King & Spalding has bolstered its French arbitration team with the hire of Quinn Emanuel’s former Paris managing partner, Thomas Voisin.
The appointment comes amid a brisk period of investment in the firm’s global disputes practice including the hire of a prominent international arbitration team from WilmerHale, led by veteran partner Gary Born.
Voisin advises clients from Europe and other international markets on commercial, construction and investment treaty disputes, with a particular focus on matters governed by French law and other civil law systems.
He leaves Quinn Emanuel after 13 years, nine of which were as Paris managing partner, having previously been an associate at legacy Shearman & Sterling for five years.
He has acted in more than 100 arbitrations conducted under rules including the ICC, ICSID, LCIA, and UNCITRAL, as well as in ad hoc proceedings. His experience spans sectors including oil and gas, power, construction, transportation, mining and aviation, primarily involving projects in Europe and North Africa.
Robert Hays, chairman of King & Spalding, said: “Thomas is an outstanding lawyer whose addition further strengthens our market-leading international disputes practice and underscores our commitment to be the pre-eminent law firm globally for the most sophisticated, complex and high-stakes litigation and arbitration.”
The hire strengthens the firm's Paris platform, in the home of the International Chamber of Commerce’s Court of Arbitration, one of the leading centres for international arbitration globally.
Elizabeth Silbert, co-head of international disputes, said: “Thomas is a leading disputes lawyer with a French and civil law-centred practice, whose experience and market reputation complement our European and wider practice.”
She added that Paris remains “a global arbitration and disputes hub” and described Voisin as playing “a major part in our ongoing expansion”, reflecting recent hires spanning the UK, US, and Asia.
The firm’s arbitration build-out has seen it hire eight partners from WilmerHale over the summer across London, New York and Washington DC, with Born taking up the role of co-head of arbitration alongside Silbert.
Voisin said: “King & Spalding's trajectory, culture and reputation made this an easy decision. With the firm's existing line-up of leading arbitration and litigation lawyers and its exceptional recent additions, I am joining a practice positioned to be the leading force in international disputes.”
Quinn Emanuel, meanwhile, appointed Isabelle Michou as the new Paris managing partner following Voisin’s departure in August.
Michou, who joined from legacy Herbert Smith Freehills in 2016 after spending 18 years there, said: “I look forward to contributing actively to expand our global arbitration practice.”
A spokesperson for Quinn Emanuel added: “We wish Thomas the best.”
Signature hire
This week has also seen Signature Litigation boost its Paris team, with the hire of white-collar specialist Vincent Desry, who joins as a partner from Cohen & Gresser’s Paris office, where he spent two years.
The dual-qualified US and French criminal law specialist represented former President Nicolas Sarkozy in the so-called “Bygmalion” case, which concerned Sarkozy’s 2012 presidential re-election campaign. He joins together with two associates, Alix Crocheton and Alix Meslier de Rocan.
Thomas Rouhette, Signature’s managing partner, said the arrival added “real weight” to Signature's dispute capability, following the launch of a London corporate crime team last year, while Mark Beardsworth, who leads that practice, said: “Vincent's arrival in Paris is a significant step towards that, establishing on-the-ground capability in France and adding real depth to the team as we continue to grow the cross-border practice."
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