Moves:
UK & Ireland
Cahill London Faces More Partner Exits as Duo Leaves for Proskauer
There will be just two partners in Cahill’s London office after the departures.
Proskauer Brings On A&O Shearman Partner Pair
According to people with knowledge of the situation, Philip Bowden, co-head of A&O Shearman’s private capital division, and Megan Lawrence, partner in leveraged finance, are planning to join Proskauer after just two months at A&O Shearman.
Top-Ranked Cleary Global Antitrust Practice Adds CMA Director of Mergers in London
Former UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Director of Mergers, Ricardo Zimbrón is rejoining Cleary Gottlieb as a partner.
New family law partner at Gore & Grimes Solicitors
Niamh Walsh has been promoted to partner in the family law department of Gore & Grimes Solicitors LLP, a Dublin-based practice.
EMEA
Simpson Thacher Hires White & Case Finance Partner to Lead European Private Credit Team
In the wake of the loss of two significant private equity partners last year, Hadrien Servais is the most recent addition to the finance practice.
Herbert Smith Freehills Hires Pair of Paris TMT Leaders from Eversheds
Emmanuel Ronco and Vincent Denoyelle, partners at HSF, will guide clients through an increasingly digital environment.
It should come as no surprise that Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh have seen the most activity; Dubai has had a notably higher number of lawyers moves than any other city. In Dubai, there were fifteen noteworthy lawyer movements, as opposed to three in Abu Dhabi and four in Riyadh.
Bowmans appoints competition law partner with deep pan-African experience
Pan-African competition law expert HB Senekal has joined prominent African international law firm Bowmans as a partner in its Johannesburg competition practice.
APAC
K&L Gates Picks Up Three Australian Partners
Simon Moen, a real estate partner, and Luke Paterson, a corporate partner, join the firm from Jackson McDonald’s Perth office. Sally Foreman, an IP partner, arrives from Davies Collison Cave, a specialized IP firm.
Addleshaw Goddard Makes Second Singapore Partner Hire in a Month
Additionally, Addleshaw Goddard appointed energy specialist Chanaka Kumarasinghe as the company’s head of Singapore last month.
Baker McKenzie Corporate and Construction Partners Depart for Australian Firms
Construction partner Alex Hartmann is set to relocate to national mid-tier Hall & Wilcox, while senior corporate partner Jim Peterson has vaulted to Clayton Utz, where he will act as a consultant.
CMS Hires Ex-Mayer Brown Hong Kong Funds Partner
Paul Moloney has joined the firm’s funds and real estate division, where he will provide regulatory and public fund creation guidance to asset managers, financial institutions, and family offices.
AZB adds TTA antitrust partner in Delhi
AZB & Partners has continued its antitrust growth with the addition of partner Dinoo Muthappa from Talwar Thakore & Associates in New Delhi.
HK: Ex-Gall disputes partner joins Facey as practice head
Hong Kong law firm Facey & Associates has hired Nick Dealy as a partner and head of its commercial litigation and dispute resolution practice.
Khaitan Boosts Employment Group with Induslaw Partner Duo
The employment practice of Indian legal firm Khaitan & Co. has been strengthened with the addition of two partners from IndusLaw. Vaibhav Bhardwaj joins the company in Delhi, while Avik Biswas joins in Bengaluru.
Former Luthra Disputes Partner Joins JSA in Delhi
With the addition of disputes partner Shreya Sircar in Delhi in 2024, J. Sagar Associates has maintained a strong hiring trend. Most recently, she was a partner at the Luthra and Luthra Law offices.
The Americas
Connecticut Movers: Carter Mario and Hinckley Allen Announce Hires, Laterals
Prior to joining Haddad & Partners, Cayer advanced through the ranks to become COO and CEO of the business. Daniel D’Aprile, Jr. and Thomas B. Mitchell were once partners at McElroy Deutsch.
Vinson & Elkins Adds Kirkland Finance Partner in Dallas,
East Berhane, a finance partner at Kirkland & Ellis, became a partner at Vinson & Elkins in Dallas.
Simpson Thacher Hire M&A Partner in NY
Benjamin Heriaud, a capital markets and M&A partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, became a partner at Vinson & Elkins in New York.
Recruiting from SDNY, Cahill Boosts White-Collar Group with Prosecutor Hire
For the previous eight years, Kiersten Fletcher worked for the DOJ, where she held a senior role in the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force of the Southern District of New York.
Kelley Kronenberg Adds Vice President of Real Estate Client Services
Brandon McGee has joined the company as vice president of real estate client services, according to a statement from Kelley Kronenberg.
