Moves:
UK & Ireland
Mishcon de Reya’s international arbitration head to join Littleton Chambers in London
Louis Flannery KC, Head of international arbitration at Mishcon de Reya, is scheduled to join Littleton Chambers in London. He will be admitted to the bar and work as a counsel in addition to serving as an arbitrator.
Michaela Herron to head life sciences at Mason Hayes & Curran
Ms Herron has extensive knowledge of the regulatory landscape that exists at the nexus of technology and life sciences, and she adeptly navigates the complexities of the EU regulatory framework for her clients.
New Derry hire at Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors
David McConaghie has been appointed as a solicitor in the Derry office of Caldwell & Robinson Solicitors, an Ireland-wide legal practice.
EMEA
White & Case builds in Germany with hire of capital markets partner duo from Latham
Oliver Seiler and David Rath join US firm in Frankfurt despite reports Latham restructuring partner duo are moving to Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
APAC
Malaysia’s Lee Hishammuddin launches white-collar practice with new hire
At a time when white-collar employment in Southeast Asia is still on the increase, partner Tiara Katrina Fuad of the Malaysian law firm Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill has established a white-collar crime practice.
HK: Simmons hires I-Mab Biopharma’s CLO
Richard Cheng Li has joined the UK law firm Simmons & Simmons as a partner and the leader of its healthcare and life sciences group in Hong Kong. Li most recently served as I-Mab Biopharma’s chief legal officer.
Yulchon adds Kim & Chang IP, antitrust lawyer
With the appointment of antitrust and intellectual property specialist Dave Koo, South Korean Big Six firm Yulchon has continued its ambitious expansion. Koo will be the business’s tenth partner hire by 2024. Koo leaves Kim & Chang, where he held the position of senior foreign attorney.
Indonesia’s FKNK adds cross-border M&A partner
With the appointment of partner Gladi Febri Argo, who was previously the managing partner at the Indonesian boutique WilberForce Argo, a firm he co-founded in 2012, Indonesia’s FKNK Law Firm has strengthened its cross-border investment offering.
HK: Robertsons hires corporate finance partner from RPC
Janney Chong, a corporate finance specialist from RPC, has joined the Hong Kong law firm Robertsons as a partner.
The Americas
Squire Hires Former Polsinelli Latin America Leader
Emil Infante and his ultra-high-net-worth clientele joined Squire Patton Boggs last week.
Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney Picks Up White and Williams Litigation Co-Chair
Vincent Barbera is an expert in noncompete agreements.
Latham and Arnold & Porter Build Health Care Regulatory Teams
Eva Temkin moved to Arnold & Porter because of a disagreement at Paul Hastings, meanwhile Latham has attracted two partners from Skadden.
Sheppard Mullin Continues Chicago Expansion With Mayer Brown Partner
Tom Panoff, a partner at Mayer Brown, specializes in commercial and antitrust litigation. He expressed that his clients and practice will benefit from the shift to Sheppard Mullin.
Lawyer Known for Talc Verdicts Moves to Product Liability Boutique
In 2016 and 2017, Danielle Ward Mason was recognized for winning verdicts against Johnson & Johnson totalling over $1 billion.
Baker & Hostetler Hires Baker Botts Partner to Lead New Catastrophic Accident Response Team
Over two decades of experience in assisting clients in responding to catastrophic events will be used as Greg Dillard leads the team of approximately thirty lawyers spread across many offices.
On the Move: Holland & Knight Names New Office Leader, Adds In-House Lawyer
In the meantime, other Southeast legal firms add labour, real estate, and regulatory attorneys while Fox Rothschild encourages attorneys in Atlanta and the Carolinas to become partners.
People in the News—May 22, 2024—Malamut, Tucker Arensberg
Attorney Stephanie Caloiaro has joined the government group at Malamut Law, which has its headquarters in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.
Two Akin Partners Exit to Launch Separate Lobbying Shops
Their client lists show how even though large companies like Akin and Brownstein generate the most annual money from lobbying, small firm lobbying shops can start up or prosper.
People in the News—May 23, 2024—Hamburg Rubin, Montgomery McCracken
Celso L. Leite Jr. has joined Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin’s real estate and land use department, the company stated.
Milbank’s Top Securitization Lawyer to Join Kirkland & Ellis
Michael Urschel joined Milbank in April of last year as a member of a group of ten attorneys from King & Spalding.
