Moves:
UK & Ireland
Ashurst grows corporate team with private equity hire in London
Ashurst adds Christy O’Connell as a partner in the Private Equity team. She joins from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, where she served as Counsel.
White & Case takes Ashurst global antitrust head
White & Case welcomes the appointment of former Ashurst global antitrust, trade and regulation lead, Euan Burrows.
Baker Botts bolsters capital markets team
Baker Botts has hired Patrick Lyons and Jennifer Rees as partners in its London office. They both join from Dechert.
White & Case picks up two more Ropes & Gray lawyers in PE expansion
White & Case has hired private equity lawyers Laura Kayani and Nick Matthew as Partners from Ropes & Gray, where they were both counsel.
Dechert adds senior PE lawyer in London from GIC
Dechert has strengthened its private equity and infrastructure practice in London with the addition of Jarlath Pratt, who previously served as the assistant general counsel at Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, GIC.
BCLP strengthens London corporate team further
International law firm BCLP has strengthened its UK Corporate & Finance Transactions Department by appointing Sean Scanlon. Prior to joining BCLP, Sean was a partner at Arnold & Porter.
Shoosmiths welcomes new partner Wei Wu
Shoosmiths has announced the appointment of Wei Wu as a partner in its Corporate team. She joins the firm from Dentons.
DMH Stallard strengthens team with new partner
DMH Stallard has welcomed Jeff Elway as a partner in its London corporate team. He joins the firm from Gowling WLG.
The Americas
Skadden Hires Two M&A Partners from White & Case
Mingda Zhao and Emery Choi will advise energy and infrastructure clients, as well as private equity funds on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, investments and other energy transactions. Joining from White & Case, both Zhao and Choi will be based in Houston.
Fox Rothschild Adds Real Estate Veteran
Veteran attorney Thomas A. Bartolozzi has joined Fox Rothschild in Atlanta as a partner from Morris, Manning & Martin.
Perkins Coie Expands Private Client Services With Sarah Bowman
Sarah Bowman joins Perkins Coie’s Seattle office from K&L Gates, where she served as co-practice group coordinator for the firm’s global tax practice.
Founding Partner Leaves Kasowitz Benson Torres to Launch New Firm
Three former partners from the firm founded by prominent litigator Marc Kasowitz, including one of its original co-founders, have launched their own law firm. Eric Herschmann, Dan Benson and Michael Bowen have established a new practice named Herschmann Benson Bowen; the office will be based in New York.
Davis Polk Hires Willkie Partner to Co-Head Firm’s T&E Practice
Jillian Mernes, who had been at Willkie for 14 years, has joined Davis Polk in New York.
Litigation Partner Clayton Falls Joins Holland & Knight in Dallas
Holland & Knight has strengthened its Texas litigation practice by adding Clayton Falls as a partner in its Dallas office. Falls joins from K&L Gates.
Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein LLP Deepens Litigation Bench with Dual Partner Hire
Los Angeles-based firm Adams, Duerk & Kamenstein LLP (ADK) has welcomed two new partners, Anthony Pacheco and M. Anthony (Tony) Brown, both of whom are former federal prosecutors.
EMEA
Hogan Lovells strengthens IP capabilities with Paris hires
Alexandre Rudoni and Andrea Dufaure have joined the firm’s Paris office as partners, arriving from A&O Shearman.
Weil to Welcome Ning-Ly Seng as New Antitrust Partner in Paris
International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has announced that Ning-Ly Seng will join the firm as a partner to lead its Paris Antitrust practice, bringing her team with her. She joins from Peltier Juvigny Marpeau & Associés.
DLA’s former Middle East disputes head goes solo
Henry Quinlan has departed DLA Piper in Dubai, where he led the Middle East litigation, arbitration, and investigations practice for nearly ten years, to pursue a full-time role as an independent arbitrator.
Ampersand bolsters patent litigation team with Klaka partner hire
Munich-based IP boutique Ampersand is set to bolster its patent litigation practice with the addition of Stefan Eck, who will be joining as a partner from Klaka. He will be accompanied by associate Maximilian Reif.
