BLP picks up Norton Rose corporate star Stanier
Norton Rose corporate specialist Julian Stanier has quit the firm to join Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) as a partner.
Julian Stanier
Stanier is set to move to BLP on 5 November, becoming the latest in a line of big-name corporate partners to join the UK firm this year.
He joined Norton Rose in 1994 and made partner in 2004, specialising in M&A and equity capital markets. He was one of The Lawyer’s Hot 100 lawyers in 2007.
He advised one of the bidders for banking software company Misys earlier this year (6 March 2012) and acts for a number of the firm’s key corporate clients.
The move follows BLP’s hire of senior Linklaters corporate partner David Barnes earlier this year (27 February 2012), followed by the recruitment of veteran Allen & Overy corporate specialist Alan Paul (24 April 2012).
BLP corporate finance head David Collins said in a statement: “Julian will be a valuable addition to the corporate finance team. His wealth of transactional experience will reinforce our leading reputation in the corporate mid-market, whilst supporting our on-going efforts to secure greater market share of deals at the higher end. We expect him to play an important role in building our portfolio of clients and referrers of business, particularly with financial institutions.”
Stanier added: “The firm’s on-going investment in its corporate practice is impressive, and I welcome the opportunity to work with the team to help realise its ambitious growth plans for high value, international ECM and M&A work.”
Stanier’s exit from Norton Rose follows the departures of a number of London partners in the past year, with corporate partner Simon Cox joining McGuire Woods (2 February 2012), litigator Antony Dutton leaving for Dechert (5 January 2012) and corporate specialist Anthony Riley moving to Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe (25 November 2011).
A Norton Rose spokesperson said in a statement: “We can confirm Julian is retiring from the practice. We wish him all the very best for his future career. Our corporate practice in the UK remains strong, with around 150 lawyers and more than 40 partners.”
For more on BLP’s corporate expansion, see City analysis
Readers' comments (4)
Mitt Gekko | 3-Sep-2012 4:27 pm
Just following the money, about 30% more money at BLP for the same work at Norton Rose. £200,000-plus extra a year for doing exactly the same job, it's a no brainer.
NR may be big, but its PEP is woeful compared to its peers. Something for Peter Martyr to ponder on.... perhaps?
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Anonymous | 4-Sep-2012 9:47 am
NR also has a reputation for being a nice place to work and for treating its associates well. This is something which is attractive to graduates/trainees/associates so as far as getting the best of the next generation is concerned, NR is way ahead of other firms.
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Ex Norton Rose | 4-Sep-2012 11:05 am
Great to recruit the next generation, but in terms of existing NR corporate partners, Julian was the next generation. The fact that NR couldn't keep someone as talented as Julian who (unlike the others mentioned in the article) has spent all of his professional career at NR should be worrying for the firm, and sends out the message to juniors that NR corporate finance is merely a stepping stone to better things elsewhere.
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Anonymous | 10-Sep-2012 1:07 pm
"Star"? Even Mr Stanier might agree that his description as a corporate finance star is born out of, well, perhaps the fevered imagination of BLP's marketing people? Or has the Lawyer some information on the size, value and complexity of Mr Stanier's deals that the rest of the legal world is unaware of? Pray do tell what it takes to be a "star" in corporate finance for the Lawyer. On the apparent basis used, there are likely to be so many twinkling constellations of corporate lawyers out there, that Brian Cox will be showing up in the City with a telescope.
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