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
Ashurst Perkins Coie bolsters hedge fund capabilities with London Partner hire
Global law firm Ashurst Perkins Coie announces the appointment of Melissa Kinsmore-Ward as a Partner in its growing hedge fund practice based in London, significantly expanding the firm’s capabilities in high-growth hedge and credit funds. Melissa joins from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. She brings extensive experience across the full lifecycle of hedge and credit fund operations, from formation and structuring to ongoing regulatory, trading and operational support.
Ashurst Perkins Coie expands footprint in infrastructure finance with London Partner hire
Global law firm Ashurst Perkins Coie announces the appointment of infrastructure finance lawyer Jenny McIvor as Partner in the Global Loans practice, based in London, as the firm continues to expand its global finance capabilities. She joins from Freshfields.
Sidley hires Willkie competition partner Elaine Whiteford in London
Sidley has hired competition litigation Partner Elaine Whiteford from Willkie Farr & Gallagher in London, adding a senior disputes specialist with experience in some of the UK’s biggest collective actions. Whiteford joins the firm’s litigation group, bringing more than 25 years’ experience, with cases spanning the Competition Appeal Tribunal, High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.
Stephenson Harwood expands energy practice with London Partner hire
Stephenson Harwood’s London office has hired former Osborne Clarke partner Matthew Bodfield as it seeks to enhance its corporate offering in the energy and infrastructure sector. Bodfield brings 20 years’ experience advising clients in the energy transition and infrastructure sectors. He made Partner at Osborne Clarke in 2016, being promoted successively up the ranks after joining the firm from Irwin Mitchell, where he trained and qualified in 2006, spending four years there.
McDermott expands private capital capabilities with London finance hire
McDermott Will & Schulte announced that Cameron Mitcham has joined the firm as a partner in its Finance Practice Group in London. Cameron joins from Fried Frank and brings extensive experience in structured finance, securitisation and collateralised loan obligations (CLOs), adding further depth to the firm’s structured credit capabilities in London and internationally.
Simon Burrows joins DLA Piper’s Corporate practice in strategic private capital appointment
Global law firm DLA Piper bolsters its global Corporate practice with the strategic appointment of Simon Burrows as Partner. Joining the firm’s London office, Simon is a highly regarded corporate lawyer with more than 20 years’ experience advising clients across private capital transactions, public and private acquisitions and disposals, co-investments, joint ventures and governance arrangements. His experience spans complex domestic and cross-border transactions, acting for investors and businesses across the full investment lifecycle.
DLA Piper hires new Pensions Partner in Leeds
Global law firm DLA Piper has welcomed Tom Barton to its Employment and Pensions practice as a partner. Tom joins after 20 years with Pinsent Masons, having spent 12 years as a partner, leading the Leeds-based pensions team and the firm’s defined contribution (DC) pensions workstream. Tom joins DLA Piper’s Leeds office.
DLA Piper hires new Partner in UK Transactional Tax team
DLA Piper has appointed Mark Whiteside to its UK Transactional Tax practice. Mark was previously a Partner at CMS in Manchester, where he led the firm’s regional transactional tax practice. He brings with him a broad transactional tax skillset covering corporate and real estate tax, including UK and cross border M&A, restructurings, VAT, venture capital structures and employee incentives.
Credit Fund Formation Partner joins Macfarlanes
Macfarlanes has announced that Edward Prestwich has joined the firm as a Partner in its Fund Formation team. Ed joins from Clifford Chance and is a leading credit fund formation lawyer and is returning to Macfarlanes having previously been an associate in its Fund Formation team between 2014 and 2021.
Keystone Law hires new Investment Funds Partner in London
Barry Stimpson joins the firm as Investment Funds Partner. He joins from Shoosmiths and brings over 30 years’ experience to the firm.
Fieldfisher boosts structured finance practice with appointment of Will Sharp
European law firm Fieldfisher has appointed Will Sharp as a Partner in its London Financial Markets & Products (FMP) team, further strengthening the firm’s structured finance and private credit capabilities. Will joins Fieldfisher from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, where he was Counsel.
Fox Williams expands technology transactions offering with appointment of Adam Kuan
Adam Kuan has joined the firm as a Partner in its Corporate practice, further strengthening the firm’s transactions offering for technology-enabled businesses. Adam joins from TLT, having previously spent more than a decade at Kemp Little, which merged with Deloitte Legal in 2021.
