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
Paul Weiss creates European Structured Finance Head role for Freshfields hire
Paul Weiss has hired a Structured Finance Partner from Freshfields to join the firm’s London office as its Head of European Structured Finance and Securitisations. Mandeep Lotay trained at SJ Berwin and joined Freshfields’ London office as an Associate in 2001.
HFW makes twin disputes and luxury Assets Partner hires in London and Hong Kong
HFW has made a double Partner hire in its London and Hong Kong offices across its Tech Disputes and Yacht and Corporate Jet practices. The incoming Partners are disputes lawyer Jennifer Wu, who joins from Pinsent Masons in Hong Kong, and luxury asset transactions specialist Toby Joy, who joins from Withers in London.
Simpson Thacher ramps up hiring spree with Weil Funds Partner
A member of Weil Gotshal & Manges’s London office is set to move to Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, as the latter firm boosts its funds strength. Simon Saitowitz will switch firms to join Simpson Thacher’s growing Secondaries practice.
Travers Smith bolsters Employment ranks with Deloitte Partner hire
Employment law specialist Andrew Howard has joined Travers Smith as a Partner from Deloitte to bolster the independent firm’s London ranks.
Paul Hastings lands another Fund Finance Partner in London
Paul Hastings has added more talent to its Fund Finance bench in London, hiring Stephenson Harwood Partner Daniel Margolis. Margolis joins after 10 years at Stephenson Harwood, where he made partner in 2019. He advises banks, other lenders and funds on a range of fund finance transactions.
Freeths strengthens Restructuring & Insolvency team with Partner appointment
Freeths has appointed Restructuring & Insolvency lawyer Mark Price as a Partner to be based in its London office. Mark joins from Dentons.
Petar Petkov joins gunnercooke as a Partner
gunnercooke has announced that Petar Petkov has joined the firm as a Partner in the Dispute Resolution team in London. Petar joins from Linkilaw Solicitors, where he worked as a Senior Solicitor and Training Partner.
Conor O’Dwyer joins Corporate team at Mason Hayes & Curran
Mason Hayes & Curran has hired Conor O’Dwyer as a Senior Partner in its Corporate practice. Conor joins from EY, where he worked as a Partner. Conor is based in Dublin.
David Steinberg joins Keystone Law
Keystone Law has hired Restructuring & Insolvency lawyer David Steinberg as a Partner. David joins from LIBERTY Steel Group, where he worked as a General Counsel.
Trethowans hires Corporate Partner to London office.
Trethowans has hired Josh Smith as a Partner in its Corporate Practice. Josh joins from RPC, where he worked as a Senior Associate.
Europe
Osborne Clarke hires from White & Case for latest German office
Osborne Clarke has opened its fifth office in Germany, hiring a White & Case Local Partner to launch the firm’s new venture. Launching in Frankfurt, Osborne Clarke has hired Corporate and M&A lawyer Johannes Goossens to spearhead their operations.
Quinn Emanuel’s Paris boss joins King & Spalding
King & Spalding has hired Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan’s Paris Managing Partner in a bid to continue the firm’s Disputes expansion internationally. Thomas Voisin joins the firm’s Paris office after spending just under 14 years at Quinn Emanuel, including as the firm’s Paris office Managing Partner for the past nine years.
Signature Litigation makes Frankfurt Litigation Partner Hire
Signature Litigation has hired Dominik Stier as a Partner in its high-stakes Litigation and Arbitration practice. Dominik joins from White & Case.
Hoffmann Eitle hires Norton Rose Fulbright Partner for Munich high-tech practice
Hoffmann Eitle is strengthening its High-Tech Patent practice in Munich with the addition of Ronak Kalhor-Witzel. The German and European patent attorney joins as Partner from Norton Rose Fulbright.
Baker McKenzie Adds Leading Private Equity Lawyer Christoph Jerger in Germany
Baker McKenzie announced that Dr. Christoph Jerger has joined the firm as a Partner in the Transactional Practice Group in Munich. Christoph joins from Kirkland & Ellis, where he has practiced since 2017.
Harneys hires new Corporate Partner in Luxembourg
Harneys announced that Paul Chiellini-Morge has joined the Corporate team in Luxembourg. Paul joins from Maples Group, where he worked as an Of Counsel.
Middle East
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has appointed Adil Hussain as a Partner in its Banking and Loan Finance practice. He joins the firm’s Dubai office from Baker McKenzie. Meanwhile, Ashurst Perkins Coie has appointed Mushri Alsahli as a Local Partner in its Projects, Energy, Environment and Resources team in Riyadh. He also joins from Baker McKenzie, where he was Counsel. Elsewhere, Pinsent Masons has appointed Shanelle Irani as a Partner in its International Arbitration team in Dubai. Irani joins from WilmerHale in London, where she was Counsel.