Manatt Hires 2 Financial Services Partners in SoCal
New hire Warren Biro said “Realistically, we have a bunch of clients who want to deploy capital, and they’ve not been able to.”
People in the News—July 2, 2024—Pietragallo Gordon, Eckert Seamans
Josh Hill has joined Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, expanding the firm’s Philadelphia office.
Weil, Seeking to Expand Private Funds Group, Adds Mayer Brown Partner
Weil’s Michael Aiello stated that the firm is “strategically expanding our private funds practice” and Kristine Koren’s arrival “adds new depth to our capabilities.
On The Move: Kilpatrick Names Veteran Lawyers to Lead Core IP Practice
This Monday, the Atlanta-based Am Law 100 firm appointed Jennifer Arkowitz, an Atlanta-born partner, as the new chair of the firm’s primary intellectual property department. According to ALM data, this department employs almost half of Kilpatrick’s 570 lawyers.
Investment Story Continues, as Lathrop, Snell and Spencer Fane Bring on Laterals
Second Hundred firms seem to be adding lawyers at a faster rate and may be making investments for the future, while Am Law 100 firms are looking for lateral partners with substantial books of business.
On the Move and After Hours: Tanenbaum Keale; Warden Law; Goldberg Segalla; Sills Cummis; Archer
Sills Cummis names summer associates, Tanenbaum Keale gets a partner, and there are more changes.
Brazil’s Demarest Lures M&A Partner from BMA Advogados
Lisbon native Maria da Paz Tierno Lopes has over twenty years of experience managing cross-border transactions. She was the head of the Cuatrecasas office in São Paulo before.
California Law Firms Broaden Intellectual Property Ranks with New Partner Hires
As businesses start to realize how important it is to safeguard their assets, there is a growing need for intellectual property litigation, according to Jason Gersting, a recently hired partner at Snell & Wilmer.
In house
AIG Deputy GC Joins Paychex as Legal Chief
Although Prabha Sipi Bhandari has held senior legal positions at Viacom, Deutsche Bank, Freddie Mac, and AIG, this is her first position as a company’s top lawyer.
University of Chicago’s GC Exiting to Take Legal Reins of Another Elite Private School
A decade ago, Kim Taylor assumed the legal leadership of the University of Chicago, having previously worked for over two decades at Kirkland & Ellis.
Southwest Airlines Alum Locks Up GC Role at $10B Company
It is the third general counsel position that Stacy Cozad has held and her second in the manufacturing sector.
US Treasury General Counsel With 5-Star Resume Departs
Neil MacBride revealed on LinkedIn that last week marked the end of his tenure with the Treasury department, and that he “was so honoured to spend the last several years working with the incredible 2,000 lawyers in the Treasury Legal Division.”
Australian social housing non-profit Home in Place hires ex-Thorn Group GC as company secretary
After the sale of Thorn Group’s commercial finance division at the conclusion of the previous year, Alexandra Rose departed the company.
Team Moves
Nelson Mullins Adds Tax Controversy Team from Chamberlain Hrdlicka in Houston
Nine attorneys from Chamberlain, Hrdlicka, White, Williams & Aughtry tax controversy joined Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough in Houston, bringing the total number of attorneys in the new office to 25.
Dentons Scales Up in Utah with 7-Lawyer Team from Armstrong Teasdale
Just two attorneys remain in Armstrong Teasdale’s 2020 opening Salt Lake City office following the group acquisition.
Midsize Moves: Rubin and Rudman Add 4 From Burns & Levinson,
Four new attorneys, all of whom were formerly with Burns & Levinson, were added to the firm, as stated by Rubin and Rudman.
Baker McKenzie Raids Cliffe Dekker for 5-Lawyer Banking & Finance Team in South Africa
Phetole Modika and Pitso Kortjaas lead the team and are partners with Baker McKenzie.
Growing Littler Toronto Office Gets 5-Lawyer Boost
Gerald Griffiths, a partner in Littler’s rapidly expanding Toronto office, and four other attorneys are joining the team.
BonelliErede Adds Four-Lawyer PwC Team in Rome
The financial regulation practice of the Italian law firm in the Italian capital now includes a team managed by a partner.
Diversity & Inclusion:
Covington Creates AI Director Role Focused on ‘Demystifying’ Tech for Lawyers
Todd Itami exclaimed that the to-do list includes AI training inside Covington, “making it not as crazy or hard to use this stuff or think about.”
