A&O partners vote in CC’s Porter

Allen & Overy (A&O) partners have voted in favour of taking on Clifford Chance’s head of real estate funds and investment banking (Refib), Robert Porter.

As first revealed by The Lawyer on 1 March, A&O partners were voting on Porter’s hire over the course of last week. The vote has now been completed and Porter has handed his resignation in to Clifford Chance.

A start date for Porter is still being negotiated, although it is understood that the likelihood is he will be able to join A&O within the next few weeks.

Porter joined Clifford Chance from CMS Cameron McKenna with fellow partner Arthur Dyson in 2000.

Porter was appointed to head up the Refib group when it was launched a year ago in an attempt to bridge the private equity and property practices. He specialises in the establishment of real estate funds, direct and indirect investments, equity financings and joint ventures.

Porter and Dyson advised Nomura Principle Finance Group (now Terra Firma Capital Partners) on the £1.9bn acquisition of Le Meridian Hotels in 2002.