Greenberg Traurig Real Estate Shareholder Ashia Adams Relocates to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Shareholder Ashia D. Adams has relocated from the firm’s London office to its Middle East Regional Headquarters in Riyadh, demonstrating the firm’s long-term commitment to the Real Estate and Hospitality industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Team
Mayer Brown secures Baker McKenzie Finance trio in London
Mayer Brown has hired a three-Partner Leveraged Finance team in London from Baker McKenzie, as the firm continues to build its City finance bench. The firm said Rob Mathews, David Becker and Ben Bierwirth would boost its high-yield, term loan B and leveraged finance capabilities in London, as well as strengthen its platform for New York and English law debt and equity solutions.
Pinsent Masons adds IP Partner duo in Germany from Vossius
Pinsent Masons has hired a pair of Intellectual Property Partners from Vossius & Partner to boost its German IP team. The incoming duo are Kai Rüting and Philipp Widera, who will both be based in Düsseldorf.
Linklaters boosts Dutch Corporate bench with Stibbe duo
Linklaters has hired two Partners from Benelux firm Stibbe in a bid to strengthen its corporate capabilities in Amsterdam. Björn van der Klip and Jeroen Smits are set to join the firm after both spending 25 years at Stibbe. Van der Klip, who will take over as Head of Corporate in Amsterdam, brings experience advising on public takeovers, strategic M&A and private capital investments. Smits specialises in domestic and international Tax matters, focusing on M&A and private capital transactions, capital markets work and corporate restructurings.
Gibson Dunn hires White & Case Real Estate duo
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has hired a Real Estate Partner duo from White & Case to build out its data centre capabilities. James Johnson and Victoria Delacey are set to join Gibson Dunn as it continues to hire aggressively in London.
Ashurst Perkins Coie Hires 6-Lawyer Team From DLA Piper to Boost Its Paris Tech Offering
Ashurst Perkins Coie has hired a Technology Transactions team led by two Partners from DLA Piper. The hires of Partners Stéphane Lemarchand and Jeanne Dauzier, along with a Technology Disputes Counsel and three Associates, fit into the global technology focus of Ashurst Perkins Coie.
Linklaters strengthens its Tax practice with the addition of Marc-Olivier Roux in Paris
Linklaters announced that Marc-Olivier Roux has joined the firm as a Tax Partner in Paris, bringing with him a team of specialist Tax lawyers. Marc-Olivier and his team join Linklaters from PwC.
Ex-Dallas McMillan lawyer launches new practice at gunnercooke
Ryan Macready has joined gunnercooke as a partner to build his own corporate practice. He is joined at gunnercooke by Matthew Moir, a newly qualified solicitor who completed his traineeship under Macready at Dallas McMillan. The pair plan to continue developing the Corporate practice they built together over the past two years. Ryan is based in Glasgow.
Pestalozzi hires Matthias Courvoisier as Partner in Zurich
Pestalozzi hired Capital Markets specialist Matthias Courvoisier as a Partner in Zurich. Courvoisier moves from Baker McKenzie, where he spent more than 25 years from 2001, and joins Pestalozzi as Co-Head of Capital Markets alongside with Christian Leuenberger, in the firm’s Corporate and M&A practice.
International law firm DAC Beachcroft has continued the expansion of its national Professional Liability practice, appointing Partners Kirstie Pike and Simy Khanna in Bristol. Both join from RPC.
Promotions & Appointments
Deloitte Legal looks to Manchester for new Managing Partner
Deloitte Legal has appointed a new Managing Partner to replace Richard Punt. Head of Corporate law Chris Hardman has been given the job, with Punt now set to focus solely on his role as the professional services business’s global legal leader. Manchester-based Hardman joined Deloitte from KPMG seven years ago.
Maura Dineen appointed as Country Managing Partner of DLA Piper Ireland
DLA Piper the appointment of Maura Dineen as Country Managing Partner (CMP) for Ireland. Maura joined the firm in 2019 and advises Irish and international clients on tax matters across local and cross-border transactions, including inward investment, corporate restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property exploitation, and tax-efficient financing structures.
Megan Hooper appointed Head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution group at McCann FitzGerald
McCann FitzGerald LLP has appointed Partner Megan Hooper as the Head of the firm’s Litigation and Dispute Resolution group. Ms Hooper joined the firm in 2002, having relocated from Australia, and was appointed Partner in 2014. She practises in Commercial Litigation, Investigations and White-Collar Crime.
Other Notable Moves
Skadden hires Orrick Global Banking and Finance Partner in Palo Alto
Zachary Finley, former global Banking and Finance lead at Orrick, has joined the Palo Alto office of Skadden this week after 25 years at the firm. Mr. Finley is a nationally recognised finance lawyer with extensive digital infrastructure sector experience.
