Siebens back to rebuild Milbank UK

Tom Siebens, a partner at US law firm Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy, is returning to London after three years in Singapore to help rebuild an office depleted by a mass defection of partners.

Having lost five partners last October, four to US competitor Shearman & Sterling, Siebens will become the second partner in Milbanks' London office.

At the time of the defection Philip Fletcher, head of Milbanks in London, said he was looking to recruit some top English lawyers

To date, however, he has added only one newly qualified projects solicitor to his team.

Last week Siebens confirmed that the office was looking to increase staffing resources from partner level through to junior solicitor levels. Siebens' move back to London is an "initial step in this process".

Commenting on his return, Siebens said: "The London market has changed dramatically since I was here three years ago. It seems to have a more expanding focus because of activity in Eastern Europe and the CIS, and our practice has expanded accordingly."