HFW boosts APAC arbitral offering 

HFW has added Baker McKenzie construction disputes partner Jo Delaney in Sydney. 

An international arbitration specialist, Delaney originally had a brief stint at Bakers in Sydney in the 1990’s before spending more than a decade at Clifford Chance in London. She returned to Bakers in 2013 as special counsel, making partner four years later. She is one of Australia's two members of the ICC Court of Arbitration, whose president, Claudia Salomon, took office this month. 

HFW's global head of construction Carolyn Chudleigh said that Delaney’s "extensive track record in international arbitration and commercial litigation across HFW's core sectors underpins our sustained growth in the construction, energy and infrastructure sectors." 

Her arrival at HFW follows that of a Sydney-based construction team led by former senior partner, Antony Riordan, who joined from Colin Biggers & Paisley in October 2020 and added further heft to HFW's 60-lawyer strong construction team globally. 

Nick Longley, the firm's head of disputes, added that Delaney's arrival would also boost the firm's Asia-Pacific arbitral offering. HFW has added experienced disputes partners in commodities work in recent months, including Reed Smith’s Singapore managing partner Peter Zaman.

Going the other way, the firm also saw fellow construction disputes specialist Matthew Blycha, the former head of its Perth office, join Ashurst in June.  

Jones Day builds on London financial markets offering  

Jones Day has added to its financial markets practice in London with former General Electric executive counsel Hannah Ward.  

Ward joins the US firm as of counsel after three years at General Electric, where she was the executive counsel for the company’s international capital markets group. Before that, Ward worked in-house at Deutsche Bank and also spent six years as a senior associate at Clifford Chance in London and Milan.  

She has a wealth of cross-border experience advising at all stages of business deals, from new transitions and restructurings to defaults and litigation, with a particular focus in complex, multi-jurisdictional transactions in global financial markets. In her new role at Jones Day, Ward will focus on advising clients on real estate finance, structured finance, special situations and restructurings.  

Alban Caillemer du Ferrage, chair of Jones Day’s financial markets practice for EMEA and APAC, said Ward’s experience on both the corporate and law firm sides of the legal profession “offer a unique perspective on how outside counsel can prove to be most valuable to the clients that engage their services.”

HSF boosts global project finance offering in Dubai  

Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) has boosted its global project finance practice with the appointment of Christopher Cross as a partner in Dubai.  

Cross joins the firm from Saudi Arabia’s National Centre for Privatisation and was previously a partner at Hogan Lovells. He brings nearly two decades of experience to HSF’s Middle East hub, with a track record of completing major projects across the regional energy, transport, water, infrastructure and construction sectors. 

The appointment comes less than a month after the firm hired Sarosh Mewawalla to its project finance practice, reflecting HSF’s ongoing commitment to building its energy and infrastructure offering in the Middle East.  

Stuart Paterson, managing partner of HSF in the Middle East, said: "Christopher's experience and market leading understanding of the privatization landscape in the region combine to mean he has a detailed appreciation of the opportunities facing clients, as the Middle East focuses on regeneration and renewal. His appreciation of the challenges they face means he is also ideally placed to advise clients who are increasingly determined to drive diversification projects as they seek to secure economic resilience in the wake of the pandemic." 

Dentons’ UK private funds head for Paul Hastings 

Paul Hastings has hired the head of Dentons’ UK private funds head Ted Craig for its private investment funds practice in London.  

Craig has significant experience handling fund formation, fund investment and fund transactions, as well as advising fund sponsors on the structuring and establishment of private funds and their related carried interest and co-investment programs.  

He spent just over two years at Dentons, joining as a partner from MJ Hudson in 2019. Before that, he was a senior associate at SJ Berwin prior to its merger with Hong Kong’s King & Wood Mallesons. Craig also worked as in-house counsel for Capital Dynamics, a Swiss private equity fund and client of SJ Berwin.  

Seth Zachary, chairman of Paul Hastings, said Craig’s hire marks a “valuable addition” to its private investment funds practice, adding that his strong experience across the fund lifecycle will allow him to assist clients navigate the risks and complexities of the global market as they seek new avenues to raise capital in pursuit of growth.  

K&L Gates adds IP trio in Tokyo  

K&L Gates has nabbed a three-lawyer intellectual property team from DLA Piper in Tokyo, including partner Mitsuhiro Imamura.  

Imamura joins the firm alongside two paralegals from DLA Piper’s Tokyo-based intellectual property team, where he focused his practice on patent filings and patent disputes in both national and international transactions.  

A dual-registered Japanese patent lawyer and an admitted US practitioner in Washington DC, Imamura brings a wealth of experience advising companies across the mechanical devices, IT, telecommunications, AI and automotive industries.  

The US-headquartered firm said Imamura is a “key addition” to its global IP offering, as for the first time it has the ability to file Japanese patent and trademark applications, meaning it now has a full-service IP offering on four continents.  

