Former Freshfields partner joins Reed Smith to elevate finance offering

Finance partner Rex Rosales is set to join Reed Smith Richards Butler after announcing his departure from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer two weeks ago.

Rosales is to play a role in expanding Reed Smith's asset finance and securitisation team, according to head of finance Nola Beirne.

Beirne said the team, which consists of 19 finance partners, focuses on asset finance, while Rosales' work is geared more towards capital markets, with advice being given on the issue of bonds, for example. "That will be a change in orientation for our practice," she added.

Rosales, who spent six years as a partner at Freshfields, is also qualified as a barrister and solicitor in Quebec and is expected to bring some Canadian clients to the firm.

"There's one particular Canadian restructuring he'll be working on," Beirne added.

UK managing partner Tim Foster said Rosales will fit well within the team as his work has included the financing of aircraft, ships and trains, and that the firm's asset finance practice is well known for its work in the shipping sector.