Weekly Update - 3rd March 2025
Fides Search
Partner Search for Professional Services & In-House Legal, Co-Sec and Compliance, Financial Crime and Privacy Search
Moves:
UK & Ireland
Latham & Watkins have announced Sophie Goossens has joined the firm’s London office as a partner in the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Communications, and Copyright Practices, and member of the Technology Industry Group.
Paul Weiss has hired a partner from BCLP as the US law firm builds out its team in London. The firm have added tax specialist Kyle O’Sullivan to their ranks.
Ashurst, a worldwide law firm, has expanded its securitization offering by adding Tauhid Ijaz as a partner in the London global markets office. Tauhid, who has more than 20 years of experience in the securitization market, arrives from Hogan Lovells.
Clifford Chance, a worldwide law firm, is pleased to announce that Patrick Scott will be joining the London-based Private Capital division as a Partner. Patrick has been with KKR since 2019 and has a wealth of knowledge from his position as European Counsel.
In a bold move, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher hired two senior finance partners from London's Sullivan & Cromwell, a competitor firm in the United States. Presley Warner, a European credit and leveraged finance partner, and Chris Howard, the company's head of European restructuring, are both expected to join Gibson Dunn.
Stuart Rowson and Jessamy Gallagher, who co-led Linklaters' infrastructure practice until joining Paul Hastings two years ago, are back at the Magic Circle.
After a string of departures last year, Latham has now used lateral hiring for the third time this year to strengthen its services in the UK. After departing Akin in 2024, the new hire, Serena Lee, will contribute her experience to the firm's transactional tax and investment funds efforts.
A three-person team from Katten Muchin Rosenman joined Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe's London office recently, extending the firm's restructuring skills. Partner Praveen Reddy, who has been with Katten since 2020, is leading the recently hired team.
Alex McCarney formerly worked as a counsel in the private capital division of the US multinational law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP before joining the global law firm's London office.
After five and a half years as the London Office Managing Partner and head of the London Health Care group at McDermott Will & Emery, where he was a vital member of the team that greatly increased the office's headcount and revenue, Yunis will join the firm's corporate practice.
Gary Adair has joined the litigation and conflict resolution practice of Northern Ireland's Carson McDowell as a partner. With more than 17 years of experience in insolvency, restructuring, and debt recovery, Mr. Adair is an expert in banking litigation and secured recovery cases.
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APAC
Shinong Wang and Raymond Wong are no longer at Kirkland. This departure from Kirkland Hong Kong follows those of commercial litigation partner Paul Quinn, who joined Herbert Smith Freehills, and private equity and M&A partner Gary Li, who moved to PRC outfit Zhong Lun Law Firm.
Dixon Hearder had spent more than ten years working at Baker McKenzie.
Hong Kong’s largest law firm, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) Hong Kong, has expanded its Equity Capital Markets Practice with the addition of Kai Sun as a partner in Hong Kong SAR. Kai Sun has more than 15 years of experience in Hong Kong capital markets and mergers and acquisitions. Highly regarded by clients and industry peers alike, Kai represents both issuers and underwriters in initial public offerings, follow-on equity offerings and debt offerings.
Ming Kong and Dominic Sze who are capital markets attorneys are set to move to the firm.
Chris Milliken, a business specialist who previously served as counsel at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, has joined the Ho Chi Minh City branch of international legal firm Baker McKenzie as a partner. Milliken represents banks and private equity firms in Vietnam and other APAC nations with a corporate and finance practice that encompasses M&A, private equity, joint ventures, financing, and capital markets operations.
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EMEA
The expansion includes the hire of two dispute resolution lawyers and the promotion of a projects & construction lawyer.
Nabil Abou-Charaf will be joining from Morgan Lewis & Bockius.
Herbert Smith Freehills have added Spencer Naicker as their projects, energy and infrastructure director in their Johannesburg office.
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The Americas
Peter Hardy, a tax controversy and anti-money laundering specialist, has joined Holland & Knight's Philadelphia litigation group.
Garth Hire and Eric Boden, both former federal prosecutors, are joining the firm's trial units in San Francisco and New York, respectively.
Gibson Dunn, Zuckerman Spaeder, Lowenstein, Holland & Knight, Brownstein, McGuireWoods and Wiley all announced new hires in their D.C. and Baltimore offices, many of which are joining from the federal government.
Arriving with decades of government and internal telecom experience is Julie Kearney.
Amy Candido joins Simpson Thacher after more than three years as a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
Lisa H. Prezelski, a family law attorney from Bucks County, has joined the Williams Family Law team.
London, who spent 15 years at Lieff Cabraser, began working at Girard Sharp in San Francisco on Tuesday.
After hiring the former global lead for international disputes at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton in Washington earlier this week, the firm is now announcing the addition of a legacy Allen & Overy partner Thomas Allen from A&O Shearman in New York.