Birketts hires Commercial and Technology Partner to strengthen Bristol office
Chloe Vernon-Shore joins Birketts as a Partner in our Bristol commercial and technology team. She joins having previously spent 11 years at Michelmores. With almost 20 years’ experience, Chloe specialises in Natural Capital, including environmental markets, investment into nature, and sustainable and resilient land use. Her appointment adds further depth to our existing Natural Capital practice and supports its continued growth.
RWK Goodman hires new Private Wealth Partner
Edward Porter joins the firm as Partner, having previously spent time at Michelmores. He specialises in Wills, Trusts and Estates as well as Private Wealth.
Bexley Beaumont hires new Restructuring and Insolvency Partner
Heather Dobson joins as Partner having previously spent 9 years at Moore Barlow LLP. She will work in the London office.
TLT appoints third new Scotland Partner in four months
National law firm TLT has strengthened its Scottish pensions offering with appointment of Edinburgh-based partner Amanda Cooke – the third new partner to join the firm in Scotland since July. She joins from CMS where she was previously Of Counsel.
Lewis Silkin adds Russell Rochford as employment Partner in Dublin
Lewis Silkin has announced that Russell Rochford has joined its Dublin office as a Partner in the firm’s employment team. Rochford joins from Matheson LLP and brings more than two decades of experience as an international employment law specialist. He began his career at A&L Goodbody in Dublin and went on to spend several years in private practice in London with Capsticks LLP.
Nathaniel Lacy LLP appoints Louise Smith Partner in charge of Cork office
Nathaniel Lacy LLP has appointed Louise Smith as Partner in charge of their new Cork office. She joins from Ronan Daly Jeremyn where she was for 13 years. Smith advises insurers and self-insured organisations on motor, employers’ liability, public liability and indemnity claims. She brings experience in complex; large loss matters and the defence of suspected fraudulent and exaggerated claims.
Europe
Norton Rose Fulbright hire new Corporate / M&A Partner in Warsaw
Piotr Miller joins as Co-Head of Corporate / M&A in Warsaw. He joins from DLA Piper where he previously spent 8 years in their Warsaw office.
A&O Shearman strengthens Patent Practice with new Partner hire
Constanze Krenz joins as Partner at A&O Shearman in the Patent Practice. She joins from DLA Piper where she was for 11 years.
Simmons & Simmons Lux expands its regulatory team
Simmons & Simmons has appointed Dr Michael Wildscheck as counsel and head of financial services regulatory in Luxembourg. With around 15 years’ experience in private practice and in-house at a global financial institution, he will lead the growth of the firm’s regulatory practice in Luxembourg. He joins from JPMorgan Chase & Co where he worked as General Counsel.
CMS strengthens Real Estate practice with Partner appointment in Poland
CMS is pleased to announce that Adriana Andrzejewska will join the firm as a Partner in its Real Estate practice in Warsaw. Adriana rejoins CMS following roles at Addleshaw Goddard and Linklaters. She brings extensive experience advising domestic and international investors on complex real estate transactions across the hospitality, office, logistics, retail park and residential sectors. Her practice has a particular focus on the hospitality sector, working with clients and leading hotel operators across the market.
Jones Day hires new Financial Markets Partner
Dr. Jasmin Dettmar joins Jones Day as Partner in the Financial Markets Practice in Frankfurt. She joins from Willkie, Farr and Gallagher.
Withers names two new practice heads
Withers has hired Giacomo Rojas Elgueta, who joins from Chiomenti, in Milan and appointed him and New York Partner Floriane Lavaud, who previously worked at Debevoise & Plimpton, to serve as its new co-heads of international arbitration alongside existing co-head Hussein Haeri KC in London.
Middle East
Dechert adds corporate practice in Dubai with Partner appointment
Dechert has established a dedicated corporate practice in Dubai with the appointment of Adnan Bekdur as a Partner. Bekdur has joined from White & Case, where he worked for more than a decade most recently as a Local Partner. His appointment is intended to expand Dechert’s capabilities in mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and sovereign wealth.
Akin announced today that Musab Aljammaz has joined the firm as a regulatory Partner in Riyadh. His addition strengthens Akin’s market-leading regulatory practice and adds extensive regulatory and public policy experience to the firm’s expanding Middle East platform. Musab served for over six years at the Saudi Ministry of Justice, where he played a central role in advancing the Kingdom’s legal transformation agenda under Vision 2030.
