A&O Shearman has rehired M&A lawyer George Knighton from Skadden to bolster its dealmaking capabilities in London.
Knighton was previously a partner at legacy Allen & Overy, until 2019 when he departed for Skadden where most recently he was co-head of its UK corporate practice. Knighton returns with almost 30 years of M&A experience under his belt, advising corporate, private capital and financial institution clients on public and private transactions, joint ventures, board advisory mandates, restructurings and corporate governance.
David Broadley, global co-head of M&A at A&O Shearman, said: “Continued investment in our M&A bench strength is a strategic priority for the firm and bringing George, one of the top dealmakers in the market, back to the firm underscores our elite M&A offering in the UK.”
Broadley added: “George’s expertise and proven track record across core products key to the M&A market, paired with his strong client relationships, will enhance our offering. He has deep experience advising key clients and the breadth of his relationships across the UK and the larger international market is extensive.”
Knighton originally joined A&O in 1997 as a trainee, becoming a partner in 2008 before his departure to Skadden just under six years ago.
Knighton’s arrival is the latest in a series of lateral hires in London since the merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling went live a year ago. Notable hires include private equity duo Dan Graham and Paul Dunbar, who joined in October from Sidley Austin. Debt finance lawyers Parisa Clovis and Filippo Crosara also joined in July and September from Kirkland & Ellis and Barclays respectively.
To be sure, there have also been moves in the other direction, with A&O Shearman this month losing a partner in Asia to Reed Smith, a tax partner in London to BCLP, two partners in New York to Sidley and Hong Kong partner Matthew Hodgson to Linklaters in London.
Meanwhile, other firms have been beefing up their M&A benches amid a resurgence in global dealmaking in the opening quarter of the year. In March, Paul Hastings hired Eric Schiele from Kirkland as co-chair of its global M&A practice in New York. And in February, Freshfields added M&A partner Matthew Goulding from Latham & Watkins to launch in Boston.
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