headline partner moves in london may september 2016 · jo footitt irwin mitchell osborne clarke...
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Headline Partner Moves in London May – September 2016
Introduction
After what has been a tumultuous few months, we have made it to September with the lateral
market feeling slightly different but, in truth, as busy as ever. While it is too early to gauge the full
impact of the Brexit vote on partner recruitment in London, we have been able to draw out a few
observations for this report:
The Americans just keep on coming. Many US firms view Brexit as a golden opportunity to hire
UK partners, helped by the relative weakness of sterling against the dollar. Firms like Latham &
Watkins, Kirkland & Ellis, White & Case and Paul Hastings are continuing to aggressively take top
partners, predominantly from UK firms.
Latham have had an incredible summer with nine high profile laterals adding real strength to their
finance, restructuring, disputes and financial services capabilities in London.
Given the continued appetite of US firms to grow their City offices, the overall numbers have not
shifted much from this time last year, when we reported on 145 moves in the May to September
period. This report actually sees a slight uptick with 150 reported moves.
While no firm is immune from partner exits, it is worrying for Ashurst and KWM that they are
seemingly losing whole chunks of the firm to US competitors. These firms were in the top three
for having the highest number of departing partners in the last report and they once again claim
this dubious accolade. Both firms are in the firing line because they have highly regarded partners
in areas that are attractive investment opportunities for much more profitable US firms, and they
therefore have a real challenge to try to stem the flow of talent.
Olswang is another firm that is attracting headlines for the wrong reasons and, amid rumours of
various ongoing merger discussions, it will be fascinating to see if they can pull off a combination
by the time we next report.
The Magic Circle is also having to fight off the lure of the US firms and, for the first time in a long
while, all five Magic Circle firms including Slaughter and May have seen exits in the last few
months.
All that said, the legal press can often write firms off too easily and, with strong management and
a defined strategy, firms can navigate choppy waters and reach land on the other side. As an
example, one need only look at Dentons who again feature in our top three hiring firms in London
for the third report in a row. Denton Wilde Sapte was a firm that was drifting until its 2010 merger
with Sonnenschein. The firm is now attracting strong laterals across all departments and it is again
becoming a force to be reckoned with.
On the ground, real estate feels quieter than it has for a while although the lateral statistics don’t
quite support this. It will be interesting to see how many real estate moves there are over the
next three months, and we look forward to reporting on this in January.
As UK firms feel the post Brexit squeeze, reams of associates who were recruited before the 2008
downturn are coming up to partnership and finding their paths blocked. As such, there is an
extremely active market for senior associates or counsel level lawyers looking to move for
immediate partnership elsewhere and in this report we note 26 such moves.
It is not just the US firms who are in growth mode and some regional firms also feature in our top
hiring firms this report – with Shoosmiths, Bond Dickinson and Hill Dickinson all increasing their
London headcount.
Number of London partner moves by category of hiring firm May – September 2016
UK 67
US 53
International 23
Magic Circle 3
Accountancy 2
In House 2
International for these purposes covers US/UK merged firms, international polycentric firms such as
Dentons and Baker & McKenzie and firms that have completed mergers in the Far East, Australia or
Canada (e.g. Herbert Smith Freehills, King & Wood Mallesons, Ashurst and Gowling WLG).
Headline Hires May – September 2016
CORPORATE
Kirkland continue to make waves in London and once again targeted Linklaters for their latest hire
attracting private equity partner Stuart Boyd – the sixth Linklaters partner to make this same move
over the last year or so.
Meanwhile, in an interesting move, Linklaters’ head of corporate in London, Stuart Bedford, is also
leaving the firm to go in house at private equity house LeapFrog Investments.
In another high profile in house move, one of the highest profile corporate lawyers of his
generation, Mark Rawlinson, leaves Freshfields for Morgan Stanley.
FINANCE/RESTRUCTURING
Latham & Watkins’ assault on the City continues with a dramatic strengthening of their finance
capability in the City, adding five finance/real estate finance partners in as many months. The two
most eye catching moves were Sanjev Warna-kula-suriya moving from Slaughter and May and
former co-head of banking Stephen Kensell leaving Allen & Overy.
