The Transfer Window: hires for Linklaters, Allen & Overy and Mishcon de Reya

Linklaters has continued to strengthen its US operations with the hire of bankruptcy partner Amy Edgy from Jones Day in Washington DC. She is the firm’s first DC bankruptcy practitioner and takes the firm’s partner headcount in the city to six. The firm’s US head Tom Shropshire said: “Amy’s credentials, experience and understanding of this space will further enhance our capacity to advise clients in high-value cross-border restructuring matters.” DLA Piper’s current interim co-chair Janet Legrand (pictured) has been appointed as an honorary Queen's Counsel, the only solicitor among the seven appointed this year. She was described by the Ministry of Justice as a pioneer in promoting social mobility and enhancing the role of women within the law. She was the firm's senior partner and chair from 2009 to 2012 and was re-appointed to the role on an interim basis late last year, following the resignation of the incumbent Juan Picon. Meanwhile, DLA Piper co-CEO Simon Levine has been appointed to the board of the Government’s new university regulator, the Office for Students (OFS). Speaking to Legal Week, Levine said: “I met the education minister Jo Johnson when he was seeking views on graduate recruitment and what recruiters such as big law firms like from graduates. He mentioned the formation of the OFS and I did some research, thought it looked interesting and decided to apply. “It is important for the rights of students and diversity and inclusion that major employers are represented,” he said. Others appointments to the new board include journalist Toby Young, Boots managing director Elizabeth Fagan and former group head of external affairs and sustainability at HSBC Katja Hall. Allen & Overy has boosted its Munich office with the appointment of private equity partner Dominik Stuehler from DLA Piper. Stuehler has a particular focus on national and cross-border private equity deals, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings and real estate transactions. His clients include Partners Group, EQT, Fortress, Summit Partners, Orlando Management, AIG, Sun Capital, Blackstone and Cathay Capital. Bird & Bird has appointed Thomas Hey as a partner in its Duesseldorf office. Employment lawyer Hey, who has a focus on individual and collective employment law, employment contract law and social security law, joins from Clifford Chance where he has been a partner since 2000. In 2013, he was made head of Clifford Chance’s German employment law practice. He acts for national and international companies in banking and financial services, life sciences, retail and consumer goods. Hey joins Bird & Bird alongside three employment-focused associates – Artur-Konrad Wypych, Leonie Isabelle Pfeufer and Hagen Sporleder – as well as a number of trainees and research assistants, also from Clifford Chance. Mishcon de Reya has hired contentious regulatory partner Guy Wilkes from Mayer Brown. Wilkes has a focus on financial services regulation including UK and cross-border enforcement actions and investigations. He was an associate at Allen & Overy before joining Osborne Clarke (OC) as a senior associate. He left OC for the Financial Conduct Authority in 2009, becoming head of the retail and regulatory enforcement department in 2014, before leaving the regulator in 2016 to join Mayer Brown as a partner. Pinsent Masons has hired an international arbitration partner to work in its London and Paris offices. Jean-Francois Le Gal joins from Brown Rudnick, where he was a partner. He previously worked for French firm Gide Loyrette Nouel and international firm Hogan Lovells. He is a solicitor advocate with full rights of audience before the Higher Courts of England & Wales and an Avocat au Barreau de Paris. Osborne Clarke has also strengthened its international arbitration practice, appointing Artem Doudko as a partner in its London office and head of Russia and CIS disputes. He joins from White & Case, where he was a counsel. He clients include states, corporations and high-net-worth individuals. PwC has appointed Marco Boldini as a director in its financial services regulatory practice. He joins from asset management firm ETF Securities, where he was European regulatory director. Head of legal services at PwC Ed Stacey said: "As we see the impact of regulation continue and Brexit negotiations gather momentum, his expertise will help us further develop our financial services practice and support for clients in the asset management sector." King & Spalding has hired World Trade Organisation (WTO) litigator Rambod Behboodi as a partner in its Geneva office. Behboodi has more than 20 years' experience working in a number of different litigation, diplomatic, legal advisory and policy and executive positions. He joins the firm’s international trade practice. The firm’s international trade chairman Steve Orava said: “WTO disputes have become an even more important consideration for clients in recent times as the dynamics and processes of global trade shift. Rambod’s skills and market standing expand our ability to advise clients on such disputes.” Hogan Lovells has hired insurance lawyer Christine Rodrigues from Norton Rose Fulbright in Johannesburg, where she was a director. She acts for insurance companies, brokers and industry bodies on corporate transactions and regulatory issues. Prior to joining Norton Rose, she handled compliance issues for a major insurer. Dentons Boekel has hired energy and infrastructure partner Jan Jakob Peelen from Norton Rose Fulbright. Peelen joins the firm in Amsterdam. He advises clients on major energy and infrastructure projects, such as the development of onshore and offshore wind farms, power plants and roads. K&L Gates Berlin employment partners Manteo Eisenlohr and Nicolas Roggel have joined specialist employment firm Altenburg. Eisenlohr joined K&L Gates as a partner in 2016, having previously worked at Greenberg Traurig and legacy Olswang. Roggel joined K&L Gates in 2012 from Linklaters and was appointed as a partner in 2013. Altenburg specialises in employment and labour law, and has offices in Berlin, Munich and Hamburg.