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
Slaughter and May M&A Partner exits for Paul Hastings in London
Paul Hastings has hired Corporate partner Mark Zerdin from Slaughter and May as it rebuilds its London bench following a series of senior exits over the past year. Slaughters saw two Partners leave last year: Oliver Wicker, who led the firm’s Derivatives practice, moved to Simmons & Simmons in December, while M&A Partner Paul Mudie departed for personal reasons, according to reports.
Willkie hires Clifford Chance’s former UK Antitrust boss
Greg Olsen will join Willkie as Partner in London once he has fulfilled his commitments as an ordinary member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal.
Ropes & Gray lands Clifford Chance PE lawyer as Partner in London
Ropes & Gray has hired Private Equity lawyer Lavinia Ralli as a Partner in London, continuing the build-out of its European Private Capital bench.
HFW hires Shipping Finance Partner from Watson Farley
London hire Simon Petch is the former Chair of the British Chamber of Commerce’s Transport Logistics & Supply Chain Business Group Committee.
Freeths appoints Corporate Partner in Bristol
Michelle Kirkland-Elias has joined Freeths as Partner. She moves from CMS.
Europe
New Partner for BAHR in Denmark
BAHR strengthens its presence in Copenhagen and brings in Accura Partner Christian Kjærgaard Aunvig to lead the Real Estate department.
Laurent Massinon joins Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer in Luxembourg
Laurent Massinon joins Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer as a Banking and Finance Partner in Luxembourg. Massinon joins from DLA Piper.
Vincent Dogan joins Simmons & Simmons in Private Equity Team
Vincent Dogan joins Simmons & Simmons’ Amsterdam office as Partner in the Private Equity and Corporate M&A team. He joins from A&O Shearman.
Simmons expands Private Equity offering in Germany with Peter Leube
International law firm Simmons & Simmons has strengthened its German Corporate and Private Equity offering with the addition of Dr Hans Peter Leube from Morgan Lewis, who joins the firm as a Partner in its Frankfurt office on 1 March 2026.
Middle East
Addleshaw Hires Clyde’s Corporate Partner as Firms Ramp Up UAE Expansion
Naji Hawayek will join the Dubai office and will also serve on the firm’s Middle East board.
Al Tamimi & Company hires from A&OS in Egypt
Moving from A&O Shearman, Ingy Darwish will be join the Corporate practice of the Egypt office in Cairo.
Team
Cohen & Gresser lands Latham PE partner in London
Private Equity partner Olga Ponomarenko has left Latham & Watkins to join US firm Cohen & Gresser in London. She is joined by Associate Irina Bratishkina, who was previously at Cleary.
Darrois Villey adds four-Partner M&A team in Paris from Gide
Darrois Villey Maillot Brochier has recruited a four-Partner M&A team in Paris from rival Gide Loyrette Nouel. The group is led by Olivier Diaz, who is joined by Frédéric Mion, Charles de Reals and Corentin Charlès.
Squire Patton Boggs has made two senior lateral hires in the UK
Former Leeds Head of Pensions, Gemma Hanley, joins from Eversheds Sutherland. Additionally, Birmingham-based IP specialist Matthew Harris has joined from Gowling WLG, where he was a Principal Associate.
Promotions & Appointments
Gonzalo Fernández Contreras promoted to Partner at Addleshaw Goddard Spain
Corporate Partner Gonzalo currently works in the Madrid office.
Squire Patton Boggs has promoted 20 people to the Partnership
UK promotions include: James Bradshaw (Corporate, London); Matt Lappin (Corporate, London); David Myers (Real Estate, Leeds); Claire O’Connor (Corporate, Birmingham); James Pearson (IP & Technology, London); Felix Weston (Pensions, London); and Andrea Zemenides (Financial Services, London).
Latham & Watkins have promoted four Counsel to Partner in London
The four new London Partners are: Becky Critchley (Capital Markets); Amanda Fortuna (Banking & Private Credit); Delyth Hughes (Capital Markets); and Tim Scott (M&A and Private Equity).
Clearwater has promoted Pierre-Alexandre Chlabovitch to Director
Since joining Clearwater, Pierre‑Alexandre has supported a broad range of complex M&A, debt advisory and restructuring transactions. Pierre-Alexandre is based in Paris.
Burness Paull appoints Knowledge and Client Service Partner
Tim Dale has been appointed the new role of Knowledge and Client Service Partner in Edinburgh.
RDJ promotes Cork-Based Real Estate lawyer to Partner
Martin O’Callaghan has been promoted to Partner in RDJ’s Real Estate practice.
