Clifford Chance seals hire of Norton Rose's Diamond lawyer Drew

The major hire for the magic circle firm’s regulatory enforcement and white-collar crime group in London follows a push to increase its capacity in the area in Europe and the US.

The news also comes after a recent line of contentious partners have left Norton Rose’s City base ahead of the firm’s June merger with US outfit Fulbright & Jaworski, with Charles Evans joining Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy (30 October 2012), international arbitration head Joseph Tirado moving to Winston & Strawn and Steve Abraham quitting for Baker & McKenzie (28 September 2012).

Drew, who starts at Clifford Chance this summer, joined Norton Rose as an associate from Lovells in 2000 and made partner in May 2008. He was previously a barrister.

The solicitor-advocate specialises in the financial services sector and has advised on actions brought by bodies such as the FSA, the Securities and Exchange Commission and the US Department of Justice.

He led the Norton Rose team acting for Diamond amid allegations last year that Barclays had manipulated Libor (30 July 2012).

He said in a statement: “I’m really looking forward to working with my future colleagues in Clifford Chance’s contentious regulatory group. The firm is a natural choice for me, providing an unrivalled international network and client base, and strong teams for both contentious and advisory regulatory issues.”

Clifford Chance global disputes and litigation head Jeremy Sandelson added: “Dorian will be a great addition to the busy contentious regulatory team at Clifford Chance and a valuable resource for our clients. Businesses are increasingly facing challenges from regulators, often coordinating across borders, and related fines are hitting record highs.

“As a result they need the sophisticated and practical cross-border advice and support that we offer. Given our existing strong reputation in this field it makes sense for us to continue to invest in high-quality talent.”

Norton Rose global litigation and dispute resolution head Deirdre Walker said in a statement: “We can confirm Dorian has retired from the practice and we wish him all the best for his future career.

“His departure comes at a time when we’re expanding our disputes business. We currently have more than 500 litigation and dispute resolution specialists which will increase to more than 1,000 specialist litigation lawyers worldwide when we combine with Fulbright & Jaworski on 3 June 2013. This week, we welcome Christian Dargham, who will be joining us as a litigation and dispute resolution partner from Clifford Chance in Paris.”