Freshfields and Simmons raid Weil Gotshal and Linklaters for Paris partners

Freshfields has appointed Weil Gotshal & Manges’ French head of finance, Emmanuel Ringeval, as a partner in its finance team. Ringeval will bring with him a team of associates although it is yet unclear how many will make the move to Freshfields.

Ringeval, who specialises in leveraged lending, will boost the links between Freshfields’ finance and private equity teams in France. His clients have included PAI Partners and CVC Capital Partners among others.

Freshfields’ Paris finance head Dougall Molson told The Lawyer that Ringeval’s hire would enable the firm to offer a true cross-product offering between the two teams.

Meanwhile Simmons & Simmons has turned to Linklaters for projects partner Simon Ratledge. Ratledge focuses on project financing and projects work in energy and infrastructure transactions in North Africa in particular.

Paris office head Thierry Gontard said Ratledge’s appointment was part of the firm’s commitment to developing its Africa practice as well as its energy and infrastructure group.