Europe
Bedell Cristin has boostered its pan-Channel litigation team with two recruits. Rupert Morris joins the firm’s Guernsey office from Ogier whilst Paul Lewis, a barrister, is heading for the Jersey operation. The appointments will enhance the firm’s litigation offering from private client and commercial dispute work to fraud, asset tracking, regulation, compliance and company insolvency matters. Bedell Cristin’s head of litigation, Anthony Robinson, said that the firm had seen ‘ a rapid increase in the demand for high quality, specialist litigation support, which is driving the expansion of our pan-Channel Island litigation team.’
UK
Pinsent Mason head of financial services regulation Tim Dolan has departed for SJ Berwin where he will join the City financial markets practice. Mr Dolan had previously worked for SJ Berwin as well as the Financial Services Authority, says Legal Week. Meanwhile Pinsents has picked up ex-Simmons & Simmons partner and Postcomm legal director Jenny Block to join its EU and competition practice. It has also added tax specialist Darren Mellor-Clark who joins from KPMG. Legal Week reports that Mr Mellor-Clarke will become a non-lawyer partner and will become head of indirect tax advisor.
London firm RPC has hired partner Anthony Shatz from SJ Berwin. Mr Shatz specialises in corporate transactional work with a particular focus on the real estate sector and he has worked extensively for funds, including listed and unlisted real estate funds. Clients have included Heron, Melford, Delancey, Axa and British Land with whom he has acted on a range of matters from private and public mergers and acquisitions wok, IP0s and investment fundraisings. The corporate team grew its revenues by 20 per cent last year and envisages similar growth this year. RPC corporate head Tim Andersen said in a statement: ‘Our corporate team is having a fantastic run at the moment. We’re doing interesting work for exciting clients..’
Oceana
Ashurst’s head of Asia Geoffrey Green is to retire from the firm when it completes its merger with Blake Dawson. He will step down from the partnership but work for the firm on a part-time consultancy basis, Legal Week reports. His position as head of Asia will be taken by partner Matthew Bubb whom he will continue to help as well as working on the integration of the two firms. According to the Lawyer magazine, Ashursts tripled revenues during his leadership period and its international coverage with new offices in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the US. As part of his consultancy, he will oversee integration of the merger for the firm which will be known as Ashurst Australia.
Norton Rose is growing its corporate team in Australia with the arrival of three Corrs Chambers Westgarth lawyers in Sydney. Richard Lewis, Iain Laughland and Steve Johns joins Norton Rose as corporate partners. Mr Lewis was previously head of Corrs’ corporate advisory practice and advises private equity funds, pension funds and a wide range of domestic and foreign companies on investments and divestments.
Asia
Japanese law firm Mori Hamada & Matsumoto has strengthened its Singapore office with the arrival of US law firm Morrison & Foerster corporate and finance lawyer Tony Grundy who will join as a senior of counsel. Asian Legal Business reports that the firm has also snapped up the chairman of the Japan Fair Trade Commmission Kazuhiko Takeshima who joins the Tokyo office as an adviser.
US
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has a new chairman. William Dougherty takes over the reins from Philip Ruegger who was chairman for the last nine years and who will retire later this year. According to Bloomberg, Mr Dougherty said the firm would continue in the same direction with a focus on cross-border litigation in Asia, the California technology practice and the Houston energy practice.
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