Baker McKenzie capital markets head Edward Bibko has left the firm to join Jeffries Bank as EMEA head of investment banks, legal, The Lawyer can reveal.
Jeffries is understood to be a longstanding client for Bakers. Through this move, Bibko will join the wider investment bank’s EMEA legal team.
Bibko was at Bakers for over 17 years and joined from Kirkland & Ellis in 2000, where he was a senior associate. He was named capital markets heads in 2011 and served two terms in the role. He stepped down in June of this year, and has been replaced by London-based partner Adam Farlow.
A Bakers spokesperson said: “We are delighted to confirm that Adam Farlow was appointed the Head of the EMEA Capital Markets Group, effective 1 July. He took over from Edward Bibko whose second term as Head of the EMEA Group ended on 30 June.
“We have valued Edward’s expertise and leadership throughout his time at Baker McKenzie and wish him well with the next phase of his career.”
Meanwhile, Farlow is currently executing the strategy that the capital markets practice had developed under Bibko’s leadership.
“Historically it’s fair to say that we were viewed in the cap markets arena as much more focused on emerging markets and issuer side work,” Farlow told The Lawyer. “We have been working over the last handful of years to maintain our emerging markets credentials which I am glad remain strong but also to focus on Western Europe, building our strength in London.”
Farlow points to Brussels, Stockholm and Italian capital markets seeing an uptick in work, which the firm hopes to replicate in London. The firm has 26 capital markets lawyers in London, and around 200 across the EMEA region.
“We are in the process of growing at the partner level and associate level,” he says. “In that context we have made some hires in the private equity and banking and finance team.”
Jefferies declined to comment.
