In and out

UK

Washington DC-headquartered Akin Gump enhanced its European hedge fund advice capability with the recruitment of Jon Hanifan, who will lead the team from London. Senior tax expert Mr Hanifan joins from London accountancy firm Ernst & Young, where he was a director in the hedge fund tax practice.

Magic circle firm Linklaters announced that leading competition lawyer Simon Pritchard has joined its London office as a partner. He is a former senior director of mergers at the UK's Office of Fair Trading and has previously advised clients on EU and US competition law in Brussels and Washington.

US

St Louis-based global law firm Bryan Cave elected Brian Recor to its partnership, bringing the firm-wide total to 424. Mr Recor is admitted in Paris and California. He defends companies in US class actions and other lawsuits brought by consumers alleging false advertising or unfair competition; he also represents companies in international business disputes.

Middle East

London-based law firm Clifford Chance boosted its Doha office with the appointment of Jason Mendens as a partner. Corporate specialist Mr Mendens moves from the magic circle firm’s Sydney office, where he advised public, private and government organisations over several areas, mainly concentrating on the energy and resources sector.

Europe

German law firm Luther appointed Stephan Bausch as a partner in its Dusseldorf litigation practice. Mr Bausch, who previously worked for Anglo-German giant Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Cologne and Frankfurt, is a banks and financial services litigation expert.

The Bucharest office of Vienna-based central and East European powerhouse Schoenherr kicked off February by promoting five lawyers to its partnership: property specialist Oana Alexandru, tax expert Simona Chirica, energy and infrastructure lawyer Monica Cojocaru, mergers and acquisitions specialist Madalina Neagu, and construction lawyer Silvia Popa.

London law firm Olswang has boosted its German corporate practice with the addition of Thomas Schubert from US-based firm Mayer Brown as a partner. Mr Schubert will focus on corporate law, restructuring and insolvency, building on his experience in the technology and renewable energy sectors.

Asia

Linklaters has snapped up corporate specialist William Kirschner as a partner at its Singapore office from New York firm White & Case. Asian Legal Business reports that Mr Kirschner focuses on mergers and acquisitions and has particular experience of the Indonesian market. His clients include private equity houses, corporates and investment banks.

Clifford Chance has confirmed it is relocating its London head of banking litigation, Matthew Newick, to Hong Kong to boost its Asia-Pacific disputes practice. ALB reports that Mr Newick has 25 years’ experience specialising in commercial dispute resolution, particularly in complex financial disputes and regulatory investigations.

Australasia

Technology expert Jim FitzSimons has moved across Sydney, leaving Clayton Utz for Truman Hoyle. While fellow Sydney firm Gilbert & Tobin has recruited finance and restructuring expert Simon Lynch as a partner. ALB also reports that Mr Lynch joins from Allens Linklaters, where he worked on several of the firm’s most significant deals, including the AU$2.3 billion financing of the Sydney desalinisation plant.

Offshore

Ogier has boosted its partnership with three promotions in its global litigation team, taking its overall partner count to 54. The promoted lawyers are: Mathew Newman in the firm’s Guernsey office, Rachael Reynolds in the Cayman Islands and Nick Williams in Jersey. The three add to three already announced appointments of Katrina Edge and Victoria Yates, who work within the business and trust law group in Jersey, and Paul Lawrence who leads Ogier’s fiduciary services real estate business.

Office openings

US top-100 law firm Jackson Lewis has planted a flag in Puerto Rico – its first office outside of continental America. The New York firm has bagged Sara Colón-Acevedo as a partner to head the office.