Linklaters’ Eastern European spin-off firm Kinstellar has expanded its Romania practice by hiring a former Linklaters lawyer.
Bogdan Bibicu, who was a banking associate in Linklaters’ London office between 2005 and 2006, joins as a partner and head of banking and finance in Bucharest.
Immediately prior to taking the post at Kinstellar, Bibicu was a partner at local firm Bulboaca & Asociatii.
The move doubles the number of Kinstellar partners working in Romania – Bibicu will work under Bucharest managing partner Daniel Torsher.
The firm has also recruited Costea Jalba Popa & Asociatii partner Razvan Popa as counsel in its corporate practice. Popa has also worked as an in-house lawyer with Bucharest-based Alpha Finance.
Kinstellar managing partner Jason Mogg said he had been impressed with Bibicu when the two had worked together at Linklaters.
He added: “Romania’s going through a bit of a rough patch but it’s a good market. The work we’ve been doing in the country is M&A, energy, restructuring and insolvency, and finance.”
Kinstellar, which also has offices in Bratislava, Budapest and Prague, was launched by former Linklaters CEE managing partner Mogg in November last year. The move followed the magic circle firm’s decision to scrap its practice in the region.