People in the News—May 24, 2024—Goldberg Segalla
Scott T. Earle has joined Goldberg Segalla’s Philadelphia-based construction litigation and counsel department.
Midsize Moves: Seltzer Caplan Hires 2 Attorneys, Hall Render Adds Former Appeals Court Legal Adviser
Two new solicitors have joined Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek: Ora Lupear and Austin Peterson; also, Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman has announced the addition of Liza Sawyer to the company in its Washington, D.C. office.
Osler Lands Prominent Canadian Privacy Law Partners From Borden Ladner Gervais
Along with coworker Francois Joli-Coeur, Eloise Gratton moves on and takes on the role of co-chair of Osler’s practice group dedicated to privacy and data management.
It’s a Spring Fever of Lateral Partner Moves at Big Canadian Firms
Just last week, at least eight partners from various cities around the nation joined new firms.
In house
Paychex CLO to Retire After Quarter-Century With Company
As corporate counsel, Stephanie Schaeffer joined the payroll services company. She rose to the position of chief legal officer two years later and head of legal services four years after.
Xcel Energy Hires Legal Chief as Lawsuits Over Texas Wildfire Pile Up
The Minneapolis-based utility commented in March that its facilities “appeared to have been involved” in igniting the largest wildfire in Texas history.
Former Quantum, SunPower Legal Chief Takes Top Lawyer Job at Infinera
The producer of network equipment has appointed Regan MacPherson as its chief legal officer.
Nextdoor Names New Legal Chief, as C-Suite Changes Continue
Following John Orta’s resignation as chief legal officer and head of corporate development earlier this month, Sophia Contreras is taking over as general counsel.
Jersey Mike’s Taps Up-and-Comer as General Counsel, as Sale Talk Swirls
The deputy general counsel of the fastest-growing sandwich chain in the country has been promoted to vice president and general counsel.
High-Ranking EDNY Prosecutor Nicole Boeckmann Joins Bracewell as Partner
Boeckmann rejoins Bracewell partners Seth DuCharme and Roslynn Mauskopf, as well as other EDNY coworkers.
Owner of Glenfiddich Selects New General Counsel from FTSE 100 Company
It will be the company’s current GC’s retirement, following three years in the position.
US superyacht services business MarineMax appoints general counsel
Manny Alvare, who had previously served as head of the company’s legal department, was elevated to general counsel by recreational boat and yacht supplier MarineMax.
Scotch-maker William Grant hires Kingfisher deputy GC to head legal team
William Grant & Sons, the makers of Glenfiddich Scotch whisky, has named Isabelle Meyer group general counsel, succeeding Catriona Macritchie, who is retiring.
Team Moves
Paul Hastings Loses Five-Strong Team, Led by China Co-Head, to Pillsbury
Former co-chair of Paul Hastings’ Shanghai and Beijing offices, Jia Yan is an experienced partner.
EY Law Team Shifts to Top 50 UK Firm Browne Jacobson Amid Redundancy Warnings
Five members of EY’s technology and commercial law team have joined Browne Jacobson, one of the top 50 UK law firms, as of right now. The group has moved to a new office in London.
Latham set for double blow as German teams exit for US rivals
A two-partner restructuring team is departing to join Willkie, while another two-partner team is joining White & Case to bolster the latter’s practice in equity capital markets.
On the Move and After Hours: Riker Danzig; Sills Cummis; Archer; Capehart Scatchard
Archer & Greiner promotes two partners, Riker Danzig adds three attorneys, and other changes.
Range of Firms Hire to Corporate, Tax and Banking Teams in Spain
Baker Hostetler, Lewis Brisbois, and Holland & Knight are a few of the large companies in the city experiencing tremendous expansion.
Boies Schiller Flexner adds IP litigation trio from Shook Hardy in DC
After working together for over ten years, Ryan Dykal, Jordan Bergsten, and Mark Schafer have a wealth of trial expertise resolving IP disputes in the computer industry for both plaintiffs and defendants.
Promotions & Appointments:
People in the News—May 20, 2024—Maiello Brungo, Margolis Edelstein
General counsel for the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has been named as Steven P. Engel by Maiello Brungo & Maiello, a legal company that specializes in construction law and related disputes.
Brazil’s Demarest Elects New Managing Partner for 2-Year Term
In the last eight months, the full-service firm—which is among the biggest in Latin America—has added more than a dozen partners to support expansion into private equity and other sectors.