Latham have been looking to bolster their restructuring practice for a long time and they finally
got their man in Simon Baskerville from Ashurst. Baskerville is highly regarded and his loss will be
felt keenly at Ashurst, who also saw the departure of fellow restructuring partner Diane Roberts
to Reed Smith.
Dechert have bolstered their finance capability in London with two partners, Philip Butler and
David Miles, joining from DLA Piper.
King & Wood Mallesons continue to lose senior partners in London, with the firm’s former head
of finance Jeremy Cross leaving for Cadwalader.
Paul Hastings have launched an audacious raid on the highly regarded structured finance team at
Ashurst and have recruited a three partner team led by Michael Smith.
FINANCIAL SERVICES/FUNDS
Ashurst continues to suffer at the hands of Latham with Rob Moulton, head of financial services,
swapping Appold St for Bishopsgate, together with his number two, Nicola Higgs.
REAL ESTATE
Dentons scooped a team of five real estate partners from Irwin Mitchell in a bold move. London
real estate head Rob Thompson joins, along with fellow real estate partners Lewis Myers and
Rupert Dowdell, corporate real estate partner Jayne Schnider and real estate finance partner
Simon Tweedle, who returns to the firm where he was once a senior associate.
Elsewhere, two more real estate partners, Jo Footitt and Louise Cartwright, left Irwin Mitchell for
Osborne Clarke’s London office and Irwin Mitchell planning head Martha Grekos joined Howard
Kennedy.
Departures from Freshfields finance practice continue, with real estate finance partner Jeffrey
Rubinoff announcing his switch to White & Case.
LITIGATION/ARBITRATION
Latham & Watkins again steal the headlines with the capture of international arbitration partner
Sophie Lamb from Debevoise.
Will Thomas’ move from Eversheds, where he was their head of international arbitration based in
Paris, to Freshfields in London catches the eye.
One of London’s most highly regarded white collar lawyers, Elizabeth Robertson, left K&LGates
for Skadden.
Quinn Emanuel again surprised the market, this time making a play in construction disputes with
the hire of James Bremen from Herbert Smith Freehills.
Covington add to their ranks with another raid on KWM, this time hiring finance litigator Greg
Lascelles and competition litigator Elaine Whiteford. Both join Alex Leitch who moved from KWM
last year.
Cadwalader have hired Steven Baker from Bird & Bird where he was co-head of disputes.
In IP, Allen & Overy launched an attack on Simmons & Simmons, taking patent litigation pair
Marjan Noor and Marc Döring.
Paul, Dan and the Team
020 7332 2680
Deacon Search is an independent legal recruitment boutique focusing exclusively on partner moves in London. If you are a law firm interested in discussing a potential assignment or an individual partner or team considering a move, please contact us.
Paul Dan
Scott Norah Sarah
The individuals listed in the tables below are movers reported between 13th May 2016 and 14th
September 2016. They are all partners who moved to or from a London office, unless otherwise
stated.
1. Corporate/Private Equity/Equity Capital Markets
Name From To Discipline
Igor Krivoshekov Dentons Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld
Private Equity
Corporate
Energy
Linda Crow Faegre Baker Daniels Duane Morris Corporate
Paul Finlan Faegre Baker Daniels Duane Morris Corporate
Matthew Doughty Squire Patton Boggs DWF Corporate
Equity Capital Markets
James Howe Proskauer Rose Gibson Dunn &
Crutcher Private Equity
Michael Bennett Kerman & Co Hill Dickinson Equity Capital Markets
Gabriel Boghossian Macfarlanes
(Senior Associate) King & Wood Mallesons Private Equity
Stuart Bedford Linklaters LeapFrog Investments Private Equity