Clifford Chance Dismisses Australia Partner After Misconduct Investigation
The company has engaged Australia’s former commissioner for sexual harassment to assess its work environment.
Australian Law Survey Reveals Persistent Gender Pay Gap, LGBQ+ Data
Data shows consistent gender wage disparities in the legal profession in New South Wales across all age groups, and also includes first-time reporting on LGBQ+ attorneys.
Dentons Attains ‘Menopause Friendly’ Status
Dentons is among the select few UK-based legal companies to obtain accreditation; the other recipients are Clifford Chance, Burness Paul, Wrigleys Solicitors, and Mewburn Ellis.
Financials:
Paul Weiss Matches Market Leading London NQ Pay, Launches Training Contract
The company becomes the industry leader in NQ compensation, joining the ranks of Quinn Emanuel and Gibson, Dunn.
What 10 Years of Experience Costs in the Am Law 100 Today
The cost of an admitted 2014 attorney could range from $1,695 to $530, depending on the company you choose.
Osborne Clarke PEP Recovers After 2023 Slump
In August, the firm will offer its top performers in the UK bonuses of up to 40% paid over three years.
Kennedys Revenue Jumps 17%, Attributes Growth to US Expansion
The company reported revenue of £384 million this year, a 17% increase over the previous year.
Fieldfisher Posts Double Digit Revenue Growth, Modest PEP Recovery
Fieldfisher reported a 36% rise in revenue for the firm’s regulatory practice this year.
HFW Latest Firm to Post Double-Digit Revenue Growth
Almost 60% of HFW’s total revenue is currently generated outside the U.K, the firm said.
Raft of City firms up NQ salaries amid ongoing pay war
Pay increases announced by HSF, DLA Piper, and HFW coincide with Paul Weiss’s introduction of a new UK training contract that offers its NQs a market-beating £180k.
Promotions & Appointments:
People in the News—July 1, 2024—Hamburg Rubin, Saxton & Stump
William G. Roark has been chosen president of the board of Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania (LASP), according to a statement released by Hamburg, Rubin, Mullin, Maxwell & Lupin.
VW Legal Veteran Known as Bridge-Builder Promoted to US General Counsel
Pablo Di Si, the CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, described Antony Klapper as “collaborative, proactive, and full of team spirit, and that’s in addition to his wealth of knowledge and experience in the automotive industry.”
Schenck Price Promotes New Managing Partner
On June 17, Gary Werner was replaced by John Ursin.
Priyesh Daya appointed to ICC Court of Arbitration
Priyesh Daya, a lawyer at the prestigious South African law firm Webber Wentzel, was just named to the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) for a three-year term that will start on July 1, 2024.
Tughans appoints two partners and five associate directors
Ben Sims, who works in the corporate law department of the business, and Paul Eastwood, who handles contracts and technology, are the new partners.
Anne Marie James appointed DRCC chairperson
She is the managing partner of Kirwan McKeown James Solicitors in addition to being a practicing attorney. In addition, she ran on a platform that included marriage equality and the abolition of the Eighth Amendment.
Mergers & Alliances:
After Law Firm Merger Activity Rose Again, Combinations Expected to Increase Into 2025
Fairfax’s Kristin Stark said the big picture here, is a “higher level of interest and merger discussion activity.” As a result, “we feel pretty confident we’re going to see an uptick in completed mergers for the rest of the year.”
In the first half of 2024, the top-ranked M&A law firms handled larger acquisitions; the combined deal values of Skadden, Kirkland, Latham, and Paul Weiss exceeded $200 billion.
Jones Walker Looking for ‘Natural Marriages’ With Existing Practices to Grow Atlanta Office
After sixteen years, William Underwood, the boss of the recently opened Atlanta branch, anticipates growth for the New Orleans-founded firm’s only Georgia operation.
Major Firms Line-Up on BlackRock’s £2.6B Acquisition of UK Data Company Preqin
It is the most recent instance of an asset manager or buyout company with its headquarters in the US purchasing assets in the UK.
Multibillion-Euro Transactions Drive M&A Surge with Skadden, Freshfields at the Helm
Leading legal firms are driving multibillion-euro agreements in Europe and the US as a surge of megadeals shakes up the M&A scene.
Swiss Law Firm Merger Creates Corporate Dynamo
The new Swiss company is connected to both Latham & Watkins and Bird & Bird in a unique way.
Office Openings & Closing:
Armstrong Teasdale Withdraws from Salt Lake City
On Tuesday Managing partner Richard Engel said, “Salt Lake City is a great legal market and a fantastic city, but it’s not the right time for us to be there”. The firm first opened there in April 2020.