Professor Roja Fazaeli named deputy chair of Front-Line Defenders
Professor Roja Fazaeli of the University of Galway has been named deputy chair of Front-Line Defenders, an international human rights organisation.
Whitney Moore’s Emma Richmond appointed to Meritas board
Emma Richmond, a co-managing partner at Whitney Moore, was named to the Meritas board of directors, which is an international network of independent law firms.
Mergers & Alliances:
Deal Watch: Big Week in Deals as Creative Dealmaking Merges With More Activity
Ben Beerle, a corporate partner with Cooley who handles mergers and acquisitions noted that “Each of our clients is getting more inbound phone calls from firms looking to work with them than they did three or four years ago”.
Investors are being represented by Withers, Reynolds Porter, Quinn Emanuel, Pallas Partners, and Clyde & Co. about their claims over the write-down of Credit Suisse’s AT1 bond.
Freshfields, Kirkland Act as Warburg Pincus and Temasek Snap Up UK Insurance Group for £1B
Newly established law firms Bruckhaus Deringer, Kirkland & Ellis, and Eversheds Sutherland have secured positions in the acquisition of the UK insurance provider Specialist Risk Group by private equity firms Temasek and Warburg Pincus for a sum over £1 billion.
Major Law Firms Advising BHP and Anglo American on $49B Takeover
BHP of Australia wants to be the biggest copper miner in the world.
Global law firms advise Mubadala On Completion of Fortress Acquisition
After the deal, the management of Fortress has a 32% equity stake and may choose the majority of the board’s members.
Spain’s Garrigues and Microsoft Form Alliance to Drive AI Innovation
The Spanish company is going to combine Microsoft’s Copilot and Azure with its own generative artificial intelligence technology.
Office Openings & Closing:
Eversheds Sutherland to close Berlin office
With the closure of its ten-year-old Berlin office, Eversheds Sutherland will now only have four offices throughout Germany.
Law Firm Competitors Grow Their Atlanta Offices But King & Spalding, Alston Remain Dominant
Baker Hostetler, Lewis Brisbois, and Holland & Knight are a few of the large companies in the city experiencing tremendous expansion.
Freshfields Converts Some London Collaborative Areas Into Office Space
Amid the discussion about flexible and hybrid work arrangements, companies are still trying to find a way to combine open-plan and cellular work.
Hong Kong’s OLN launches elder law practice
Hong Kong law firm Oldham, Li & Nie has launched an elder law practice group after hiring Helena Hu as a consultant to co-head it. It is believed to be the first Hong Kong law firm to offer such a practice.
Singapore’s Big Four Allen & Gledhill Launches Outfit in Indonesia
AGI Legal is being led by Allen & Gledhill partner Aris Budi Prasetiyo, as well as three former partners at Indonesian firm Ali Budiardjo, Nugroho, Reksodiputro.
Midmarket Roundup: Northeast Firms Seize Opportunities in Florida and California
Following an appellate victory, lawyers defending a U.K. tailor couldn’t resist using sewing-related wordplay; a Shipman & Goodwin partner will moderate Yale’s innovation summit; and Sills Cummis & Gross joins a long list of Northeast firms opening in Florida.
Financials:
Big Stock Award Propels Dell GC onto Company’s Highest-Paid List
Despite joining the company in 1999, Richard Rothberg has served as its head of legal affairs since 2013.
Once ‘Unheard Of,’ $20M Partner Pay Becomes Standard to Meet at Davis Polk, Simpson Thacher
Industry expert Peter Zeughauser “The market is the reality, and you have to live in that reality. You can’t have your head in the sand”.
Focusing on Expense Management, Katten Grew Revenue by 5.2%, PEP by 9.2% in 2023
According to CEO Noah Heller, robust demand in areas such as private wealth, structured finance, bankruptcy and restructuring, private credit, and litigation in the second part of the year also contributed to revenue growth.
Southeast Law Firms Positioned for Revenue Growth, but Rising Expenses Drag Down Profits
According to Citi, first-quarter expenses in the Southeast increased more quickly than those in the sector, but demand growth was also present.
Largest Law Firms Increase Partner Pay Spread, as Comp Models Hit ‘Inflection Point’
Based on a sample of companies’ data, the Am Law 100 increased its average equity partner pay spread from 9.8-to-1 in 2022 to 10.3-to-1 in 2023.