Seth Goldberg, a litigator and co-chair of the cannabis practice at his previous company, has been appointed by Pashman Stein to head the office at One Commerce Square.
Aidan McCormack and Mark Deckman joined Dentons' commercial litigation practice in New York.
Damien Diggs, who left his position as U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Texas last month, has joined Winston & Strawn. He will focus on enforcement and compliance cases as well as internal investigations.
Abby Parsons and Brent Ray, both patent trial attorneys, will be joining the Houston and Chicago offices, respectively.
Scott Cole, an Austin trial lawyer, left his solo practice to become the managing partner of Reichman Jorgensen Lehman & Feldberg's Austin office.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins was hired by the East Coast litigation company to start the new location.
Katherine Reilly has joined the white-collar and regulatory enforcement practice of Pryor Cashman as a partner. Her most recent position was Chief of the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office's Complex Frauds & Cybercrime Unit.
Sarah Gagan, a well-regarded IP and technology lawyer, has joined Paul Hastings as co-chair of the firm's recently established global technology transactions group.
In an effort to expand into the US market, Freshfields has recruited a senior private capital M&A partner from rival Latham & Watkins to open an office in Boston.
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In-House
Eunice Nakamura was the previous vice president of law for the company that owns the Motel 6 and Studio 6 Extended Stay franchises in the US and Canada.
During the last two years, Verma has served as the State Department's COO for the third time.
Jennifer Kaplan Schott became associate general counsel at Discover, where she worked for the majority of her in-house career.
Western Digital, a pioneer in Silicon Valley, split up on Monday. Additionally, Honeywell declared earlier this month that it would split into three businesses.
Joe Dansky, who declared his intention to leave last year, has been replaced as chief legal officer by Phillip Gillespie at Ascensus, a US financial services company. Gillespie was a senior lawyer at WilmerHale before joining.
In an effort to expand into the US market, Freshfields has recruited a senior private capital M&A partner from rival Latham & Watkins to open an office in Boston.
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Team Moves?????
In Florida, Taylor English Duma and Pierson Ferdinand also added business associates.
Willkie's new national security and cross-border litigation practice will be led by Lee Wolosky, who was previously co-chair of Jenner's litigation department.
In an effort to expand their business across the country, a group of Texas-based Greenberg Traurig private equity and M&A attorneys, led by Austin partner Kyle Fox, relocated to Perkins Coie in Austin and Dallas.
Three of the ten departees have joined private equity firms internally. David Eich, Kirkland's original Asian partner, also recently retired from the company.
In its most recent hiring round, Keystone Law hired eight partners from companies including Kirkland & Ellis and Memery Crystal as the firm focuses on hiring to spur expansion.
A five-partner team from FisherBroyles has been hired by Gunnercooke to launch an office in Chicago. This is the platform company's second location in the UK, following its 2022 opening in New York.
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Financials:
Profits per equity partner in both Northern and Southern California also greatly increased last year.
This feed is updated continuously. Thus, save it to your bookmarks, return often, and keep an eye out for the upcoming Am Law 100 and Second Hundred reports.
In an economic climate bewildered by advances in Gen AI, obstinate inflation, and uncertainty brought on by a new federal administration, law firm billing rates—which are currently at record-high levels—may be a bubble about to burst.
Profits per equity partner jumped 36% to nearly $4.8 million in the year before the company's 150th anniversary, while its top line rose 17% over the previous year.
As RPL and PEP rose in 2024 despite a drop in headcount, the company's profit margin dropped another point, and net income somewhat decreased.
"The bar is constantly getting higher and higher to become an equity partner at a law firm," one source said.
Following an appellate victory against plaintiff counsel with Morgan & Morgan in an automobile tort involving former NBA star Jordan Hill, defence counsel with Groth Makarenko Kaiser Eidex was able to secure an additional $17,000 in legal costs.
The firm's staff increased by over 24% to 1,250 lawyers after it invested "hundreds of millions" of dollars in its platform, according to firm chair Brad Karp.
PEP jumped 11.8% to $2.3 million, while net income increased 15% despite an increase in equity partners.
PE invested a total of ￡1.2 billion between 2019 and 2024.
After growing its foreign activities, Pérez-Llorca's global turnover soared by 33% in 2024, while Gómez-Acebo & Pombo's income surpassed €100 million in the previous year.
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Promotions & Appointments:
Friedrich Merz, an M&A lawyer, wants to establish a government as soon as possible, most likely with the Social Democrats.
According to its new managing partner, the company will keep concentrating on its AI investments and look for global expansion prospects.
Emily Monastiriotis, currently international head of dispute resolution, has been a partner at the firm since 2017. She also sits on the firm’s international executive committee and has previously served as UK head of dispute resolution.
law-firm network Multilaw have announced that they have added Icarus Legal as their member firm for Guinea.
