Dewey Ballantine has recruited corporate partner Hugh Scogin from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. Scogin will become the second partner in Dewey’s five-lawyer Beijing office, which opened in 2004. After the failed merger between Dewey and Orrick in January, Dewey has been on a hiring spree. Just in the past two weeks, the firm has hired five lateral partners.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Duane Morris has begun merger discussions with several London firms. The Philadelphia firm’s London office currently has eight partners, but the firm wants to expand to 200 lawyers through a merger. Firm chairman, Sheldon Bonovitz, reported that the ideal merger candidate will have corporate strength, international capability, and a compatible culture. Duane Morris has also opened offices in Singapore, Vietnam, and Baltimore in the past six months.
Source: www.thelawyer.com
White & Case has recruited two partners from McDermott, Will & Emery for its London capital markets practice. Andrew Croxford and Andrew Caunt advise on all aspects of equity capital market transactions. The firm is also transferring US-qualified securities partner Sven Krogius from Moscow to London. Other additions to the London office over the past year include corporate partner Phillip Broke and Clifford Chance funds partner Matthew Judd. White & Case’s London office employs around 250 attorneys, the largest number of any U.S. firm in the capital city.
Source: www.legalweek.com
Until recently, most firms that have entered the China market have been large and either based out of D.C. or the West Coast. Things have changed however, as two smaller firms have established business in China. White & Williams has had a China business practice group since 2003, and has held an informal alliance with Chinsese firm Xue Law Firm since the summer of 2006. Last month, the two firms made an official strategic alliance which will hopefully create more work and facilitate its existing work. Ohio firm Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff is also developing its China practice, having received its license in Feb. to open in Shanghai. The firm will send partner Yanping Wang to head the office and recruit other attorneys; the firm hopes to build the office up to 10 to 15 lawyers.
Source: www.law.com
