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
MoFo hires Pallas Partner to boost London Disputes bench
Morrison Foerster has added senior talent to its London office with the hire of Litigation Partner Susana Cao Miranda from Pallas.
Perkins Coie hires CMS IP co-head ahead of Ashurst merger
CMS’ IP co-head Caitlin Heard is moving to Perkins Coie ahead of its planned merger with Ashurst. Caitlin is based in London.
DLA Piper Leeds Real Estate Head to join Brabners’ fledgling London office
Susan Samuel, who has spent seven years at DLA, makes the move south following Brabners’ decision to open an office in the capital in January.
A&L Goodbody recruits Insurance lawyer Stephen D’Ardis as Partner
A&L Goodbody has appointed Stephen D’Ardis as a new Partner in its Insurance and Reinsurance practice in Dublin. Stephen joins from Arthur Cox, where he was an Of Counsel.
Balfour and Manson welcomes Neil Crockatt
Neil Crockatt has joined Balfour and Manson’s Property team as a Partner in Edinburgh. He joins from Coulters, where he was Partner and Head of Legal.
Carole McAlpine‑Scott joins Harper Macleod
Harper Macleod has announced the appointment of Partner Carole McAlpineScott to its Private Client team in Glasgow. Harper joins from Morton Fraser MacRoberts.
Mills Selig recruits new Corporate Partner Aisling O’Hare
Northern Ireland firm Mills Selig has appointed Aisling O’Hare as a Partner in its Corporate team in Belfast.
DLA Piper’s London Chief to exit firm ahead of crunch vote
The London Managing Partner of DLA Piper is set to leave after four years in charge of the office. Partner Ruth Hoy (IP Litigation) has led the firm’s London office since 2022.
Europe
Vinson & Elkins hires Ex-Hogan Lawyer
V&E has named May Lyn Yuen as leader of their new Brussels office. May is a former Hogan Lovells Partner who has more than a decade of experience representing clients in Antitrust and European Union Foreign Subsidies Regulation investigations in Brussels.
Clifford Chance strengthens Global Financial Markets practice with the addition of David Ballegeer
David Ballegeer has been appointed as a Partner in the Global Financial Markets team, based in Brussels. He will join the firm from Linklaters in April.
Team
Ropes & Gray hires eight-lawyer M&A and PE team in Paris from Latham
The team is led by Partners Denis Criton, Gaetan Gianasso and Michael Colle, who are expected to join the firm alongside a Counsel and four Associates.
Clyde & Co welcomes Corporate Partner Dr. Mohamed Ramadan and Team in Cairo
Clyde & Co has strengthened its Corporate practice in Cairo with the appointment of Dr. Mohamed Ramadan as a Partner. Mohamed joins with his team from OGH Legal.
Morgan Lewis Paris Expands With 5-Lawyer Hughes Hubbard Trade & Investigation Team
Morgan Lewis is expanding in Paris again, hiring a five-lawyer team from Hughes Hubbard & Reed led by Partners Marie-Agnès Nicolas (Litigation, White Collar, Investigations & Sanctions) and Anne Gaustad-Hanken (Litigation, White Collar, Investigations & Sanctions).
Cripps strengthens Commercial and Technology practice with arrival of Radius Law team
Radius Law founder and former Mercedes-Benz UK Group General Counsel, Iain Larkins, will join Cripps as a Commercial Partner in London alongside other members of the Radius team.
Hill Dickinson bags Corporate duo in rare Walker Morris exits
Hill Dickinson is to recruit two Partners from Walker Morris in a boost to its Leeds office. Corporate duo Michael O’Halloran and Thomas Mieszkowski will make the short walk across Wellington Place to join their former colleague, Pensions lawyer Liz Graham, who also joined Hill Dickinson late last year.
Promotions & Appointments
CMS promotes four to Partner in Scotland
The promotees are Employment lawyer Abbie Harley and Real Estate specialist Rebecca McGladrigan, who are both based in the firm’s Edinburgh office. They are joined by Aberdeen-based Charlie Denham, from the firm’s Energy & Infrastructure team, and Nicola Insley, a Real Estate and Planning specialist.
