Unexpected delays hit White & Case’s hire of Weil banking head

White & Case’s hire of London banking partner Mark Donald appears to have hit delays caused by concerns regarding client conflict issues, according to people familiar with the matter.

News that Donald, who left his role as Weil's London head of banking at the end of last year, was to join rival US firm White & Case emerged in November.

But one person close to the situation said Donald's start date at White & Case had been delayed due to "client conflict issues".



White & Case declined to comment. Donald and Weil did not respond to requests for comment.

Typically, partners spend a few months on gardening leave before starting at their new operation on a set date.

At Weil, Donald had been responsible for the banking department and advised on deals such as BHS’s administration in 2016. He joined the firm from Hogan Lovells in 2012. There he had worked with clients including Credit Suisse, Lloyds Banking Group and Bank of Scotland. At the time of the financial crisis in 2008, he led a team at legacy firm Lovells advising on five financing deals for Bank of Scotland in the space of two months.

He took over as Weil’s London banking head in 2014, after former post-holder Stephen Lucas joined Kirkland & Ellis.

White & Case has a well-established banking practice, acting for the likes of Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley. The firm made 15 lateral hires, including Donald, in London in 2018 as part of its three-year global growth strategy.