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Diversity & Inclusion:
Having spent her whole life in Miami, Beatriz Azcuy has seen her coworkers leave as they pursued chances in larger markets. However, by staying in her hometown and embracing who she is, she has been able to play a significant role in Sidley Austin becoming one of the city's fastest-growing firms.
After all, a diversity-promoting advocacy group won't be holding John Deere accountable. The organization retracted its demand to shareholders for further personnel data "after a number of dialogues over several months with Deere & Co. staff on its intention to pursue strategic human capital management to maximize long-term growth."
According to Jeanine Conley Daves, head of diversity practice at Littler Mendelson, "leaders are looking for ways to balance legal risks with the value such programs provide to their workforces and company cultures."
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion differentiates itself from Affirmative Action. It does not pit people of one protected class against those of another.
By 2020, there were 20,505 solicitors who identified as ethnic minorities, up from just 709 in 1990. Supervisors who began their careers in the 1990s might require further assistance to make sure their strategy satisfies the demands of this swift demographic change.
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Office Openings & Closing:
A partner in the Galveston office represents marine clients, a busy profession because of the Port of Galveston.
Seth Goldberg, a litigator and co-chair of the cannabis practice at his previous company, has been appointed by Pashman Stein to head the office at One Commerce Square.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Jenkins was hired by the East Coast litigation company to start the new location.
Due to the attractiveness of the two nearby neighbourhoods, some legal offices are moving west as traffic and prices rise.
The accounting firm has stated that KPMG is "uniquely positioned to transform the delivery of legal services."
Within six years of relocating to San Francisco, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr has more than doubled its office footprint.
Clark Hill CEO John Hensien said that "not only did Atlanta get us into the Southeast, but it seems to have accelerated our ability to expand in that region as well."
The firm now has more offices in foreign locations than it has in Japan.
In an effort to reach the island's booming expat population and business community, the Indonesian law firm Murzal & Partners (MNP) has opened a new office in Bali.
This development, which permits more operational independence under the Kingdom's new regulatory framework, demonstrates Pinsent Masons' dedication to growth in the Middle East.?Ibrahim Alajaji, a former partner of Alsabhan & Alajaji, will become a Partner and Managing Partner of Pinsent Masons Saudi Arabia as part of this change.
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Mergers & Alliances:
With this change, the legal growth advising firm will be able to assist investors and legal tech firms.
The business plans to expand even further in 2025, in addition to hiring 24 new lawyers.
At least five partners from Morrison & Foerster, Mayer Brown, DLA Piper, and Ince & Co Hong Kong have been employed by CMS in Hong Kong since 2023.
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Technology & Innovation:
The new investment, spearheaded by Next47 Ventures, will enable the business to grow its workforce and range of products.
After a successful six-month trial, the law firm will grant access to the AI platform to all of its attorneys.
New workflows, enhancements to the argument builder feature, support for four new markets, and an update on the company's law firm AI co-development lab are also included in the winter 2025 release.
As previously mentioned in our analysis of this subject, practitioners in the corporate and legal sectors need to be aware of the various applications (and heritage) of structured and semi-structured data in their organizations in order to better comprehend the risks and possible guidelines associated with this changing information channel.
The money will be used by Jurimesh, a company based in Belgium, to improve its features, personnel, and market research.
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Market Commentary:
The post-pandemic shift from in-office work norms to a multistate remote employment environment is covered in this article. concentrating especially on the facts, concerns, and regulations that employers must abide with.
"Partners want to know how to continue. "How can we increase our revenue?" asked Kristin Stark, a consultant at Fairfax.
This essay explores how successful brand strategies drive public relations in legal firms.
Recent discussions with Latham's leading partners in New York, forty years after the firm's office debuted, provide light on the firm's approach there.
The difficulties businesses have in the lateral market and in establishing realistic expectations regarding ramp-up times and return on investment are highlighted by one case at White & Case involving a couple who command a combined annual total of at least $25 million.
Although there is a smaller pool of "bet-the-company" business available to higher-rate firms, those that undercut them on price need to be mindful of paying attorneys fairly.
According to Harvard Business School senior fellow Robert Kaplan, "the payoff from preparing for risks that may never materialize in the first place cannot be as easily explained to senior decision-makers as the more straightforward relationship between other corporate actions and return on investment."
The difficulties businesses have in the lateral market and in establishing realistic expectations regarding ramp-up times and return on investment are highlighted by one case at White & Case involving a couple who command a combined annual total of at least $25 million.
According to a recent Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) report, chief legal officers of European businesses are progressively extending their influence outside of the legal domain.
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is changing the rules of the game in European patent law—and attracting U.S. law firms that want to secure a place in this lucrative and highly competitive field.