Arendt installs a new management team with continuity
As of 1 April, Arendt will be Co-Chaired by Gilles Dusemon (Investment Management, Luxembourg) and Thierry Lesage (Tax, Luxembourg), while Jean-Marc Ueberecken (Corporate/M&A, Luxembourg) will continue as Managing Partner.
HFW re-elects Giles Kavangh as Senior Partner
HFW has re-elected of Giles Kavanagh (London) as its Global Senior Partner as it continues to expand internationally and strengthen its position across key industries. Kavanagh’s re-election takes effect at the start of HFW’s next financial year, on April 1, 2026. He was first elected to the role in 2022.
RPC elects financial services litigator Simon Hart as Senior Partner
Hart will take up the role at the start of May for a three-year term. He will succeed current Senior Partner Oliver Bray, who is stepping down after completing a six-year term, the maximum permitted under RPC’s partnership deed. Simon is based in London.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
Vinson & Elkins opens first continental Europe office with Brussels launch
Vinson & Elkins has opened its first office in continental Europe, in Brussels.
Baker McKenzie Strengthens Presence in Stockholm with New Office at Mästerhuset
Global law firm Baker McKenzie announced the relocation of its Stockholm office to Mästerhuset, at Mäster Samuelsgatan 17 in the heart of the city’s central business district.
Pinsent Masons marks new chapter in Glasgow
Pinsent Masons has completed its relocation to new offices at the Aurora development in Glasgow.
Financial Results
Quinn Emanuel Posts Third Consecutive Year of Double-Digit Growth in Revenue, Profits
Quinn Emanuel saw a 16% jump in net income and a 12.6% rise in gross revenue in 2025 amid sustained demand for the litigation firm.
Dechert boosts PEP by a quarter as revenue reaches $1.6bn
Dechert has posted global revenue of $1.61bn for 2025, marking a 7 per cent increase on the previous year and a 24 per cent rise since 2023.
Cuatrecasas Revenue Rises 2.5% to €447M on the Back of Spanish Firm’s International Gains
Cuatrecasas’s revenue rose 2.5% to €447.1 million ($516 million) in 2025, with more than a fifth of that coming from activity outside of its Spanish base.
Market Commentary
The Legal 500 Europe, Middle East & Africa 2026 rankings are now live following their publication on 25 March 2026.
Germany’s TK Elevator hires first CLO from Swedish steel company SSAB
German lift-maker TK Elevator has named Lars Sjobring as its inaugural Chief Legal Officer. Sjobring joins from Swedish steel company SSAB, where he was General Counsel and Head of Legal Affairs.
Hülya Yarıcı Appointed As Head of Legal Türkiye At DHL Group
Hülya has been associated with DHL Group for over 14 years, where she most recently served as Head of Legal Counsel and Risk Manager before stepping into her new leadership role.
Kennedys appoints new CIO to drive global tech strategy
Kennedys has appointed Milan Devani as its Chief Information Officer (CIO). Devani brings extensive experience leading global legal technology functions, with a strong focus on modernising IT platforms, strengthening information security, and building high-performing technology teams. Milan joins from Baker McKenzie, where he was Director of Global Infrastructure.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Harvey hires senior Gibson Dunn Partner
Gibson Dunn’s Keith Enright is joining Harvey as its new Chief Strategy Officer. Keith was formerly the Co-Chair of the firm’s Tech and Innovation Industry Group and the Artificial Intelligence Practice Group, based in Palo Alto.
Murgitroyd launches ‘responsible AI’ framework
Intellectual property advisers Murgitroyd has launched a new “responsible AI” framework as it seeks to integrate AI into the IP lifecycle.
Harvey hits $11bn valuation in new funding round
US legaltech Harvey has raised an additional $200m at an $11bn valuation in its latest funding round, as it looks to ramp up investment in its AI capabilities and grow its legal engineering teams.