Ropes & Gray is losing a five-partner investigations and corruption team to Kirkland & Ellis across three different offices.
The exits come after a series of partner departures from Ropes globally, including London partners Mark Wesseldine and Fergus Wheeler to King & Spalding and restructuring partner James Douglas to Linklaters.
Former City senior partner Maurice Allen also joined DLA Piper, while a four-partner team left for Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in Asia.
In the most recent exits, Ropes will lose Chicago managing partner Asheesh Goel, who is the firm’s anti-corruption and risks co-chair. He will be joined by partner Kim Nemirow in the US city.
The move marks a return to Kirkland for Goel, as well as business and securities litigation co-chair Zachary Brez, who left Ropes in 2010 for its US rival. Brez will be based in New York.
In London, Marcus Thompson joins Kirkland’s government enforcement group as a partner and will work alongside partner Satnam Tumani.
Kirkland’s Hong Kong office will additionally be boosted by government investigations partner Cori Lable.
An internal memo sent by Ropes chairman Brad Malt and managing partner David Chapin said:
“Partner departures happen in law firms. We have a deep and extraordinarily talented group of lawyers in government enforcement and business & securities litigation, including our anticorruption practice, who have secured important matters and recorded impressive wins.
The same can be said of the offices where the group was located, and for that matter, all of our practice and offices. We also have a deep, loyal and strong roster of clients who are helping us to deliver an excellent year.
Ropes & Gray has an unsurpassed workplace, with core values that differentiate us from competitors and serve us extremely well. We have an exceptional platform; the franchise has never been stronger, and we will thrive.”
