New global leadership at Harneys 

Leading offshore law firm Harneys has named Ross Munro as its global managing partner.

Munro is set to take over leadership duties from chairman Peter Tarn, who will be stepping down after nine years in early 2022. Following the transition, Tarn will continue to practice as a partner in the British Virgin Islands.  
 
Munro has more than two decades' experience advising clients on all aspects of the formation, operation and restructuring of offshore investment funds as well as the impact of relevant financial services and securities law.  
 
He joined Harneys in 2005 as a funds associate, and was promoted to partner and appointed head of investment funds for the British Virgin Islands in 2012. He spent two years as global head of investment funds before becoming global head of fiduciary, a role he has held since 2013.  
 
Tarn commented: “[Munro] has for many years combined his challenging day job with being a trusted adviser to whom I automatically turn in any crisis and a de facto deputy on so many occasions. I have no doubt that I will be leaving the leadership of the business in truly capable hands.” 
 
Munro added: “My vision is for Harneys to build on those strong foundations, growing together with a supportive business, culture and technology framework that allows our people to deliver outstanding client service while satisfying their own ambitions.” 

Charity specialist joins Russel Cooke in London as a partner

Russell Cooke has expanded its charity group with the arrival of charities expert Pippa Garland from Bates Wells in London.  

Garland, who joins the firm as a partner, specialises in advising charities and social enterprises with a particular focus on charitable giving for high profile individuals, corporate foundations and family foundations.  
 
In addition to her work within Russell Cooke’s charity team, Garland will play a ‘key role’ in the firm’s cross-practice family office service, which handles the legal aspects of family-related wealth and business matters.  
 
Prior to joining Russell Cooke, Garland spent seven years as a senior associate working in Bates Wells’ charity and social enterprise group. She moved to Bates Wells from Allen & Overy in 2014, where she worked as an associate following the completion of her traineeship.  
 
Garland’s appointment brings London-based Russel Cooke’s total number of partners to 63, including six in its charity team.  

Mayer Brown names new Los Angeles managing partner 

Mayer Brown has appointed John Nadolenco as managing partner of its Los Angeles office, replacing longtime managing partner Phil Recht.  
 
Recht, who has held the role since 2009, will continue to serve as co-leader of the firm’s public policy, regulatory and political law practice.  
 
Nadolenco joined Mayer Brown in 1995, and has previously held a number of leadership roles during his tenure at the firm, including as a member of its partnership board and co-leader of its litigation and dispute resolution practice, as well as the head of its consumer litigation and class action practices.  
 
A seasoned litigator, Nadolenco focuses his work on high-stakes cases and class action defense. He notably served as lead counsel in Spokeo, Inc. v. Robins, in which the US Supreme Court decided in favor of the firm’s client, making it harder for plaintiffs to bring no-injury lawsuits. 
 
Mayer Brown’s Los Angeles office has been a focal point for its growth strategy, nearly doubling in size over the past decade. It currently boasts more than 50 lawyers engaged in a number of key practice areas, including banking and finance, corporate and securities, government and environmental law, among others.  

London-based fintech specialist sets sights on Jones Day’s San Francisco office 

Jones Day has boosted its financial markets practice with the addition of fintech specialist Abradat Kamalpour.  
 
Kamalpour, who joins the firm as a partner after twelve years at Ashurst, will initially be based in the firm’s London office before relocating to San Francisco. He brings with him extensive experience in fintech, debt capital markets, structured finance and financing for investors and institutions from Gulf Corporporation Council countries.  
 
Throughout his career, Kamalpour has been involved in structuring innovative ways of using blockchain-based technologies and cryptocurrencies on various capital market and financing transactions, including designing and establishing an accelerator program in London with ties to Silicon Valley, and serving as an advisor and member of a number of fintech-focused boards and working groups.  
 
