Welcome to this week’s update, where we bring you the latest moves, promotions, and strategic appointments shaping the legal industry.
Partner Moves
UK & Ireland
Pinsent Masons announces new Partner hire to London Employment team
International law firm Pinsent Masons has today announced that the firm has bolstered its London Employment & Incentives team with the hire of Ian Shaw from Korn Ferry.
Skadden has announced Samuel Pape will join the firm’s International Litigation and Arbitration Group in London as a partner. Samuel Pape joins from Latham & Watkins alongside arbitration partner Sophie Lamb KC.
Reed Smith gains Gowling WLG’s Tech Co-Chair
Reed Smith has hired Gowling WLG’s David Brennan as a Partner in its global corporate group in London.
Taylor Wessing’s Trust Disputes head joins Stephenson Harwood
The head of Taylor Wessing’s Contentious Trusts practice, Emma Jordan, has left to join Stephenson Harwood.
Quinn Partner joins Pogust Goodhead
Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan Partner Gemma Anderson has joined Pogust Goodhead in the Disputes practice in London.
Dentons hires Carlo Salizzo to Dublin TMT practice
Global law firm Dentons has appointed former Matheson partner Carlo Salizzo as a Partner in its Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) practice in Dublin.
Pinsent Masons hires new Competition Partner in London
Pinsent Masons has announced that it has bolstered its Antitrust, Competition & Trade team in London with the hire of Alex Stratakis from Van Bael & Bellis.
Francisco Vasconcelos Pimentel joins Leroy & Goldbach London office
Former Head of Legal at PM Alpha, Francisco Vasconcelos Pimentel, joins as Partner in Corporate and M&A at Leroy & Goldbach, based in London.
Browne Jacobson accelerates London growth with dual Partner hire
Browne Jacobson has appointed two Partners to its Real Estate Investment and Data Protection practices. Christian Major joins from K&L Gates and Phil James joins from Eversheds Sutherland.
Clydes’ Disputes chair departs for Keystone
Ben Knowles, chair of Clyde & Co’s Global Arbitration group and Dispute Resolution practice has exited the firm after over three decades and joins Keystone’s International Arbitration team in London.
Europe
Pinsents breaks into CEE with six-strong Polish office
Pinsent Masons has hired six Partners ahead of a launch in Warsaw. The Polish operations will be led by Real Estate M&A partner Bartłomiej Kordeczka from Dentons and Corporate M&A partner Jakub Marcinkowski from DLA Piper.
Avizor Advocates & Arbitraitors welcomes Marieke Schaink
Marieke Schaink joins Avizor’s Amsterdam office as a Partner from A&O Shearman, bringing experience in complex cross-border Dispute Resolution.
Lupp closes gap in Employment law with Pusch Wahlig-Partner
Dr. Thorben Klopp joins as Partner for Employment law at Lupp + Partner in Hamburg. Thorben Klopp joins from Pusch Wahlig.
McDermott welcomes Banking and Finance Partner in Frankfurt | ICLG
McDermott Will & Schulte announced the appointment of Oliver Sutter, who joins the firm’s Frankfurt office as a Partner in its Banking & Finance team. He joins from Norton Rose Fulbright.
Taylor Wessing strengthens M&A practice with Partner from Baker McKenzie
Dr. Thorsten Seidel from Baker McKenzie joins Taylor Wessing’s Corporate/M&A practice as Partner in the firm’s Berlin office.
Middle East
Ashurst hires first Technology Partner in the Middle East
Ashurst announced the appointment of Technology Partner Alexandre Brazeau from Gowling WLG as Partner in the Corporate practice, based in Dubai.
Hogan Lovells Adds Dounia Mansour As A Partner In Dubai
Hogan Lovells welcomes Partner Dounia Mansour who will be joining its Private Equity and Funds practice, based in Dubai. She joins from King & Spalding.
Habib Al Mulla and Partners makes strategic disputes hire
Habib Al Mulla and Partners has appointed a new Partner to its regional Dispute Resolution practice. Areen Jayousi has joined the firm’s Dubai office after nearly a decade at Horizons & Co.
Team
Six partners to exit Clyde & Co’s Hamburg office
Six Clyde & Co Partners are exiting the firm’s Hamburg office to set up their own shipping and maritime firm. Eckehard Volz and Clemens Hillmer are among the six Partners set for departure.
Taylor Wessing duo join Mayer Brown ahead of US merger
Mark Rajbenbach, Corporate Real Estate, and fellow Property Partner Victoria Butcher, are leaving Taylor Wessing and joining Mayer Brown’s London office.
Promotions & Appointments
Tim Van Canneyt appointed Managing Partner of Fieldfisher Belgium
Fieldfisher announced the appointment of Tim Van Canneyt as Managing Partner of Fieldfisher Belgium.
Rolls-Royce lines up Unilever’s Legal Chief as next CLO
UK engineering giant Rolls-Royce has lined up Maria Varsellona as its next Chief Legal Officer, replacing Mark Gregory, who is departing next month.
Karp stands down as Paul Weiss chairman after Epstein emails
Dealmaker Scott Barshay takes the helm after emails reveal extent of Brad Karp’s ties with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Stanley Black & Decker appoints Carrier CLO as next legal head
Francesca Campbell replaces Janet Link, who left to join JM Family Enterprises late last year.