CMS strengthens team with two UPC and SEP litigators from Klaka and Freshfields
CMS Hasche Sigle, the German arm of international law firm CMS, has added two new partners to its ranks. Stephan Dorn joins from Freshfields, while Constantin Kurtz arrives from Klaka.
APAC
Four partners leave Indonesia’s GHP to launch new firm Corra Legal
Yohanes Masengi, Mohamad Kadri, Nur Eka Pradata, and Dirgantara Adi Nugroho, formerly partners of Indonesian law firm Corra Legal, have exited to establish a new Jakarta-based law firm called Corra Legal
PRC’s Haiwen expands cap markets practice in HK with ex-Linklaters duo
PRC law firm Haiwen & Partners has expanded its capital markets practice in Hong Kong with the addition of two former Linklaters lawyers: partner Sherry Cui and counsel Leeza Lee.
CRS beefs up Singapore team with Mishcon disputes duo
Charles Russell Speechlys (CRS) has bolstered its rapidly expanding Singapore office with the addition of commercial dispute resolution specialists Henry Winter and Gavin Margetson, both former partners at Mishcon de Reya.
Duane Morris hires from Bird & Bird in Singapore
Akshay Kishore has left Bird & Bird to become the new head of India disputes at the Singapore arm of US-headquartered firm Duane Morris.
In-House
CapVest hires new General Counsel
Peter Schaffer joins CapVest as General Counsel. He joins from Oakley Capital, where he served as Head of Legal.
PAI Partners Appoints Pimco Lawyer as First General Counsel
Susannah Lindenberg joins PAI Partners as GC after a year at Pimco.
Promotions & Appointments:
Travers Smith promotes 9 to partner
Promotions are as follows:
James Barnard, Adam Burk, Jaryd Davidson, Elissavet Grout, Nick Glynn, Tom Margesson, Michael O’Brien Kelly, Richard Offord and Ella Sharpley.
Baker McKenzie completes 2025 partner promotions with 41-strong international round
Baker McKenzie has promoted 41 new partners across its international network in its annual summer promotions, adding to the 18 partners appointed in North and Latin America earlier this January.This year’s total of 59 promotions represents the smallest group in the past decade, a period during which the firm has typically promoted more than 80 partners annually.
IP specialist Fish & Richardson promotes chief legal risk officer to GC role
Elham Dehbozorgi is replacing Roger Feldman, who is retiring after more than two decades at the firm.
Ian Denham takes over as Moray & Agnew’s new national and NSW managing partner
Ian Denham will step into the roles of national managing partner and NSW managing partner at Moray & Agnew, effective 1 July, succeeding Geoff Connellan.
A member of the firm’s national executive, Denham has been a partner at Moray & Agnew since 2003.
Fieldfisher appoints Barry Fagan as head of public and regulatory team
Fieldfisher Ireland has named Barry Fagan as the new head of its public and regulatory department. A partner at the firm since 2017, Mr Fagan will assume the role on 1 July 2025.
MKB Law appoints Kelly Shaw as head of family law
Belfast-based MKB Law has appointed Kelly Shaw as its new head of family law, succeeding director Anne Marie Kelly who has retired.
Darren Maher picked as Matheson’s next managing partner
Matheson partners have unanimously elected Darren Maher to succeed Michael Jackson as managing partner next year.
Mergers & Alliances:
McDermott, Schulte agree $2.8bn merger
Chicago-based McDermott Will & Emery and New York firm Schulte Roth & Zabel have agreed to merge, forming a combined entity that will rank among the top 20 U.S. law firms by revenue.
Office Openings & Closing:
US law firm Michelman & Robinson launches in London
US law firm Michelman & Robinson has opened an office in London and plans to hire a “significant number” of lawyers as it makes its European debut.
Addleshaw Goddard opens Abu Dhabi office
International law firm Addleshaw Goddard today announced it has opened an office in Abu Dhabi after securing a licence to operate in the UAE capital.