Stuart Boyd Linklaters Kirkland & Ellis Private Equity
James West Reed Smith
(Associate) Mayer Brown Private Equity
Hamid Yunis Taylor Wessing McDermott Will &
Emery
Corporate
Healthcare
Michael Holter WilmerHale McDermott Will &
Emery Corporate
Ian Binnie Hamlins Michelmores Corporate
Mark Rawlinson Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer Morgan Stanley Corporate
Nick Sayers Fox Williams Payne Hicks Beach Corporate
Eleanor Shanks Dentons Proskauer Rose Private Equity
Daniel Winterfeldt CMS Cameron McKenna Reed Smith US Securities
Amit Nayyar Hogan Lovells Shoosmiths
(Milton Keynes) Private Equity
Duncan McDonald Olswang Taylor Wessing Corporate
Private Equity
Richard Jones
Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer
(Senior Associate)
White & Case Private Equity
2. Finance
Name From To Discipline
Robert Andrews King & Wood Mallesons Ashurst Fund Finance
Jim Bell Allen & Overy
(Associate) Bird & Bird Aviation Finance
Charlie Reid Norton Rose Fulbright
(Senior Associate) Bond Dickinson Finance
Jeremy Cross King & Wood Mallesons Cadwalader,
Wickersham & Taft
Finance
Fund Finance
Real Estate Finance
Philip Butler DLA Piper Dechert Finance
David Miles DLA Piper Dechert Finance
Martin Sharkey Clifford Chance
(Senior Associate) Dentons Structured Finance
Spencer Gold Holman Fenwick Willan
(Senior Associate) Ince & Co
Ship Finance
Trade Finance
Mayank Gupta Mayer Brown K&L Gates Finance
Barry Cosgrave Shearman & Sterling
(Senior Associate) K&L Gates
Debt Capital Markets
Islamic Finance
Distressed Debt
Stephen Kensell Allen & Overy Latham & Watkins Finance
Sanjev Warna-kula-
suriya Slaughter and May Latham & Watkins Structured Finance
James Taylor Allen & Overy
(Counsel) Paul Hastings
Finance
Real Estate Finance
Michael Smith Ashurst Paul Hastings Structured Finance
Diala Minott Ashurst Paul Hastings Structured Finance
Cameron Saylor Ashurst Paul Hastings Structured Finance
Ben Davis Reed Smith Proskauer Rose Finance
Laetitia Costa Ex-Milbank, Tweed,
Hadley & McCloy PwC Legal Finance
Sebastian FitzGerald
Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer
(Senior Associate)
Willkie Farr & Gallagher Finance
3. Insolvency/Restructuring
Name From To Discipline
Simon Baskerville Ashurst Latham & Watkins Restructuring
Diane Roberts Ashurst Reed Smith Restructuring
4. Financial Services/Funds
Name From To Discipline
Barry Stimpson Olswang Bond Dickinson Investment Funds
Jonathan Cantor Nabarro Dentons Investment Funds
Real Estate Funds
Thomas Laverty Macquarie Infrastructure
and Real Assets Kirkland & Ellis Investment Funds
Rob Moulton Ashurst Latham & Watkins Financial Services
Regulatory
Nicola Higgs Ashurst Latham & Watkins Financial Services
Regulatory
Saloni Joshi SJ Advisers MJ Hudson Investment Funds
Oliver Rochman Proskauer Rose Morrison & Foerster Investment Funds
Douglas Cherry Eversheds
(Principal Associate) Reed Smith
Financial Services
Litigation
Henrietta de Salis Herbert Smith Freehills
(Consultant) Willkie Farr & Gallagher
Financial Services
Regulatory
5. Real Estate
Name From To Discipline
Rupert Dowdell Irwin Mitchell Dentons Real Estate
Lewis Myers Irwin Mitchell Dentons Real Estate
Jayne Schnider Irwin Mitchell Dentons Corporate Real Estate
Rob Thompson Irwin Mitchell Dentons Real Estate
Simon Tweedle Irwin Mitchell Dentons Real Estate Finance
Jenny Sargeant Macfarlanes
(Senior Associate) Fladgate Real Estate
Jeremy Trinder Dechert Latham & Watkins Real Estate Finance
Quentin Gwyer GE Capital Real Estate Latham & Watkins Real Estate Finance
Daniel Abrahams Philip Ross Solicitors Memery Crystal Real Estate
Jo Footitt Irwin Mitchell Osborne Clarke Real Estate
Louise Cartwright Irwin Mitchell Osborne Clarke Real Estate
Vikki McKay DLA Piper Proskauer Rose Real Estate