Emma Radcliffe promoted to Partner at Bird & Bird
Bird & Bird has announced the expansion of its London Competition Law team, appointing Competition Collective Action specialist Emma Radcliffe as a Partner.
Jadzia Pierce rejoins Covington in the Technology & Communications Regulation team
Microsoft’s former Global DPO Jadzia Pierce rejoins Covington’s Technology & Communications Regulation team.
Olaf Giebe joins Ampersand as Of Counsel
Olaf Giebe joins Ampersand as Of Counsel in their patent practice bringing extensive experience from KLAKA.
Marie C. Grueger joins Lindt & Sprüngli
Marie C. Grueger joins Lindt & Sprüngli as Senior Legal Counsel in Zurich.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closing
Michalski Hüttermann partner launches new patent firm Aurodion
Wasilis Koukounis and three other former Michalski Hüttermann & Partner attorneys have launched mixed IP firm Aurodion with offices in Düsseldorf and Heidelberg.
Linklaters announces move to new global headquarters
Firm’s relocation to 20 Ropemaker Street in London to provide a modernised global hub for clients and staff with high level services.
Pinsent Masons launches first international delivery centre in Cape Town
The centre will operate as a separate entity to the firm’s existing South African office in Johannesburg and will not work on local matters, which will continue to be handled by the Johannesburg office. The standalone office will provide legal delivery services to global clients outside of South Africa.
Gibson Dunn asserts London focus with new enlarged office
Gibson Dunn has unveiled plans to move into significantly larger offices in London, following rapid growth in the city over the previous five years. The US firm is set to take 155,000 square feet of One Exchange Square, more than double the size of its current 75,000-square-foot base at Telephone House. The firm did not confirm a moving date, though the building’s redevelopment is expected to complete in the first quarter of this year.
Addleshaws accounts shed light on multimillion-pound office scale-up
Addleshaw Goddard spent more than £8m on building improvements, office equipment and refurbishments last year, as the firm continues to upgrade its offices across the UK and Ireland, accounts filed with Companies House reveal.
Mishcon de Reya strengthens UAE presence with four senior Partner appointments
Mishcon de Reya announced the appointment of four Partners across its newly launched UAE offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The four Partners are Natalie Jones, Rob Flaws, and Sandeep Dhama and Kamal Rahman.
Mergers & Alliances
Skadden, Gibson Dunn advise on Devon Energy’s merger with Coterra Energy
Skadden and Gibson Dunn are advising on Devon Energy’s merger with Coterra Energy in a deal that values the combined business at around $58bn.
Financial Results
BCLP’s UK revenue leaps after strategic overhaul
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s UK revenue rose by 16 per cent in 2025. The rate of the increase, which takes UK revenue to $306m (£225m), is well over twice that which the firm managed globally. The 6 per cent rise in total revenue to $912m is also a new record for BCLP.
Market Commentary
European legal heads continue to expand their C-Suite influence – report
A record 82% of European CLOs now have a direct reporting line to their CEO, up from 73% a year ago and closer in line with the global average (84%).
Taylor Wessing accounts reveal £10m pay for top earner
Taylor Wessing’s accounts have revealed that its best-paid partner received more than £10m during 2024-25, as the firm gears up for its transatlantic merger with Winston & Strawn.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
Eversheds Sutherland launches ‘AI-centric’ innovation department in US
The 20-person department in the firm’s US operations consolidates several existing technology functions, including data and analytics, research and knowledge services, legal technology and client-facing technologies. It will be led by senior director Katrina Dittmer − previously the firm’s US director of legal technology. The innovation team will work with the firm’s AI service for clients and advise on the responsible and effective use of AI across the firm.
Baker McKenzie cites AI as it prepares to cut business services roles
Baker McKenzie has confirmed it is likely to cut business services roles following a review, with hundreds of staff potentially affected. The review, driven in part by the growing use of AI, could see dozens of roles axed in offices that include London and Belfast. The affected departments include research, marketing and secretarial.
Skadden and HSF Kramer strike gold investment deal
Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer have advised on an investment that will integrate a gold-backed digital asset into a precious metals trading platform. A London-based Skadden team advised Tether, which owns the digital asset XAU₮, on its $150m strategic investment. HSF Kramer acted for Gold.com, whose platform will enable global distribution.
Supreme Court president raises alarm over AI deciding legal cases
AI is a “public trust” issue for the courts, Lord Reed told a packed courtroom of students at a panel event at the Supreme Court, warning that it could threaten trust as much as populism.
Harvey lands Eversheds Sutherland as it steps up Europe push
Harvey has signed up Eversheds Sutherland’s international arm as a customer, extending the legal AI startup’s expansion across Europe as competition in the platform market heats up. The firm said an initial cohort of 350 lawyers will gain access to Harvey with immediate effect, with a full rollout across its international business scheduled to begin in May this year. Eversheds Sutherland’s international chief Keith Froud described 2026 as the firm’s “Year of AI”, as it looks to embed generative AI more deeply into its client offering.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Clyde & Co wins aspiring trainee race discrimination case
A London employment tribunal has rejected a racial discrimination claim brought by an aspiring trainee solicitor against Clyde & Co, but delivered a blunt postscript suggesting the firm should “learn some important lessons” about how its early careers team handled the process.