarize text from approximately 15,000 case judgments throughout Singapore’s judicial history since 1965.
Northern Ireland to introduce new routes to solicitor qualification
New routes to qualifying as a solicitor in Northern Ireland are set to be introduced in a bid to make the profession more accessible, inclusive and future-focused.