Team
Simpson Thacher to Hire Around 20 Weil London Finance Lawyers
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is hiring around 20 Associates from Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ London finance team, as well as support staff, following news of Weil’s wind-down. It is the latest team move since Weil’s leadership announced that it was recommending the $2 billion firm dissolve last week. The team is following a group of Weil Partners who moved over last month including London finance head Tom Richards.
Addleshaw Goddard steps up European expansion with 20-strong Taylor Wessing hire in Germany
Addleshaw Goddard has made a major expansion of its German business with the hire of a 20-person team from Taylor Wessing. The group will join Addleshaw’s Munich office in the new year and includes four partners: Hendrik Boss, Christian Saueressig, Sven Schweneke and Elisabeth Schalk. Their practices span corporate and M&A, private equity, restructuring and insolvency. They will be joined by five Taylor Wessing Salary Partners and a wider team of lawyers, taking the total group to 20.
Addleshaw Goddard boosts Private Equity platform with three-Partner team hire
Addleshaw Goddard (AG), the London-headquartered international law firm, has recruited leading Private Equity Partners Jason Zemmel, Daniel Weston and Jamie Burgess to its London office, significantly strengthening the firm’s Private Equity and M&A capabilities and reinforcing its commitment to strategic growth in key City markets. The trio join from McDermott and bring extensive experience advising private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, management teams and corporates on domestic and cross-border transactions.
Leading Real Estate Partner Yves Moreau joins Brussels Practice at Simmons & Simmons
Yves Moreau has joined the firm as a Partner, alongside a team of four associates. Yves and his team join from Linklaters. Yves brings extensive experience across real estate investments and divestments, development, M&A and joint ventures, financing and leasing. His arrival significantly enhances our real estate capabilities in Belgium and complements our growing corporate, finance and tax offering.
Paul Hastings Takes 4-Lawyer DLA Piper Team Across Brussels and London
Paul Hastings has hired energy, finance and EU regulatory partner Orestis Omran from DLA Piper, alongside a team of three Associates. Omran, who previously co-led DLA Piper’s Greece country group, joins as Partner and co-chair of Paul Hastings Brussels. He will be based in Brussels and London. The four-lawyer move comes amid Paul Hastings’ wider European expansion, including the hires of Brussels antitrust partner Salomé Cisnal de Ugarte and Paris-based arbitration Partners Elizabeth Oger-Gross and Tolu Obamuroh.
Osborne Clarke is delighted to announce that Nora Keßler will join Osborne Clarke as an equity Partner significantly bolstering the IP practice group in Frankfurt. She will be joined by her team members Christoph Palzer as Counsel and Catinca Vidan as an Associate. The team brings a wealth of experience in patent litigation, including complex ongoing proceedings before the Unified Patent Court (UPC), and will bring dedicated IP expertise to the Frankfurt office, which opened to great momentum in September.
Promotions & Appointments
Ray Byrne to succeed Mark Walsh as head of Ireland at Addleshaw Goddard
The Irish office of international law firm Addleshaw Goddard has announced the appointment of Ray Byrne as head of Ireland, succeeding Mark Walsh following his successful five-year term in the role. Byrne will take up this role on 1 January 2027 as part of a planned succession strategy at the firm. Byrne was previously Head of Banking and Finance at Addleshaw Goddard in Ireland.
gunnercooke promotes an Associate to Partner in Commercial Real Estate Team
Georgina Savage has been promoted from Associate to Partner. Georgina specialises in commercial real estate, advising on a broad range of property transactions, with a particular focus on asset management, real estate finance and land development. She works closely with property investors, lenders, landlords and developers, providing commercially focused advice that helps clients navigate transactions efficiently and achieve their wider business objectives.
Linklaters promotes Partner to new Global Co-Head of Capital Markets
Pam Shores previously worked as Global Co-Head of Equity Capital Markets at Linklaters. Now, she has been promoted to Global Co-Head of Capital Markets.
Michael Bennett to lead Hill Dickinson Board
In line with our governance requirements, and after eight years as Chair, senior corporate practitioner Jonathan Brown will step down from the role as the firm continues to invest in its future growth and development. Jonathan is continuing with the firm in his capacity as an active member of our corporate team. Michael Bennett is a longstanding member of the firm’s London office, previously leading our corporate team in the city for several years.
DAC Beachcroft confirms LLP Group Board election results
International law firm DAC Beachcroft is pleased to confirm the results of its latest elections to its LLP Group Board. London-based Insurance partner Patrick Hill and Bristol-based Corporate Partner James Reed have both been re-elected to second three-year terms on the Board, while London-based Data & Privacy Partner Jade Kowalski has been elected for the first time. Jade succeeds Udara Ranasinghe, who steps down from the Board after serving two terms.
