Linklaters' former corporate head takes role at BLP
Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired Linklaters’ former global head of corporate David Barnes.
David Barnes
Barnes, who was a partner at Linklaters for 26 years and ran for senior partner in March 2011 before announcing his retirement in June of that year (19 July 2011), joins BLP as a partner.
After taking on several big names in real estate, private equity and finance over the past few years, corporate is considered to be the last piece of the puzzle in BLP’s hiring strategy.
In a statement, BLP’s head of corporate John Bennett said: “We’re at an exciting juncture in the development of BLP’s corporate practice. David’s reputation and experience in London and Asia will facilitate the achievement of our ambitious plans.”
Barnes made partner at Linklaters in 1985, and was based in Hong Kong between then and 1991, when he returned to London. Barnes’ key clients included BT, HSBC and Sainsbury’s and he was global head of corporate at Linklaters between 2005 and 2010.
Barnes is the latest in a spate of hires for BLP. In January the firm hired Clifford Chance securitisation partner Prashanth Satyadeva (11 January 2012).
In December 2011 the firm hired Allen & Overy equtity partner Andrei Baev for its London projects team (13 December 2011) while Ashurst finance partner Simon Small joined in November 2011 (14 November 2011).
Last October the firm appointed South Square’s Stuart Issaacs QC as an equity partner to develop its in house advocacy unit (27 October 2011) as well as Ashurst’s non-contentious construction head Marc Hanson (3 October 2011).
Readers' comments (7)
The Artist | 27-Feb-2012 1:02 pm
'Defects to....' ? '26 years as partner.....?'
Come on, let's be frank about this. He had a good innings at the top of the Linklaters' lock step and he has now had his collar felt in the nicest of ways by mein fuhrer Simon Davies.
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Anonymous | 27-Feb-2012 1:33 pm
Very good and experienced lawyer and he is a nice get for BLP.
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Bungle | 27-Feb-2012 3:25 pm
Another one to get a wapping guarantee from us for a few years...
It's all very well bringing this guy in but it doesn't mean that his clients will follow. After all, our corporate department is something like band 13 in Chambers, isn't it...?
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Sir David Attenborough | 27-Feb-2012 4:52 pm
Don't see how this guy will have any real hunger beyond the (no doubt) guaranteed big pay day at the end of it.
strange hiring strategy.
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Anonymous | 27-Feb-2012 9:12 pm
Why can't these partners just retire gracefully? After 26 years as a Partner at Linklaters, you have nothing left to prove and you cannot need the money or the hassle. Just enjoy retirement and if you are desperate to work, go and do something in the public interest/charity field.
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Sir David Attenborough | 28-Feb-2012 4:36 pm
^ Because BLP will be giving him one last massive pay day to fund that extra yacht for said retirement. What else could be in it for him?
Doesn't reflect well on BLP at all. You don't become a more prestigious corporate firm by hiring retirees from the corporate firms above you. They'd be better off hiring ambitious, hungry corporate partners from smaller firms with something to prove.
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Anonymous | 28-Feb-2012 5:47 pm
they can't retire gracefully - snout - trough - it is their thing - who on earth will instruct him is questionable - there are younger partners around who actually do some work and frankly we clients are sick of the troughers. Bad move for all law firms taking up the old magic circle slack as they just gad about telling everyone how great they are and never put a pen to paper. When will this model be disbanded? It is a joke and most people (except the partners) are totally over it
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