Adam Chamberlain RPC
(Senior Associate) Shoosmiths Real Estate Finance
Ed John Hogan Lovells
(Senior Associate) Shoosmiths Property Litigation
Deian Rhys Goldman Sachs Simmons & Simmons Real Estate
Mark Levine Hamlins Simons Muirhead &
Burton Real Estate
Robert Porter Reed Smith
Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom
(Counsel)
Real Estate Private
Equity
Jeffrey Rubinoff Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer White & Case Real Estate Finance
Alan Duncan Mount Anvil
(General Counsel) Winckworth Sherwood Real Estate
6. Planning/Environmental
Name From To Discipline
Martha Grekos Irwin Mitchell Howard Kennedy Planning
Angus Evers King & Wood Mallesons Shoosmiths Environment
Tim Johnson Charles Russell
Speechlys Shoosmiths Planning
7. Construction
Name From To Discipline
Jessica Taylor Clarke Willmott Ashfords Construction
Carl Asser Payne Hicks Beach Howard Kennedy Construction
Matthew Needham-
Laing Stevens & Bolton
Katten Muchin
Rosenman
Construction
Construction Litigation
Joanne Kelly Taylor Wessing Memery Crystal Construction
James Bremen Herbert Smith Freehills Quinn Emanuel
Urquhart & Sullivan Construction Litigation
8. Project Finance/Projects/Energy
Name From To Discipline
Matthew Newing Charles Russell
Speechlys Addleshaw Goddard Projects
Anna Nerush
Morgan, Lewis &
Bockius
(Associate)
Addleshaw Goddard Oil & Gas
Andrew Fraiser Allen & Overy Ashurst
(New York) Infrastructure
Mark Dennison Norton Rose Fulbright
(Of Counsel) Eversheds
Clean Energy
Infrastructure Finance
Conrad Purcell Norton Rose Fulbright
(Senior Associate) Eversheds
Clean Energy
Infrastructure Finance
Nuno Frota Trafigura Ince & Co Oil & Gas
Kevin Atkins Chadbourne & Parke Locke Lord Oil & Gas
Paul Griffin Allen & Overy White & Case
(Senior Adviser) Oil & Gas
9. Commercial Litigation/International Arbitration/Corporate Crime
Name From To Discipline
Sarah Vasani King & Spalding
(Counsel) Addleshaw Goddard
International Arbitration
Energy Litigation
Jonathan Fisher QC Devereux Chambers Bright Line Law White Collar Crime
Steven Baker Bird & Bird Cadwalader,
Wickersham & Taft
Commercial Litigation
International Arbitration
Irina Tymczyszyn Bryan Cave Chadbourne & Parke International Arbitration
Greg Lascelles King & Wood Mallesons Covington & Burling Banking Litigation
Will Thomas Eversheds
(Paris)
Freshfields Bruckhaus
Deringer International Arbitration
Christopher Braithwaite Jones Day Humphries Kerstetter Commercial Litigation
Jason Masimore
US Department of
Justice
(New York)
Kobre & Kim White Collar Crime
Sophie Lamb Debevoise & Plimpton Latham & Watkins International Arbitration
Stuart Alford QC Serious Fraud Office Latham & Watkins Fraud
Richard Boynton Clifford Chance
(Senior Associate) Kirkland & Ellis
Banking Litigation
Commercial Litigation
Paul Stothard King & Wood Mallesons Norton Rose Fulbright Commercial Litigation
International Arbitration
Robert Amaee Covington & Burling Quinn Emanuel
Urquhart & Sullivan White Collar Crime
Anil Rajani Fladgate RadcliffesLeBrasseur White Collar Crime
Stuart Dutson Eversheds Simmons & Simmons International Arbitration
Commercial Litigation
Elizabeth Robertson K&L Gates Skadden, Arps, Slate,
Meagher & Flom White Collar Crime
Philip Rubens Cooke Young & Keidan Teacher Stern Banking Litigation
Michael Stepek
Akin Gump Strauss
Hauer & Feld
(Geneva)
Winston & Strawn International Arbitration
10. Insurance/Reinsurance
Name From To Discipline
Carys Oatham DWF BLM Product Liability
Rob Ireland Kennedys Clyde & Co Aviation Insurance
Hugo Laing Clifford Chance
(Senior Associate) Eversheds Corporate Insurance
Helen Franzese Goldberg Segalla Foran Glennon Insurance &
Reinsurance Litigation
Tanguy Le Gouellec de
Schwarz Goldberg Segalla Foran Glennon
Insurance &
