The Specialist Premium: Lateral Hiring Goes Niche
Law firms spent the final days of September shopping for depth, not breadth. In a run of lateral moves across four continents, the hires were defined less by seniority or book of business than by the precise niche each one fills: eDiscovery in Denver, M&A in Singapore, fund secondaries, data-centre and infrastructure finance, commercial disputes in Paris and technology transactions in New York.
Even Jones Day’s five-partner build in Brisbane and Sydney came practice by practice. The pattern points to a market where firms will pay a premium for expertise clients cannot easily find elsewhere, and where the generalist is becoming harder to justify.
Crowell Taps Lauren Schwartzreich to Lead eDiscovery Practice
Crowell & Moring has hired Lauren Schwartzreich as a partner in its Litigation and Trial Group and head of its eDiscovery and Information Management Practice. Based in Denver, she brings more than 20 years of experience in civil litigation and eDiscovery. Having worked as both a long-time defence lawyer and a plaintiff class action litigator, she will advise clients on eDiscovery strategy in litigation and investigations, from motions practice through to trial.
Greenberg Traurig Lands Baker McKenzie’s Singapore M&A Leader
Greenberg Traurig has added Bee Chun Boo as a shareholder in its Corporate Practice, strengthening its Asia M&A bench. Boo, who led Baker McKenzie’s Singapore M&A practice, has advised on M&A and private equity matters across the region for more than 28 years.
A&O Shearman Lifts Stephenson Harwood’s Top-Ranked Secondaries Team
A&O Shearman has hired secondaries partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix, along with their team, from Stephenson Harwood. They will serve as global co-heads of secondaries. Both are ranked Band 1, and the firm says the move makes it one of only three firms globally with a Band 1 secondaries ranking. Their practice covers continuation vehicles, LP portfolio sales, GP stakes and other liquidity solutions. They join a private capital group of more than 200 partners across the United States, the UK, EMEA and APAC.
Jones Day Adds Five Partners in Australian Expansion Push
Jones Day has hired five partners in Brisbane and Sydney, each in a different practice, to expand its capacity for domestic and cross-border work in Australia:
• Leigh De Jong (Financial Markets and Real Estate)
• Christopher Flynn (Energy)
• Dylan McKimmie (Global Disputes)
• Lance Sacks (Corporate)
• Ken Saurajen (Intellectual Property)
Gibson Dunn Hires Data Centre Finance Specialist as Structured Finance Co-Chair
Gibson Dunn has hired Gianluca Bacchiocchi as a partner in its New York Energy and Infrastructure Practice Group and co-chair of its Structured Finance Practice Group. He advises on financings across energy and infrastructure, particularly in data centres and digital infrastructure, power and renewables. His practice spans structured finance, private capital, insurance capital, bank lending and capital markets, with significant Latin American experience.
King & Spalding Adds Julie Chapuy as Paris Disputes Build Continues
Julie Chapuy has joined King & Spalding’s Paris office as a partner in its International Disputes Practice Group. She handles complex, high-value commercial disputes, including financial services, banking and capital markets litigation, shareholder conflicts and post-acquisition disputes. Her practice also covers cartel damages and other follow-on claims, settlement strategy and enforcement proceedings.
Akin Brings Back Neil DuChez to Build Out New York Tech Transactions
Neil DuChez has rejoined Akin as a corporate partner in New York, adding dedicated US technology transactions capability to the firm’s corporate practice. The firm says the hire reflects how technology, data and AI now shape almost every significant corporate deal.