Ryan Dwyer, managing partner of K&L Gates’ Tokyo office, said: “As a firm, we have been strategically focused on expanding our intellectual property capabilities regionally and globally. Mitsuhiro’s extensive experience in obtaining and protecting intellectual rights in Japan and overseas, as well as assisting clients in building patent portfolios and resolving disputes, allows us to offer new intellectual property capabilities to clients in Japan and beyond.”  

Dwyer added that Imamura’s arrival “complements” the firm’s other recent IP initiatives, including the recent launch of its IP agency in Beijing. Over the past year, the firm has also added IP partners in Melbourne, Portland, Orange County, Seattle and Chicago.  

McGuire Woods bolsters real estate and construction  

McGuireWoods has strengthened its real estate and construction offering, adding partner Michael Dingman from US rival Reed Smith in Virginia.  

Dingman brings with him three decades of experience acting in real estate, construction and energy-related disputes. Throughout his career, he has handled a number of major commercial, industrial and residential projects including large office buildings, hotels, mixed-use developments, data centres and other properties.  

He joined Reed Smith in 1990 and most recently worked as the head of its construction practice. 

“Mike is an experienced and highly respected construction litigator and counselor. We are very pleased to be adding his skill set, judgment and contacts at this critical juncture for companies involved in the construction industry and those companies acquiring construction-related services,” said Dion Hayes, McGuireWoods’ deputy managing partner for litigation. 

Singapore’s PDLegal establishes India desk  

Singaporean boutique PDLegal has set up an India desk with the hire of former Dua Associates partner Lakshman Shankar. 

Shankar brings more than two decades of experience working across a range of practice areas in India, including commercial litigation, international arbitration, company law and real estate.  

At PDLegal, Shankar will focus on acting for Indian entities seeking advice on Singapore law and Singapore-based and other ASEAN clients doing business or investing in Indian entities. He will manage the firm’s dedicated India desk alongside the firm’s managing partner, Peter Doraisamy.  

Registered as a foreign lawyer in Singapore and fully qualified as a lawyer in India, Shankar served as general counsel and vice president of legal for ECLAT Health Solutions from 2016 to 19. He has also practiced at regional firm Tatva Legal.  

Shankar’s appointment brings PDLegal’s partner headcount to seven. Founded in 2017, the firm focuses on legal matters in Singapore and overseas across a range of practice areas, including corporate, employment, funds and fintech.  

McCarter & English adds to business litigation group  

McCarter & English has hired former Connecticut assistant US attorney David Sullivan as a partner in its business litigation group.  

Sullivan joins McCarter after three decades as an assistant US attorney for the District of Connecticut, where he handled prosecutions and investigations of financial crimes, including money laundering, bank and financial institutions fraud, wire fraud and tax fraud, as well as litigating criminal and civil asset forfeiture cases.  

The firm said Sullivan’s hire will deepen its white collar practice in New England by adding his expertise related to financial investigations and judicial actions, including counseling on civil and criminal asset forfeiture and the Bank Secrecy Act.  

Thomas Finn, chair of the firm’s business litigation group, said: “David is highly regarded in Connecticut and throughout the country and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our team. He has an impressive track record and his unique background in money laundering and asset forfeiture greatly adds to our capabilities to serve our clients in the financial services sector in compliance, investigations and complex litigation.” 

Washington DC boutique adds international arbitration experience

Dispute resolution boutique GST has marked its formal entry into the European market with the addition of international arbitration specialist Domenico Di Pietro. He joins the firm as its fifth partner and will be responsible for the London office, its third location after Miami and Washington DC.  

GST boasts a roster of sovereign clients including Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Pakistan and Venezuela, as well as major private sector companies in the infrastructure and energy sectors. 

Di Pietro has joined the firm after nearly three years in Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner’s Miami office, before which he spent 18 months as of counsel at legacy firm Bryan Cave in London. He also spent eight years lecturing in international arbitration at the University of Rome (Roma Tre).

GST said that Di Pietro strengthens its overseas presence and commercial and investment arbitration capabilities, having practiced international arbitration in Italy, England & Wales, Japan and the US. Managing partner Quinn Smith said, “Domenico is a highly respected professional with immense talent, his addition further diversifies our service offering and gives the firm a new European orientation.”

Carmine Pascuzzo, formerly a partner at Venezuelan law firm ADM & Asociados, has simultaneously joined the firm as of counsel and will be based in DC. He brings experience in ICC, UNCITRAL, and ICSID arbitrations, with GST partner Ignacio Torterola commenting that his “experience in administrative law makes him a valuable asset while enhancing the firm’s bank of knowledge. Administrative law is important in the practice of law, but incredibly important in investment arbitration cases, which are always connected to the administrative practice of the States.”