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
Private Equity Akin Gump Strauss Igor Krivoshekov Dentons Corporate Hauer & Feld Energy
Linda Crow Faegre Baker Daniels Duane Morris Corporate
Paul Finlan Faegre Baker Daniels Duane Morris Corporate
Corporate Matthew Doughty Squire Patton Boggs DWF Equity Capital Markets
Gibson Dunn & James Howe Proskauer Rose Private Equity Crutcher
Michael Bennett Kerman & Co Hill Dickinson Equity Capital Markets
Macfarlanes Gabriel Boghossian King & Wood Mallesons Private Equity (Senior Associate)
Stuart Bedford Linklaters LeapFrog Investments Private Equity
Stuart Boyd Linklaters Kirkland & Ellis Private Equity
Reed Smith James West Mayer Brown Private Equity (Associate)
McDermott Will & Corporate Hamid Yunis Taylor Wessing Emery Healthcare
McDermott Will & Michael Holter WilmerHale Corporate Emery
Ian Binnie Hamlins Michelmores Corporate
Freshfields Bruckhaus Mark Rawlinson Morgan Stanley Corporate Deringer
Nick Sayers Fox Williams Payne Hicks Beach Corporate
Eleanor Shanks Dentons Proskauer Rose Private Equity
Daniel Winterfeldt CMS Cameron McKenna Reed Smith US Securities
Shoosmiths Amit Nayyar Hogan Lovells Private Equity (Milton Keynes)
Corporate Duncan McDonald Olswang Taylor Wessing Private Equity
Freshfields Bruckhaus Richard Jones Deringer White & Case Private Equity (Senior Associate)
2. Finance
Name From To Discipline
Robert Andrews King & Wood Mallesons Ashurst Fund Finance
Allen & Overy Jim Bell Bird & Bird Aviation Finance (Associate)
Norton Rose Fulbright Charlie Reid Bond Dickinson Finance (Senior Associate)
Finance Cadwalader, Jeremy Cross King & Wood Mallesons Fund Finance Wickersham & Taft Real Estate Finance
Philip Butler DLA Piper Dechert Finance
David Miles DLA Piper Dechert Finance
Clifford Chance Martin Sharkey Dentons Structured Finance (Senior Associate)
Holman Fenwick Willan Ship Finance Spencer Gold Ince & Co (Senior Associate) Trade Finance
Mayank Gupta Mayer Brown K&L Gates Finance
Debt Capital Markets Shearman & Sterling Barry Cosgrave K&L Gates Islamic Finance (Senior Associate) Distressed Debt
Stephen Kensell Allen & Overy Latham & Watkins Finance
Sanjev Warna-kula- Slaughter and May Latham & Watkins Structured Finance suriya
Allen & Overy Finance James Taylor Paul Hastings (Counsel) 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
Ex-Milbank, Tweed, Laetitia Costa PwC Legal Finance Hadley & McCloy
Freshfields Bruckhaus Sebastian FitzGerald Deringer Willkie Farr & Gallagher Finance (Senior Associate)
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
Investment Funds Jonathan Cantor Nabarro Dentons Real Estate Funds
Macquarie Infrastructure Thomas Laverty Kirkland & Ellis Investment Funds and Real Assets
Financial Services Rob Moulton Ashurst Latham & Watkins Regulatory
Financial Services Nicola Higgs Ashurst Latham & Watkins Regulatory
Saloni Joshi SJ Advisers MJ Hudson Investment Funds
Oliver Rochman Proskauer Rose Morrison & Foerster Investment Funds
Eversheds Financial Services Douglas Cherry Reed Smith (Principal Associate) Litigation
Herbert Smith Freehills Financial Services Henrietta de Salis Willkie Farr & Gallagher (Consultant) 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
Macfarlanes Jenny Sargeant Fladgate Real Estate (Senior Associate)
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
RPC Adam Chamberlain Shoosmiths Real Estate Finance (Senior Associate)
Hogan Lovells Ed John Shoosmiths Property Litigation (Senior Associate)
Deian Rhys Goldman Sachs Simmons & Simmons Real Estate
Simons Muirhead & Mark Levine Hamlins Real Estate Burton
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Real Estate Private Robert Porter Reed Smith Meagher & Flom Equity (Counsel)
Freshfields Bruckhaus Jeffrey Rubinoff White & Case Real Estate Finance Deringer
Mount Anvil Alan Duncan Winckworth Sherwood Real Estate (General Counsel)
6. Planning/Environmental
Name From To Discipline
Martha Grekos Irwin Mitchell Howard Kennedy Planning
Angus Evers King & Wood Mallesons Shoosmiths Environment
Charles Russell Tim Johnson Shoosmiths Planning Speechlys
7. Construction
Name From To Discipline
Jessica Taylor Clarke Willmott Ashfords Construction
Carl Asser Payne Hicks Beach Howard Kennedy Construction
Matthew Needham- Katten Muchin Construction Stevens & Bolton Laing Rosenman Construction Litigation
Joanne Kelly Taylor Wessing Memery Crystal Construction
Quinn Emanuel James Bremen Herbert Smith Freehills Construction Litigation Urquhart & Sullivan
8. Project Finance/Projects/Energy
Name From To Discipline
Charles Russell Matthew Newing Addleshaw Goddard Projects Speechlys
Morgan, Lewis & Anna Nerush Bockius Addleshaw Goddard Oil & Gas (Associate)
