McDermott bolsters finance with W&C raid

The London office of McDermott Will & Emery has continued its push into structured finance by poaching a White & Case associate.

McDermott is making Steven Black a partner, its third in its blossoming structured finance team which was only founded in August 2006 with a raid on Baker & McKenzie for securitisation partner Paul-Michael Rebus.

Black, who was at Ashurst before White & Case, will work alongside Rebus and Nick Terras, who was hired from SJ Berwin in March.

Terras said: “Steven’s practice dove-tails together with our strategy in London and the fact that he represents many of the same clients as us makes it a great fit."

Black’s clients for the structured products on which he worked at White & Case include Merrill Lynch.

White & Case’s securitisation team is still sizeable, meanwhile, with five partners and 31 associates remaining after Black’s departure.