Hanson Bridgett Expands California Presence with New Downtown LA Office
Hanson Bridgett’s Raffi Zerounian said, “At our current space, we actually had to take a further addition as we grew, just to have enough space to fit our team and service our clients”. “The office keeps growing.”
Former Eckert Seamans Partner Launches Cyberlaw Boutique
Gabriel Tese said, “We wanted to address the growing demand for cyber and technology-related legal issues”.
Texas Litigation Firm Thompson Coe Launches NYC, Honolulu Offices
The Dallas-based litigation firm, which has concentrated its practice on the Southwest, Southeast and Midwest, is expanding significantly to the east and west with the new offices.
Dechert to Close Chicago, Hong Kong and Beijing Offices
In a statement, the company stated that the three locations will close “around the end of 2024.”
Dechert shuts Frankfurt arm ahead of impending Chicago, Beijing and Hong Kong closures
The renowned Tower 185 served as the home base for the Frankfurt office, which began operations in 2012. It was closed in April. Similar to the soon-to-close offices of the company in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Chicago, this one was also one of the smaller ones.
Eversheds Mulls Beijing Closure
Although Eversheds and King & Wood Mallesons signed an exclusive collaboration last year, it was not anticipated that Eversheds would alter its offices in China. The company is hoping to open in Singapore in the interim.
Armstrong Teasdale to Sever Ties with London Office
When the firm’s London launch was announced in 2021 the firm said: “London is the financial industry capital of Europe, if not the world.”
Baker McKenzie Acquires RHQ Saudi License & Majority Interest in Local Firm
Senior legal consultant Karim Nassar will oversee the company’s RHQ, which will be situated in Riyadh.
Signature Litigation announces Frankfurt office launch with Mayer Brown partner hires
The commercial disputes business Signature Litigation, with its headquarters in London, has announced the opening of a new office in Frankfurt, Germany. Ulrich Helm and Dr. Jan Kraayvanger, partners, have joined the firm from Mayer Brown.
Technology & Innovation:
Navigating the Use of AI Tools in Legal Practice Before Pa.’s Federal District Courts
As reputable legal research firms like LexisNexis and Westlaw introduce AI-assisted research features and as big tech companies incorporate AI into their products, the usage of AI in the legal profession is growing.
Gen AI Document Search Startup Hebbia Raises $100M, Hires New Head of Legal
Venture capital company Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has made another investment in legal technology through Hebbia’s Series B financing.
Tracking Generative AI: How Evolving AI Models Are Impacting Legal
A running compilation of how the legal landscape continues to be shaped by generative AI tools, from GPT technologies to art generation tools and beyond.
This Tech Platform Found Midsize Firms Needed More Recruiting Support
When Major, Lindsey & Africa purchased the digital platform Hire an Esquire in 2022, it saw an opportunity. Executive director Catherine Enck talks about the health of the recruiting industry right now and the use of technology in hiring.
Bird & Bird Joins European Firms in Opting for Leya AI Platform
Since the end of 2022, a number of companies have experimented with GenAI, but they are still choosing the right goods.
Orrick’s Paris-Based Tech Group Advises French Startups, Helping Many to Unicorn Status
The “Paris Tech Studio”—the company’s two-year-old hub—was designed to be fashioned after one Orrick built in Southern California to service Silicon Beach.
Market Commentary:
Should Mental Health Be Included in Partner Compensation?
One lawyer told the American Lawyer “Eat what you kill means you have no leeway to stop killing—no matter how bad you feel.”
Leading an Am Law 50 Office While Maintaining a Litigation Practice
Nancy Chung, chairman of Sidley Austin’s New York office; Megan Nishikawa, San Francisco; Petrina Hall McDaniel, Atlanta; and Anthony (Tony) Barkow, New York, Jenner & Block, provide some insights.
Which Law Firms Are on Course to be in the Global Elite?
Scale, profitability, and geographic reach are necessary for a breakaway group of legal practices, but few have all three.
Underperforming Partners Hurt Law Firm Profits, Survey Finds
According to a recent Edge International poll on partner performance management, two out of every three organizations expect to address partner underperformance in the next years.
Singapore’s Increased Scrutiny on Family Offices Is Creating More Work for Lawyers
Authorities are keeping a closer eye on the wealth management industry in the wake of a significant money-laundering incident, which is prompting clients to seek additional legal counsel out of concern that they might face severe penalties.