A&O elects new US boss

Allen & Overy's (A&O) New York office has elected a new managing partner and gained another member on the firm's global partnership board.

Kevin O'Shea will replace Michael Feldberg and Ian Shrank. Dan Cunningham will continue in his current role as senior partner.

New York capital markets partner and head of A&O's Latin American practice Cathleen McLaughlin, will join the global partnership board for two years.

O'Shea and Cunningham's terms will begin on 1 May and run for three years.

O'Shea is the current head of the US real estate group and specialises in real estate finance and structured finance. He joined A&O from Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker in 2002.

A&O's New York office currently numbers more than 160 lawyers and advised pharmaceutical company Novartis on its $39bn (£19.5bn) acquisition of Nestle's eye care company Alcon (as reported on www.thelawyer.com 8 April). In 2007 A&O's New York office also scooped a place on GE's panel.

The only partnership promotion in A&O New York was banking lawyer Daniel Guyder (as reported on www.thelawyer.com 7 April).