London financial services partner Charlotte Stalin - who specialises in UK and European regulatory matters - is to take up the reign of financial institutions, while partner Alexandre Regniault will head up life sciences. The two will officially take the helm at their respective groups at the start of May for a three-year term. Ms Stalin, who joined the firm as a partner in 2006 from Clifford Chance, succeeds City banking partner Jonathan Hammond as head of financial institutions who will continue to head up the firm’s financial markets practice and chair the firm’s innovation group. Mr Regniault, who joined the firm in 2002, succeeds Jacques-Antoine Robert. His focus is on arbitration, litigation and dispute resolution for pharma, medical devices and biotech companies.

Strategy

Managing partner Jeremy Hoyland said: ‘The firm’s sector strategy lies at the heart of our business: by focusing on a small number of key sectors, we seek to deliver the best possible service to clients working within those industries.’ Ms Stalin added: ‘Simmons is embedded in the international financial and regulatory community and committed to innovation, and I look forward to building on Jonathan’s work in the sector. In particular, I welcome the opportunities we will have to continue evolving our services in order to meet our clients’ business requirements with tailored, commercial and cost-effective advice.’