International law firm Eversheds has appointed Trowers & Hamlins partner and energy and infrastructure specialist, Tim Armsby as a partner across its Middle East offices.

Squire Sanders is expanding its West Coast and national public finance practices with the addition of Robyn L. Helmlinger as a partner in Northern California, resident in its San Francisco office.  Ms. Helmlinger is a health care and school finance lawyer with extensive bond, disclosure and underwriter counsel experience.  Her work involves many of the largest, most active and prominent West Coast health care systems, most of the national, and several regional, investment banking firms, and several notable public education clients.  She joins Squire Sanders from Sidley Austin LLP.

Morgan Lewis today announced that Michael M. Philipp—who has practiced in the derivatives field for 20 years—has joined the firm as a partner in its Financial Services, Investment Management and Securities Industry practice, resident in Chicago.

Miller & Chevalier Chartered today announced that James I. Warren and Alexander Zakupowsky, Jr. have joined the Tax Department as Members. They come to the firm from Winston & Strawn, where they were partners in that firm’s Tax and Energy and Utilities practices. Warren is nationally recognized for his experience in the areas of federal taxation of utilities and tax accounting, and Zakupowsky has a national reputation in the areas of tax accounting, transfer pricing and the taxation of utilities.

Gordon & Rees announced the opening of two new offices in Carlsbad, California and St. Louis, Missouri.  The new offices, the 21st and 22nd respectively for Gordon & Rees, reflect a continuation of the firm’s ambitious expansion plans that have taken it from a regional, California-based legal services provider to a full service national law firm in the span of less than 10 years.

International law firm Pinsent Masons and national law firm McGrigors have confirmed plans to merge the two organisations following a partner vote.

Baker Hostetler announced today that R. Scott Feldmann has joined the firm’s Intellectual Property Group as a Partner in its Costa Mesa office. He comes to Baker Hostetler from Crowell & Moring LLP.