Top 30 UK firm Mishcon de Reya has reinforced its white collar and investigations practice with the addition of Alison Geary as a partner from WilmerHale in London. 

The move comes roughly two months after Mishcon’s white collar and investigations head, Jo Rickards, departed the firm for Greenberg Traurig alongside all five of the firm’s defence and business disputes partners ahead of its planned listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE). 

Geary spent nine years at WilmerHale, having joined as an associate from Taylor Wessing in 2012 and being promoted to counsel in 2017. She handles white collar and corporate crime matters on behalf of individuals and corporations concerning fraud, bribery, corruption, cartels, market abuse and money laundering. 

Throughout her career, Geary has also racked up considerable experience acting in investigations by UK and overseas investigators and prosecutors, including the UK Serious Fraud Office and Financial Conduct Authority and the US Department of Justice. 

“Ali’s appointment reinforces our first-rate white collar crime offering while continuing to strengthen our corporate crime and investigations expertise,” said Johanna Walsh, partner in Mishcon’s white collar crime and investigations group. 

Walsh described Geary as “an impressive practitioner” well-known for her “dynamism, ambition and breadth of expertise”, adding that the firm is “thrilled to welcome her to the team and has no doubt she will make a strong contribution from the start”. 

There has been a flurry of movement around Mishcon since its plans to list on the LSE gained traction in April when it brought in JP Morgan to advise on the matter. The firm confirmed in September that it was set to go public after the move was approved by at least three quarters of the firm’s partnership. 

Just days later, it emerged that Mishcon's head of international arbitration, Karel Daele, was to leave the firm after nine years for Taylor Wessing. His departure was followed shortly after by Rickards' and that of the quintet of fraud defense and business partners as well as competition partner Rob Murray and private client partner Madalina Dumitrscu. 

The firm has also made strategic expansion moves in the last few months, announcing a 'combination' with tech-focused legal and advisory business Taylor Vinters in September in a bid to extend its reach into the innovation economy and growing its presence in Asia through a tie-up with Hong Kong firm Karas.