Sharkawy & Sarhan promotes Dalia Abdel Ghany to Partner
Dalia (Employment & Labour) works in Cairo.
CMS Executive Partner Role Changes Hands in Leadership Shake Up
Stephen Millar (London) is set to step into Executive Partner on April 1st, replacing Duncan Weston who had the role for 10 years.
Fieldfisher has promoted Javier Fuentes de Tienda and Antonio Delgado to the firm’s Partnership
Javier (Corporate/M&A, Barcelona) and Antonio (International Arbitration, Madrid) have both been promoted to Partner.
Greenberg Traurig has appointed William Lo to Shareholder
William Lo (Real Estate) is based in London.
Insurance giant Howden hires Alleghany’s Legal Head as CLO
Christopher Dalrymple will become Howden’s top lawyer on 23 March. Dalrymple joins from insurance and reinsurance business Alleghany Corporation, where he was GC.
Jim Goldie joins Capital Group in London as head of ETF Capital Markets for Europe and Asia Pacific
Jim Goldie (London) joins from Invesco.
Ms Justice Elizabeth Dunn appointed Chairperson of the Standards in Public Office Commission
The Supreme Court judge’s nomination by the government was approved by the Dáil in January. President Catherine Connolly made the formal appointment at a ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin on Tuesday.
Mills Selig expands Banking and Finance team
Northern Ireland firm Mills Selig has expanded its Banking and Finance team with three new appointments. Nichola Coghlan has been appointed as Legal Director, alongside Andrew McClurg as Associate and Hannah Roleston as Solicitor.
Andrea Thomas has been promoted to Partner at Fried Frank
Promoted from Special Counsel, Andrea works in the Finance department in the London office.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
Travers Smith Moves Offices in London
Travers Smith has moved to new offices on Stonecutter Street.
Mergers & Alliances
Stewarts Solicitors acquires Peter Dornan & Co Solicitors
Northern Ireland firm Stewarts Solicitors has acquired Peter Dornan & Co Solicitors, a long-established legal practice with offices in Bangor and Belfast. The deal expands Stewarts Solicitors’ footprint to six locations: Newtownards, Comber, Belfast, Ballymena, Kircubbin and now Bangor.
Financial Results
Garrigues’ international surge pushes revenue past €500m
Iberian firm Garrigues recorded 9.5 per cent revenue growth in 2025, surpassing the half-billion-euro mark for the first time in its history, reaching €527.7m.
Proskauer’s City revenue skyrockets 45 per cent
Proskauer Rose’s London office recorded revenue of $226.8m for 2025, a 45.1 per cent increase on the previous year, marking its strongest City performance to date.
Akin’s City turnover rises 11 per cent to $222m
Firmwide revenue rose 14.5 per cent to $1.7bn, while net profit climbed 20 per cent to $762.9m. London remained one of Akin’s strongest-performing markets, generating revenue of $222.1m after an 11 per cent increase from $200.8m in 2024.
Paul Hastings “bullish” for year ahead as City revenue hits $272m
Paul Hastings has recorded a 25 per cent rise in its London office revenue, in a year of increasing M&A demand and partner churn. The firm’s London office is understood to have generated $272.4m over 2025, rising 25 per cent on its previous record of $217.9m.
‘A Phenomenal Year’: Greenberg Traurig Approaches $3B in Revenue for the First Time in Firm History
The firm grew profits per equity partner by over 10% to nearly $2.9 million, while keeping its equity partner head count steady.
Revenue hits $1.1 billion for Norton Rose in Europe, Middle East and Asia Pacific
Revenue at Norton Rose Fulbright has reached $1.1 billion in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. Since 2020, regional PEP has almost doubled, with double-digit growth recorded across all practice areas and geographic markets.
Market Commentary
Big Law firms tell Middle East staff to stay home after Gulf attacks
International law firms have moved staff in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to remote working and activated security protocols after the latest military escalation in the Middle East.
UAE stock exchanges close on first trading day since Iran’s drone and missile strikes
The UAE Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced the closure of the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) on the first day of trading since Iran missile and drone strikes on the country.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Investment in UK legaltechs jumps by a third to record levels
Investment in UK legal technology companies jumped by more than a third last year, according to new figures released today. The amount of money that poured into legal-focused start-ups totalled £188.8m in 2025, up 35 per cent on the previous year.
Former Goodwin COO joins US legaltech as Adviser
Goodwin Procter’s former Chief Operating Officer Mary O’Carroll has joined US legaltech Sandstone as Adviser.