Watson Farley & Williams in four-partner hiring spree

Watson Farley & Williams has hired four new partners in its London office, including the head of Charles Russell’s competition and regulatory group.

Emanuela Lecchi will head up Watson Farley’s competition and regulatory team when she arrives on June 1.

Her departure comes as a further  blow for Charles Russell after it lost its five-strong medical negligence team in London last week (May 3, 2010).

The firm has also captured Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s  MENA energy and infrastructure finance practice head. Charles July, who is also former managing partner of Freshfields’ Singapore office,  joins the firm’s international project and structured finance group on May 17.

Mark Evans, the former European general counsel at Constellation Energy Group, joins the firm’s international corporate group on the same day.

They will be joined by dispute resolution partner Robert Platt, who arrived on May 1 from Curtis Davis Garrard, and where he focused on the shipbuilding, offshore, construction and renewable sectors.

The new arrivals will bring the firm’s total number of partners to 97.

Managing partner Michael Greville said: “These recruits are part of a deliberate strategy to expand our London office with quality, lateral hires who fit with our existing practices.”