Linklaters has landed a pair of senior New York litigators from Paul Weiss, in a move the firm described as a “milestone” for its US growth ambitions.
Christopher Boehning has joined as chair of Linklaters’ global sports and US strategic disputes practices after more than 30 years at Paul Weiss alongside Daniel Levi, who spent more than 25 years at his former firm and has joined as a partner in Linklaters’ 400-lawyer litigation, arbitration and investigations practice.
The duo bring commercial disputes expertise as well as a sports practice supporting clients such as FIFA in relation to the 2026 World Cup. Boehning has served as lead counsel to football’s governing body on various matters, including securing $201m in compensation from the US Department of Justice.
Linklaters’ senior partner, Aedamar Comiskey, said the duo’s hire represented “a further significant step” in the firm’s strategy to attract “top talent” in all its markets.
Their hire continues a growth push by Linklaters, which has seen it add highly regarded teams across M&A and finance as well as disputes.
Americas chairman George Casey, who joined at the helm of a six-partner M&A group in 2024 from legacy Shearman & Sterling, said Boehning and Levi’s arrival was “a clear signal of the scale of our ambition in the US”.
“They strengthen our offering at a time when clients are looking for elite capability across practices, and build on the momentum we have created,” he added.
Their arrival follows Linklaters hiring a four-partner trial team led by chair of the trial practice, Adeel Mangi, from New York litigation boutique Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler last year. In late 2024, it added an arbitration team from Paul Hastings in Washington DC led by Joseph Profaizer, who joined as global co-head of international arbitration, around the same time it hired a quartet of senior finance partners from A&O Shearman.
Linklaters said its US revenue had more than doubled and profit quadrupled compared to FY21, with Boehning and Levi taking its US practice to 55 partners, an increase of 77% since FY22.
Boehning represents clients in complex commercial and civil litigation, insurance-related disputes, regulatory enforcement and inquiries, internal investigations and international arbitration.
At Paul Weiss, he served as co-chair of the sports, international and insurance practices and chair of the international arbitration practice. Alongside his work in the sports sector, he has acted for clients spanning the financial, pharmaceutical, chemical and energy sectors.
Meanwhile, Levi handles litigation in areas including product liability, insurance litigation, M&A litigation and general commercial disputes.
His record spans all aspects of pretrial, trial and appellate work in state and federal courts, and numerous matters in international arbitration. He also handles civil and criminal regulatory matters and internal whistleblower investigations.
Their move comes as elite law firms boost their sports offerings amid growing private capital investment in the sector.
Earlier this week, Paul Hastings launched a dedicated global sports practice led by former Slaughter and May partner Mark Zerdin and other recent recruits, including funds partner Chidi Oteh from Ropes & Gray and former Baltimore Ravens general counsel Brandon Etheridge.
Simpson Thacher hired three sports partners in April, including new practice co-heads Michael Kuh, who joined from Hogan Lovells, and Eric Geffner, who arrived from Sidley Austin, while Paul Weiss launched its formalised sports practice late last year.
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