CC kicks off US push with Pillsbury partner hire

Clifford Chance has underlined its commitment to its US practice with the addition of a finance and restructuring partner in Washington DC.

New York is to be the focus of this drive, but the firm has added former Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman partner Thomas Pax to its DC presence.

As reported by The Lawyer yesterday (23 July), the magic circle firm is relaunching its US practice in a bid to differentiate itself from its peers on a global scale.

Managing partner David Childs told The Lawyer last week (17 July): "The US is the biggest and most important legal market in the world. If we want to remain an international player we have to be successful in the US. The job isn't finished until we get the US much stronger."

Pax spent 14 years with Pillsbury, where he advised multinational financial institutions in regard to US banking and securities laws. His experience includes giving regulatory advice in a number of areas such as M&A, reorganisations, investments, licensing issues and internal investigations.

Evan Cohen, head of Clifford Chance’s US finance and restructuring group, said Pax's addition will add depth to the rapidly growing practice area.