In his new role at Jones Day, Kamalpour will focus on advising financial institutions and companies on cross-border fintech opportunities between the Bay Area, New York, and London and the firm’s clients in Europe, Asia and the Middle East alongside building out the firm’s own fintech initiative across its practices and offices around the world.  
 
Jayant Tambe, leader of Jones Day’s financial markets practice, said Kamalpour’s experience and connections between London’s global financial center and Silicon Valley’s global tech centre “will be of exceptional value” to its financial services clients.  
 
Aaron Agenbroad, partner-in-charge of Jones Day’s San Francisco office, added: "Northern California has provided an ecosystem unlocking extensive value through technological information and fintech will be no exception. As a tri-qualified lawyer based in the US, he’s well-placed to advise clients with global offerings on English law and on how to access European capital markets.” 
 
CMS adds global finance partner in Hong Kong  

CMS has hired Ashurst finance partner Christopher Whiteley to establish a capital markets and derivatives practice in Hong Kong.  
 
Whiteley’s practice covers structured finance, with a particular focus on ‘over the counter’ derivative transactions. He advises financial institutions, especially investment banks, in relation to hedging, trading activities and complex strategic funding transactions, alongside related credit support arrangements.  
 
Whiteley said: “By establishing a capital markets and derivatives practice, I look forward to developing the firm’s finance offering in Hong Kong, which, from my perspective, is one of the world’s most important financial markets.” 
 
With Whiteley’s appointment, CMS now has seven partners on the ground in Hong Kong, including Tim Elliot, who heads up the firm’s finance practice in the region.  
 
CMS recently published its firm-wide year end financial results, reporting a 3% increase in growth to €1.475bn for the last financial year.  
 
Clinical nurse specialist joins Hugh James in London 

Cardiff-headquartered Hugh James has added clinical nurse specialist Rachel Thomas to its asbestos team  to support individuals and families with mesothelioma.  
 
Thomas joins the firm from her long standing role at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, where she spent more than a decade as a lung cancer and mesothelioma clinical nurse specialist.  
 
She will primarily be based in Hugh James’ London office, but will support firm clients across its other UK bases in Cardiff, Cambridge, Southampton and Plymouth.  
 
As part of Hugh James’ asbestos team, Thomas will advise patients on treatment options and clinical trials, and support patients undergoing treatment by informing them of the risks and benefits of different treatment courses and how to monitor potential side effects.  
 
Thomas will also provide guidance and support to mesothelioma clients and their families and work alongside the support groups the firm works in partnership with, including Mesothelioma UK, the national asbestos charity.  
 
Richard Green, partner and head of the firm’s asbestos team, said:  “It’s not just technical, legal advice people need when making a claim like this – they need someone to talk to, to share their concerns, and be listened to throughout the claim process. Rachel brings her wealth of experience and nursing background to this important client support role and that’s why she’s such an important addition to our team.”  

Eversheds Sutherlan adds two commercial disputes specialists in London  

Eversheds Sutherland has added commercial dispute partner duo Phillip Richardson and Sheena Buddhdev to its litigation practice in London.  
 
Richardson joins the firm from Linklaters effective this week, while Buddhdev will join from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld in September.  
 
With more than a decade of experience as a commercial litigator, Richardson focuses his practice on TMT disputes as well as accountancy investigations and enforcement proceedings. At Eversheds, he will work closely with financial services disputes and investigations partner Kari McCormick to advise clients on contentious mandates, complex investigations and enforcement within the accounting and auditing sector.  
 
Buddhdev, meanwhile, has been advising clients on complex, high-value disputes for more than 20 years. She specialises in corporate litigation for hedge fund and private equity clients, often with a cross-border element, as well as contentious insolvency and restructuring mandates. Upon joining the firm, Buddhdev will also bolster Eversheds’ growing arbitration capability thanks to her international arbitration experience.  
 
The pair’s arrival follows a string of hires in Eversheds’ London disputes practice, including the recent appointments of McCormick and Claire Stockford, who joined from Burges Salmon and Shepherd and Wedderburn, respectively.