Technology & Innovation:
Every legal business looking to completely abandon on-premises IT infrastructure ought to think about utilizing Microsoft 365 and its ancillary services to become serverless.
Corporate Criminal Liability for Artificial Intelligence
It is yet unclear how criminal law enforcement will be able to monitor inappropriate usage of artificial intelligence. When AI-driven decision-making results in legal infractions instead of deliberate human activities, that task will become very difficult.
Gavel Incorporates With GPT-4o, Seeing Major Benefits
According to Dorna Moini, the creator and CEO of Gavel, the new OpenAI model reduced costs in half and improved accuracy by 25% over the GPT-4.
Evisort and NetDocuments Become Latest in Legal Tech to Integrate With Microsoft Copilot
The connections are intended to enable more smoother interactions between the legal tech platforms and applications within Microsoft’s ecosystem. They were revealed during the week of the “Microsoft Build” developer conference.
Tracking Generative AI: How Evolving AI Models Are Impacting Legal
An ongoing collection of the ways that generative AI tools—from GPT technologies to art creation tools and beyond—are continuing to influence the legal landscape.
Dentons Wins Role Advising UK Government on AI
The directive coincides with the introduction of new EU regulations that lay out a thorough set of guidelines for artificial intelligence.
Travers Smith AI Team Breaks Away as Firm Creates Independent Business
The company, which has seen a decline in earnings, is presently Jylo’s only investor and will be the service’s first payer.
Lawyers with AI Skills Can Enjoy 49% Wage Premium, Research Shows
A report by PwC highlights those sectors with highest AI penetration ‘are seeing almost fivefold greater labour productivity growth’.
Diversity & Inclusion:
ELEC Names New Executive Director, First Woman to Lead Watchdog Agency
ELEC Chair Tom Prol said, “With executive director Haines at the helm, New Jersey voters can be confident that ELEC will continue to fulfil its transparency mandate and will vigorously monitor and enforce campaign financing laws with an eye toward protecting and lifting up vulnerable and historically disenfranchised communities”.
Partner at Canadian Firm Resigns Amid Fury Over ‘Deeply Disturbing’ Sexist Email
After his misogynistic and anti-trans email became viral, Rob Rakochey left his Calgary firm.
Market Commentary:
‘Mission Critical’: Big Law Firms Prioritize Right C-Suite Talent
In recent months, numerous C-suite positions have been filled due to high demand for suitable talent within firms’ business ranks.
GC Searches Veer Away From Internal Hires, Upending In-House Promotion Tracks
According to a survey by executive search company Russell Reynolds Associates, “the step up for internal candidates from deputy to GC is a much bigger gap to bridge” because being a general counsel today demands a far wider variety of competencies.
Swelling Workloads Taking Toll on In-House Lawyers’ Mental Health
Former in-house lawyer Shai Mehani, who is also co-founder of the networking group In-house Connect said “The more camaraderie that’s on the team, the less stress, the less burnout and the higher the retention rates”.
Are Law Firms Headed for an Era of Rapid Staff Turnover?
A recent report concluded “Whether it’s due to redundancies, retirement or switching firms, support staff turnover seems to be fixed at a high rate for the foreseeable future,”.
Big Law Seeks to Maintain M&A Momentum With Lateral Market Maneuvers
In the past week, firms including Paul Weiss, Sullivan & Cromwell, Akin, K&L Gates, and Seyfarth have all revealed their lateral M&A partners.
Death by a Thousand Cuts: Should Big Law Still Invest in Asia?
Persistent uncertainty and negative news signals to certain Asian corporations that it’s time to make a break for it. However, Jessica Seah in the Asia Legal Briefing argues that legal businesses cannot claim to have a worldwide offering without being present in Asia.
How an Australian Hospital’s General Counsel Made Legal Matter
When Fleur Katsmartin first got to The Royal Melbourne Hospital, she went door-to-door.
The Partners Are Not All Right: Why Senior Lawyers Need Mental Health Support
Partners often believe that the juniors are the ones in need of assistance and that they do not. However, that might not be the case.
How the A&O Shearman Merger Will Impact the Firm’s Africa Practice
As the international portfolio of the recently combined firm is still being developed, what does this mean for A&O’s long-standing Africa practice?
UK General Election: Lawyers’ Attention Turns to Labour’s Tax Agenda
When U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced an early general election for July 4, many British lawyers were just as shocked as their clients. This was a vote that may reshape the tax landscape with the first change of government in over ten years.