Morgan Lewis hires 18th lawyer in two days

Morgan Lewis has hired the former head of Hogan & Hartson’s Brussels office as a new partner in New York.

M&A specialist Claud ‘Lex’ Eley joins Morgan Lewis today after a decade living and practising in Europe. He becomes the 18th new lawyer to join the firm in two days after the hire of 17 energy lawyers from collapsed Thelen on Monday.

Prior to joining Hogan, Eley was also the head of the Brussels office of US firm McGuireWoods. His client base includes US, European and other international clients, ranging from startups to private equity firms to Fortune 500 companies.

Eley’s arrival in Morgan Lewis’ New York office follows the significant expansion in the city as a result of Thelen’s collapse. The new hires included Doug Davidson, the former managing partner of Thelen’s New York office and former co-chairman of its corporate and securities group.

In total, eight of the 17 Thelen lawyers have joined the firm as a partner.