Arbitration-focused Peter & Kim opens Perth office to expand Oz presence
International arbitration specialist firm Peter & Kim has opened a new office in Perth, Western Australia, marking its latest expansion as it strengthens its presence across the Asia-Pacific region.
PCL Lawyers opens Adelaide office
PCL Lawyers has announced the opening of its new Adelaide office, as part of the firm’s strategy to strengthen its presence in South Australia and build lasting relationships with the local legal community, businesses, and residents.
Akin announced today that it has obtained a license from the Ministry of Justice of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), marking the final approval needed to launch its Riyadh office. The new office is scheduled to open later this summer.
Financials:
Stephenson Harwood PEP Hits £1M, Posts Record Revenue Growth
Stephenson Harwood has broken through the £300 million revenue mark for the first time.
Firms must reveal profit and loss figures from 2027
Starting in April 2027, every law firm structured as a limited company or LLP will be required to disclose profit and loss figures, under new government measures aimed at tackling fraud.
The Biggest Partner Compensation Gap In Biglaw
Am Law 100 firms leaped to a 12.3-to-1 equity partner pay ratio on average last year, according to ALM survey data.
Shoosmiths smashes £1m PEP milestone – hands out £3.5m in bonuses
Shoosmiths has surpassed the £1 million profit per equity partner (PEP) threshold for the first time, following an outstanding performance in FY25. PEP jumped 30% to hit seven figures, with net profit increasing 16% to £76.6 million. Revenue grew 5% to £217.2 million. To celebrate this achievement, the firm is awarding a £3.5 million bonus pool to its 1,300 eligible employees, equivalent to 5% of their salaries next month.
Technology & Innovation:
New research explores judicial attitudes to AI
Researchers from Ireland and the United States have released findings from a series of focus group discussions with senior UK judges on the use of AI in the courtroom.
Dentons Partners with AI Venture Studio AXL
Global law firm Dentons has entered into a strategic partnership with AXL, a Canada-based group specializing in creating and launching AI companies, aiming to deliver exponential value to clients through innovation.
Diversity & Inclusion:
UK legal regulator introduces updated diversity toolkit to boost talent retention in large firms
The toolkit recommends actions to improve retention rates, including confidential feedback mechanisms and a senior leader-sponsored equity, diversity, and inclusion committee that addresses staff concerns like work allocation regularly.
Mastercard Stakeholders Reject Anti-DEI Proposal
At its annual meeting on June 24, 2025, Mastercard delivered a clear message as stakeholders overwhelmingly voted down an anti-DEI proposal submitted by the conservative shareholder activist group, the National Centre for Public Policy Research.
‘We’re all nervous right now’ – how a subdued Pride month got caught in the DEI backlash
Amid a Pride Month that has been more ‘fraught’ than ever, Alex Ryan and Amy Ulliott spoke to LGBTQ+ lawyers about the current state of the legal profession in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of ‘woman’ and Trump’s crackdown on DEI.
Market Commentary:
Why Are Cleary, Goodwin Procter and Other Top Law Firms Abandoning Frankfurt?
“In Frankfurt there’s not enough to go around anymore,” said Ina Steidl, senior partner at legal recruiter Schollmeyer & Steidl. “The big transactions used to be there but it’s not the case nowadays, so at some point U.S. firms decide it isn’t worth keeping an office open.”
It’s also difficult for American firms who expect to bill New York rates in a German market where the economy has been struggling for years.
Perkins Coie Confirms Layoffs Following Fallout From Trump-Linked Executive Order
Perkins Coie lays off 5% of staff, citing operational strategy, amid lingering effects of Trump-era executive order and internal morale concerns.
The beginner’s guide to law firm mergers – a managing partner’s perspective
Following the addition of two former law firm managing partners to 3Kites, Paul Longhurst draws on their extensive experience to develop a checklist for firms exploring a potential merger.
How lawyers can turn climate ambitions into enforceable action
As the climate crisis accelerates amid growing investor scrutiny and evolving regulations, companies can no longer rely on vague pledges. To meet the moment, they must develop transition plans that are not only credible but legally binding, transforming ambition into enforceable action.