Reinsurance Litigation
Christopher Foster Herbert Smith Freehills Holman Fenwick Willan Insurance &
Reinsurance Litigation
Adam Strong Gowling WLG Holman Fenwick Willan Insurance &
Reinsurance Litigation
Mark Pring Addleshaw Goddard Reed Smith Insurance &
Reinsurance Litigation
Marian Boyle Dentons Sullivan & Worcester Insurance Litigation
11. Employment/Pensions/Benefits/Immigration
Name From To Discipline
Michelle Chance Kingsley Napley Bond Dickinson Employment
Chris Tutton Irwin Mitchell Constantine Law Employment
Alexandra Bonner Blake Morgan Goodman Derrick Employment
Sacha Schoenfeld James Ware Schoenfeld
Stephenson Fox Williams Immigration
Fraser Younson Squire Patton Boggs Keystone Law Employment
12. IP/TMT/Data Protection/Commercial
Name From To Discipline
Marc Döring Simmons & Simmons Allen & Overy Patent Litigation
Marjan Noor Simmons & Simmons Allen & Overy Patent Litigation
Anna Cook RPC
(Consultant) Bristows IT Litigation
James Earl Pinsent Masons Fladgate Sports
Andy Korman Couchmans Harbottle & Lewis Sports
Judith Rinearson Bryan Cave K&L Gates
(New York/London) Fintech
Gary Howes Fasken Martineau McDermott Will &
Emery Lifesciences
Sam De Silva Penningtons Manches Nabarro Technology
James Drury-Smith
Orrick Herrington &
Sutcliffe
(Of Counsel)
PwC Legal Data Protection
Jonathan Radcliffe Charles Russell
Speechlys Reed Smith IP Litigation
James Tumbridge Pillsbury Winthrop
Shaw Pittman Venner Shipley IP Litigation
Paul Harris Pillsbury Winthrop
Shaw Pittman Venner Shipley IP
13. Competition
Name From To Discipline
Stephen Smith RPC Bristows Competition
Elaine Whiteford King & Wood Mallesons Covington & Burling Competition Litigation
Howard Cartlidge Olswang DWF Competition
Andrew Maxwell RPC
(Senior Associate) Freeths
Competition
Competition Litigation
Sally Southwell Linklaters
(Managing Associate) Kirkland & Ellis Competition
Francesco Liberatore Jones Day
(Associate) Squire Patton Boggs
Competition
Telecoms
14. Private Client/Family/Charity
Name From To Discipline
Jo Coleman IBB Solicitors Bond Dickinson Charity
Shona Alexander Forsters Charles Russell
Speechlys Family
Jim Sawer Thrings Kingsley Napley Private Client
Raymond Davern Conyers Dill & Pearman
(Cayman Islands) Maples and Calder Private Client
Simon Goldring Trowers & Hamlins McDermott Will &
Emery Private Client
Martin Davies Clyde & Co Mishcon de Reya Private Client
Juliette Peters Howard Kennedy Shoosmiths Family
Jay Patel Howard Kennedy Shoosmiths Family
15. Tax
Name From To Discipline
Elliot Weston Gowling WLG Hogan Lovells Tax
Gary Richards Ex-Berwin Leighton
Paisner Mishcon de Reya Tax
Michael Wistow Berwin Leighton Paisner White & Case Tax
16. Commodities/International Trade
Name From To Discipline
Robert Parson Reed Smith Clyde & Co Trade Finance
Commodities
Patric McGonigal Hogan Lovells
(Tokyo) Hill Dickinson
Commodities
International Arbitration
Andrew Buchmann Obsidian Legal
(South Africa) Hill Dickinson Commodities
Stuart Shepherd Ince & Co RPC International Trade
Litigation
17. Mergers/Office Openings
Bath-headquartered Withy King and London-based Royds, have joined forces. The merger has
created a national firm, Royds Withy King, with a turnover in excess of £30m, and took effect on
1st September 2016.
Kennedys will be merging with marine boutique Waltons & Morse on 1st November 2016. The
tie-up will increase Kennedy’s London headcount by 28 lawyers, including 5 partners.
Curtis Davis Garrard and Haynes and Boone, LLP merged on 1st September 2016. The trans-
Atlantic firm now numbers over 600 lawyers, and in London is known as Haynes and Boone CDG.
Matt Hannaford, Justin Turner, Owen McHugh and Keith Krut have left Curtis Davis Garrard to
establish a new law firm, Hannaford Turner, specialising in maritime law.