Moves: 13 February 2012

UK

London

Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has boosted its real estate finance team with a senior hire from Dechert. Steve Clark, a counsel at the US firm, will join BLP as a partner, bringing the total number of partners in the team to six. Clark trained at Clifford Chance and has also had spells working at Addleshaw Goddard, Ashurst and Sidley Austin.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has boosted its London funds group and English law capabilities with the hire of two financial services partners from Simmons & Simmons. Tim Pearce and Ian Meade were both partners at Simmons. They are expected to join Akin Gump in the next few months.

Niche employment practice Golden Leaver has taken on Wyn Lewis as a consultant. He joins from Pinsent Masons, where he was a partner.

North

Gordons has added commercial litigation partner Ian McCombie to its team. He joins from Sheffield-based HLW Keeble Hawson, where he was a partner.

Muckle has hired Andrea Gardner as a construction partner. She joins from Watson Burton, where she was a partner.

Watson Burton has strengthened its real estate group with the appointment of solicitor Rhianwen Jones. She joins from Blacks in Leeds.

Wales

Newport firm Hornby Baker Jones & Wood has appointed Steve Sulley as marketing and equity partner to help drive the business forward as it looks to take its turnover to above £3m. Sulley joins from accountancy practice UHY Peacheys, where he was also a marketing partner.

Scotland

Aberdeen firm Ledingham Chalmers has hired John Campbell as its first business development director. Campbell joins from Brodies in Edinburgh, where he led business development strategy across the firm’s private client practice.

Europe

Gide Loyrette Nouel has made its first lateral partner hire in over a year, appointing Jones Day employment of counsel Anne Boileau. Boileau joins Gide’s Paris office as a partner in its 25-strong employment group.

Reed Smith has hired SJ Berwin German venture and growth capital head Justus Binder as leader of the firm’s German private equity practice.

Berwin Leighton Paisner has taken on Ashurst counsel Thomas Prüm as partner in Frankfurt and Linklaters managing associate Adriana zur Nedden as a counsel in Berlin. Both join the firm’s finance practice.

Noerr has expanded its banking and finance practice with the addition of Andreas Naujoks as an equity partner and Karsten Fink as an associate. They both join the firm’s Frankfurt office from Luther, where they were a partner and an associate respectively.

Squire Sanders has announced that Jana Pagácová has rejoined its Bratislava office as a European partner in the corporate team. Pagácová joins from CMS firm Ružicka Csekes, where she was a junior partner and led the firm’s corporate and transaction working group. 

McDermott Will & Emery has added Jacob Grierson as a partner in its international arbitration group in Paris. He joins the firm from Jones Day, where he was also a partner.

US

Winston & Strawn has expanded its global IP litigation group with the addition of Michael Scheer as a partner in its New York and Los Angeles offices. He joins from Dickstein Shapiro, where he was also a partner.

Latham & Watkins has hired Courtenay Myers Lima as a partner in its New York corporate practice. She joins from Davis Polk & Wardwell, where she was a

counsel.

Middle East

Corporate lawyer Hardeep Plahe has joined Gibson Dunn & Crutcher’s Dubai office as a partner. He joins from Linklaters, where he was a counsel.

Asia/Australasia

HWL Ebsworth has hired Scott Charaneka as a partner.

He joins from Norton Rose in Sydney, where he was also a partner.

Hogan Lovells has taken on a project finance partner from Clifford Chance for its Singapore office. Bruce Schulberg was a partner in Clifford Chance’s Beijing office and led its finance practice.

In-house

Tasha Dhami has been appointed head of legal at accountancy firm Smith & Williamson. Dhami joins the firm from Berrymans Lace Mawer, where she was an associate in the professional indemnity department.

Weight Watchers has appointed a high-level in-house lawyer to focus on the organisation’s matters outside the US with the hire of ISS UK general counsel Richard Reade.