Howrey’s London operation is preparing to move to a new office, doubling its size. By the end of next fall, the firm hopes to move into a 40,000sq ft. space in a new building at 5 New Street Square. Howrey moved into its present 18,0000sq ft. office just last year. The firm has been growing via lateral hires and is especially looking to expand its arbitration practice; this year its focus has been on IP.
Source: www.thelawyer.com

The founder of LA boutique, Fox Spillane Shaeffer, is leaving to join Liner Yankelevitz Sunshine & Regenstreif. Gerard Fox and partner Raul Perez are leaving because the practice needs the support of a larger firm. Fox’s 15-lawyer former shop will continue practicing, changing its name to Spillane Shaeffer Aronoff Bandlow. Fox specializes in entertainment, intellectual property, and product liability defense. He and Perez will bring Liner Yankelevitz an additional $5 million in business.
Source: www.nylawyer.com

London firm Ashurst has hired Orrick Rambaud Martel finance partner Sylvie Perrin for its French projects practice. Perrin specializes in project finance, asset finance, and tax leasing. Ashurst’s Paris office now has 70 lawyers and focuses on M&A, acquisition finance, and structured finance. Several other attorneys have left Orrick’s Paris office since its Jan. 2006 merger with Rambaud Martel.
Source: www.legalweek.com

Jones Day has hired Bryan Davis as a partner in its Atlanta office. Davis comes from Alston Bird, where he was the chair of the M&A practice quality practice. With his new firm, he will be working in the international law practice group. Jones Day’s international presence and the current trend of increasing cross-border M&A made the decision to move a good one for Davis. He works primarily on the representation of public and private companies and investment banking firms in M&A transactions.
Source: www.lawfuel.com

In January the Stowers Institute for Medical Research hired 64-year old David Welte to be its full-time general counsel. Welte had acted as the legal chief for the Kansas City insitute since 2000, while simulataneously serving as a partner at law firm Polsinelli Shalton Welte Suelthaus. He resigned from the firm in January to work full-time with the institute, but then in mid-March he accepted a partnership with Bryan Cave’s K.C. office. Welte built the life sciences practice at Polsinelli, securing Stowers as one of its most important clients. He will bring his book of business to Bryan Cave. At Stowers, Welte’s responsibilities include ensuring compliance with regulations imposed on the medical research industry by the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, and handling tax matters for nonprofit organizations and licensing and affiliation agreements for medical technology.
Source: www.law.com

After losing two executive compensation and benefits partners in recent months, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz has made a move to revive that practice group. The firm that has only made two other lateral hires in its 42-year history has hired Michael Segal, the former co-head of executive compensation and benefits at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Wachtell has been quiet about the lateral hire; apart from confirming Segal’s start date (April 23) and that the hiring was a rare event, the firm has not provided any more details. Segal will join Jeannemarie O’Brien, the only remaining executive compensation partner.
Source: www.law.com