Ashurst Andrew Fraiser Allen & Overy Infrastructure (New York)
Norton Rose Fulbright Clean Energy Mark Dennison Eversheds (Of Counsel) Infrastructure Finance
Norton Rose Fulbright Clean Energy Conrad Purcell Eversheds (Senior Associate) Infrastructure Finance
Nuno Frota Trafigura Ince & Co Oil & Gas
Kevin Atkins Chadbourne & Parke Locke Lord Oil & Gas
White & Case Paul Griffin Allen & Overy Oil & Gas (Senior Adviser)
9. Commercial Litigation/International Arbitration/Corporate Crime
Name From To Discipline
King & Spalding International Arbitration Sarah Vasani Addleshaw Goddard (Counsel) Energy Litigation
Jonathan Fisher QC Devereux Chambers Bright Line Law White Collar Crime
Cadwalader, Commercial Litigation Steven Baker Bird & Bird Wickersham & Taft International Arbitration
Irina Tymczyszyn Bryan Cave Chadbourne & Parke International Arbitration
Greg Lascelles King & Wood Mallesons Covington & Burling Banking Litigation
Eversheds Freshfields Bruckhaus Will Thomas International Arbitration (Paris) Deringer
Christopher Braithwaite Jones Day Humphries Kerstetter Commercial Litigation
US Department of Jason Masimore Justice Kobre & Kim White Collar Crime (New York)
Sophie Lamb Debevoise & Plimpton Latham & Watkins International Arbitration
Stuart Alford QC Serious Fraud Office Latham & Watkins Fraud
Clifford Chance Banking Litigation Richard Boynton Kirkland & Ellis (Senior Associate) Commercial Litigation
Commercial Litigation Paul Stothard King & Wood Mallesons Norton Rose Fulbright International Arbitration
Quinn Emanuel Robert Amaee Covington & Burling White Collar Crime Urquhart & Sullivan
Anil Rajani Fladgate RadcliffesLeBrasseur White Collar Crime
International Arbitration Stuart Dutson Eversheds Simmons & Simmons Commercial Litigation
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Elizabeth Robertson K&L Gates White Collar Crime Meagher & Flom
Philip Rubens Cooke Young & Keidan Teacher Stern Banking Litigation
Akin Gump Strauss Michael Stepek Hauer & Feld Winston & Strawn International Arbitration (Geneva)
10. Insurance/Reinsurance
Name From To Discipline
Carys Oatham DWF BLM Product Liability
Rob Ireland Kennedys Clyde & Co Aviation Insurance
Clifford Chance Hugo Laing Eversheds Corporate Insurance (Senior Associate)
Insurance & Helen Franzese Goldberg Segalla Foran Glennon Reinsurance Litigation
Tanguy Le Gouellec de Insurance & Goldberg Segalla Foran Glennon Schwarz Reinsurance Litigation
Insurance & Christopher Foster Herbert Smith Freehills Holman Fenwick Willan Reinsurance Litigation
Insurance & Adam Strong Gowling WLG Holman Fenwick Willan Reinsurance Litigation
Insurance & Mark Pring Addleshaw Goddard Reed Smith 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
James Ware Schoenfeld Sacha Schoenfeld Fox Williams Immigration Stephenson
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
RPC Anna Cook Bristows IT Litigation (Consultant)
James Earl Pinsent Masons Fladgate Sports
Andy Korman Couchmans Harbottle & Lewis Sports
K&L Gates Judith Rinearson Bryan Cave Fintech (New York/London)
McDermott Will & Gary Howes Fasken Martineau Lifesciences Emery
Sam De Silva Penningtons Manches Nabarro Technology
Orrick Herrington & James Drury-Smith Sutcliffe PwC Legal Data Protection (Of Counsel)
Charles Russell Jonathan Radcliffe Reed Smith IP Litigation Speechlys
Pillsbury Winthrop James Tumbridge Venner Shipley IP Litigation Shaw Pittman
Pillsbury Winthrop Paul Harris Venner Shipley IP Shaw Pittman
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
RPC Competition Andrew Maxwell Freeths (Senior Associate) Competition Litigation
Linklaters Sally Southwell Kirkland & Ellis Competition (Managing Associate)
Jones Day Competition Francesco Liberatore Squire Patton Boggs (Associate) Telecoms
14. Private Client/Family/Charity
Name From To Discipline
Jo Coleman IBB Solicitors Bond Dickinson Charity
Charles Russell Shona Alexander Forsters Family Speechlys
Jim Sawer Thrings Kingsley Napley Private Client
Conyers Dill & Pearman Raymond Davern Maples and Calder Private Client (Cayman Islands)
McDermott Will & Simon Goldring Trowers & Hamlins Private Client Emery
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
Ex-Berwin Leighton Gary Richards Mishcon de Reya Tax Paisner
Michael Wistow Berwin Leighton Paisner White & Case Tax
16. Commodities/International Trade
Name From To Discipline
Trade Finance Robert Parson Reed Smith Clyde & Co Commodities
Hogan Lovells Commodities Patric McGonigal Hill Dickinson (Tokyo) International Arbitration
Obsidian Legal Andrew Buchmann Hill Dickinson Commodities (South Africa)
International Trade Stuart Shepherd Ince & Co RPC 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.