High-ranking government official Anthony S. Kelly, former Co-Chief of the Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has joined the Washington, D.C. office of Dechert LLP. Drawing on his experience leading the nationwide SEC enforcement unit overseeing the asset management industry, he will focus primarily on asset management enforcement and litigation as part of the firm’s white collar and securities litigation practice.  

The Dallas office of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added corporate attorney Tom Woolsey as a shareholder. Woolsey joins the firm from Foley & Lardner, LLP.

“Greenberg Traurig is strengthening key practices as part of its overall strategy to expand our presence in Texas,” said Joseph F. Coniglio, managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurig’s Dallas office. “Tom’s business acumen and multifaceted experience enhance our transactional capabilities as well as complement many of our practice areas in Texas and beyond.”

Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce the addition of Robert Blamires, who joined the firm’s San Francisco office and is a member of the Technology Transactions Practice. Qualified in the US, England and Wales, and Ireland, Blamires’ deep capabilities in data privacy law enhances Latham’s ability to help clients understand and prepare for the legal implications of multi-jurisdictional privacy laws, including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), forthcoming developments to US privacy laws, and global data breach notification standards.

SAN FRANCISCO – Global law firm Reed Smith has announced the addition of two partners from Polsinelli to its Labor & Employment practice in San Francisco. Michele Haydel Gehrke was formerly chair of Polsinelli’s Traditional Labor Relations Practice. She maintains a dual-practice focus on labor and employment matters on behalf of management. Anne Cherry Barnett ‘s practice focuses on employment, with an emphasis on assisting clients with navigating the complexities of California state and federal employment laws and regulations.

DUBAI – In a move that reflects the firm’s continued investment into the Middle East, global law firm Reed Smith today announced that Mahmoud Awad will be joining the firm as a partner in its Commercial Disputes (EME) Group.  Mahmoud will be based in the firm’s Dubai and Abu Dhabi offices.

Global law firm Ropes & Gray has announced that Eric Y. Wu will rejoin its Shanghai office as partner in the firm’s industry-leading life sciences practice. He will be permanently based in the Shanghai office upon completion of his registration in the market, and will expand the firm’s life sciences service offerings throughout the Asia Pacific region.

DLA Piper has announced that David Markman has joined the firm's Media, Sport and Entertainment sector and Intellectual Property and Technology practice as a partner in Los Angeles, and will also serve as co-chair of the firm's Entertainment Transactions practice.

Markman maintains a prolific range of practices in the entertainment and sports sectors, including a corporate entertainment practice, a talent practice, and a practice that focuses on celebrity licensing and endorsements, including transactions from both the talent and corporate sides.

Former Freshfields structured products partner, James Grand has joined the structured finance & derivatives practice at international law firm, Simmons & Simmons, to lead its CLO offering.

A Squire Patton Boggs team, led by Washington DC partner Kevin Levey, advised First Solar, a leading global provider of comprehensive photovoltaic (PV) solar systems, on the sale of two separate solar power plants, located in Georgia and California, respectively.

Clifford Chance advised Godewind Immobilien AG (Godewind) and ERWE Immobilien AG (ERWE) on their respective acquisitions of 89.9% and 10.1% of the Frankfurt Airport Center (FAC) office complex under a share deal for around EUR 168 million. The property is being sold by Peakside Capital and Madison International Realty. The transaction is due to be completed by the end of the year.