Freshfields corporate partner lands at White & Case
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer corporate partner David Crook has resurfaced at US firm White & Case following a year-long break from fee-earning.
Crook is the third lateral hire for White & Case’s London office this week following its raid on Mayer Brown for banking partners Jacqueline Evans and Lee Cullinane (15 December 2010).
London executive partner Oliver Brettle said: “We’re in the business of offering clients top legal talent, coupled with global reach, and we have a clear focus on developing the excellent global pool of lawyers we already have, as well as attracting high-calibre partners that fit with the needs of our clients and the international work and culture of the firm.”
Crook has been a partner at Freshfields for 10 years and specialised in domestic and cross-border M&A deals, particularly in the energy, oil and gas and chemicals sectors.
All three of this week’s new hires have got magic circle pedigree, with Evans and Cullinane joining Mayer Brown last year from, respectively, Allen & Overy and Clifford Chance following restructurings at both firms.
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Readers' comments (20)
The Beast | 16-Dec-2010 4:14 pm
...and joy was unconfined among W&C corporate associates
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Lucy | 16-Dec-2010 4:31 pm
Here here Beast. This is the partner at the centre of the highly publicised incident at Freshfields last year. A year long 'break from fee earning'... That's diplomatic Gavriel. It doesn't say much for the 'culture' of W&C if he fits it so perfectly.
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Luke | 16-Dec-2010 4:45 pm
very odd decision from white and case
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Anonymous | 16-Dec-2010 5:14 pm
and the redundancies won't be far around the corner
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Anonymous | 16-Dec-2010 8:23 pm
Doesn't White & Case have a risk management department?
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Opened mouthed | 16-Dec-2010 8:34 pm
Maybe White and Case have hired him instead of implementing a redundancy plan. He will be excellent for associate attrition, if there are any associates still standing after they let him loose.
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Anonymous | 16-Dec-2010 10:27 pm
They will be dancing in the corridors of 65 Fleet Street to see the least popular partner in the firm's illustrious history finally sling his hook.
Hopefully the associates at W&C demand a full and frank explanation of exactly why Crook has been absent from Freshfields for a whole year before making his move...
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Anonymous | 17-Dec-2010 10:12 am
What is this "incident"? It sounds intriguing, to say the least!
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Curious | 17-Dec-2010 10:13 am
So, stop beating around the bush, what did this guy do that is so obviously bad? (You can leave out the names - just give us the gist - I hate it when anons post teasers like this.)
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Anonymous | 17-Dec-2010 10:13 am
Why was he unpopular, and why did he have a year off?
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