Freshfields loses senior Hong Kong Corporate duo to Latham
Latham has hired two senior Freshfields Partners in Hong Kong, adding firepower to its Capital Markets and M&A practices amid a busy period for dealmaking in the financial centre. Grace Huang and Edward Freeman will join Latham as Partners, with Freshfields Counsel Cindy Kwong also making the move.
DLA Piper adds former NAIC CEO Gary Anderson to its Insurance practice
DLA Piper has added Gary Anderson as a Partner in its Insurance practice in Boston, where he advises insurers, reinsurers, and other industry participants on complex regulatory and compliance matters, disputes, as well as insurance-related investment activity amid increasing regulatory scrutiny.
Arthur Cox LLP appoints Amy McDermott and Christopher O’Reilly to lead London office
Ms McDermott and Mr O’Reilly succeed Conor McCarthy, a Partner in the firm’s Corporate and M&A group who returns to Dublin after leading the London office since 2022. McDermott is a Partner in the Corporate and M&A group and Mr O’Reilly is a Partner in the Asset Management and Investment Funds group.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
Osborne Clarke opens second office in a week
Fresh off the heels of its Frankfurt launch, Osborne Clarke has hired three Partners to open an office in Luxembourg. Osborne Clarke has recruited CMS’s Luxembourg Corporate Head Gerard Maitrejean for the firm’s debut in the Grand Duchy. He will be joined by Anne-Gaelle Delabye, an Ogier Partner since 2018. Mathilde Ostertag is also joining the firm as its Tax Head and moves from AKD, where she was a Partner for just under a year.
Christophe Bondy has launched his new practice as independent arbitrator and principal of Douaire de Bondy ADR, based in London, UK. Christophe will provide services as an independent arbitrator in investor-State, international commercial and international administrative law proceedings, as well as related advisory services to private and public parties.
Gibson Dunn Announces New Dubai Office Location
Gibson Dunn has announced the new location of its office in Dubai, further strengthening its presence in the UAE and wider Middle East.
Mergers & Alliances
PE-backed AGRD steps up Nordic expansion with Setterwalls deal
Private equity-backed legal group AGRD has made its biggest acquisition yet, buying the Malmö office of leading Swedish law firm Setterwalls. The business will become an independent firm called Ascente Law.
Setfords is doubling its London office as it builds out its tech business
Setfords has doubled the size of its London office, with the platform firm taking another two floors at its Chancery Lane base, bringing its footprint to around 12,000 sq ft. The move comes ten years after Setfords first opened in London.
Lindsays completes merger with Dallas McMillan and expands Glasgow team
Lindsays’ merger with Dallas McMillan has completed, expanding their Glasgow team to more that 120 people and enhancing their services for clients across Scotland. More than 40 new staff have joined Lindsays as the merger with Dallas McMillan officially takes effect.
Financial Results
Burges Salmon turnover rises 11 per cent to £197.2m
Burges Salmon has reported an 11 per cent increase in turnover from £178 million to £197.2m for the financial year ending 30 April 2026. Profit per equity partner was £616,000, compared with £660,000 in 2024/25, total profit increased from £63m to £63.5m, while net profit was £53.1m compared with £55.5m the previous year.
Market Commentary
Sidley overhauls London training contract with mandatory AI seat
Sidley Austin is making AI training a formal part of becoming a lawyer at the firm, with every London trainee set to spend one of their seats working in a dedicated AI team. Trainees will complete a four-month rotation in Sidley’s AI Knowledge Lab as part of the US firm’s new six-seat training contract. The firm says it is the first in London to make a dedicated AI seat compulsory for every trainee.
Oil exploration company NABEP hires legal head from UK Serious Fraud Office
Oil and gas exploration business North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) has named Sara Chouraqui as General Counsel, a newly created position. Chouraqui joins from the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), where she was Head of Fraud, Bribery and Corruption. At NABEP, she will lead its global legal function, advising on regulatory, governance, risk and transactional matters.
AI-native firm Carta Law makes twin compliance hires in Europe and North America
Private capital-focused AI-native firm Carta Law has made two senior hires to strengthen its compliance practice capabilities. Noah Levine joins as Legal Director from real estate investment firm Madison International Realty. On the other side of the Atlantic, Karin Porstendörfer joins in Luxembourg as Compliance Director and Head of Inbound KYC. Karin previously spent six years at Carne Group as Head of AML/CFT.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Baker McKenzie rolls out firm-wide AI training to help measure ROI
Baker McKenzie has developed firmwide AI training for Partners and Associates to ensure all users operate the technology effectively and maximize its adoption. This includes training on how to interact with the firms different AI tools and participation in AI transformation projects.