Notable US Moves
Weil’s Ramona Nee to join Kirkland as part of 40-lawyer team
A 40-strong team of Weil lawyers led by Ramona Nee is set to land at Kirkland & Ellis in the New Year. Boston-based Nee, who also co-heads Weil’s US private equity practice, will be joined at Kirkland by five further Partners across the firm’s M&A and finance groups – Boston Co-managing Partner Jacob Wronski, Emily Willey, Michael Messina, Benton Lewis and Paul Overmyer.
Yoonji Woo Joins Ropes & Gray in New York, Strengthening Venture and Growth Funds Practice
Ropes & Gray announced that Yoonji Woo has joined the firm as a Partner in the asset management group in New York. Yoonji is a highly regarded private funds lawyer advising venture and growth fund managers as well as large institutional sponsors. She joins from Simpson, Thacher, and Bartlett.
Latham & Watkins adds five Energy and Infrastructure Partners from three firms
Latham & Watkins Adds Five Energy and Infrastructure Partners From Three Firms Latham & Watkins has added five partners to its Project Development & Finance Practice, with hires from Baker Botts, Sidley Austin, and Orrick across Houston and Washington, D.C.
Firm and Market Activity
Office Openings & Closings
UK-Based Kennedys Opens in Dallas, Combines With Local Aviation Boutique
U.K.-founded Kennedys has launched an office in Dallas as it combines with Dallas-based aviation trial boutique Cunningham Swaim, adding 14 lawyers to the global firm. The Dallas office is Kennedy’s third in Texas—following Austin and Houston—and 13th in the U.S., where it has more than 330 lawyers.
Mergers & Alliances
Knights completes acquisition of Moore Barlow
Knights confirms the completion of our acquisition of Moore Barlow, taking Knights into Guildford, Lymington, Richmond and Southampton and further strengthening our presence in the South. The combination expands our expertise in Corporate, Commercial, Dispute Resolution, Employment, Family, Real Estate Disputes and Private Client, and adds further strength to our sector focus, particularly in Education, Charities & Not-for-profit and Landed Estates & Agriculture.
Market Commentary
Latham saves five Weil trainees ahead of firm’s shock closure
US law firm Latham & Watkins has confirmed it has taken on five current trainees from Weil‘s London office, offering a lifeline to junior lawyers whose training contracts were thrown into uncertainty following the firm’s decision to wind down its operations. The move marks a significant development for those already partway through their two-year training contracts at the New York-founded firm, which is facing closure after more than 90 years in business.
Nominees unveiled for the Women and Diversity in Law Awards 2027
More than 200 UK-based individuals, law firms, legal teams and not-for-profit groups have been nominated for the 2027 Women and Diversity in Law Awards.
Innovation & Culture
Technology & Innovation
A&O Shearman ramps up AI push with five-year plan it says is worth $1.1bn
A&O Shearman has announced an AI investment plan it says is worth $1.1 billion over five years. The firm said the majority of the investment will come from each practice devoting at least 3% of its time to building specialist AI tools and services, with the aim of embedding AI more deeply into how legal work is delivered.
Harvey acquires AI-powered sales assistant platform Aida
Legaltech giant Harvey has acquired AI-powered sales assistant platform Aida, marking its fifth purchase this year. Aida is a virtual assistant for salespeople and complements Harvey’s tech by recording meeting details, updating customer relationship management systems and retaining client information.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader claims industry first with pro bono partnership deed pledge
Hogan Lovells Cadwalader has embedded a commitment to pro bono in its new partnership deed, in what it says is a first for a global law firm. The deed formally commits the partnership to pro bono work and supporting the communities in which it operates, placing those obligations alongside the provisions governing how the firm is owned, led and run.
UK Pro Bono Week turns 25 as demand for free legal help rises
UK lawyers have celebrated the launch of 2026’s UK Pro Bono Week, as law firms increased the amount of pro bono work recorded last year, according to UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono. Running from 2 to 6 November, Pro Bono Week – which was established in 2002 – brings together law firms, chambers, corporates, law schools and charities across the UK. Data from UK Collaborative Plan for Pro Bono shows lawyers spent 645,453 hours in 2025 offering free legal assistance, a 1.29% increase on 2024’s levels.