Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP – already a market leader in Japan – further expanded its Japan real estate capabilities with the addition of four highly regarded lawyers from White & Case in Tokyo.

Mizuho Yamada, who previously led White & Case’s Japan real estate practice, and former White & Case Partner Ayako Kawano join Greenberg Traurig as Real Estate shareholders in the firm’s Tokyo office.

Building upon its premier global financial restructuring practice, Paul Hastings LLP announced that restructuring and special situations partner David K. Hong has joined the firm as a partner in New York.

Hong joins from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he advised clients through complex debt finance, distressed/stressed situations, event-driven investments, private credit transactions, and credit default swap (CDS) transactions across the capital spectrum—in both cash and synthetic credit products.

Kirkland & Ellis announced that leading antitrust attorneys Norman Armstrong, Jr., and Daniel Zach have joined the Firm as partners. The lawyers join Kirkland’s antitrust and competition practice, which is among the most active for merger control and complex antitrust litigation matters.  

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announces that Rick Sofield, a nationally recognized lawyer with 30 years of U.S. government and private sector national security experience, has joined the firm as partner in its Washington, DC office.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is pleased to announce that Katlin McKelvie has joined the firm as a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, where she will practice in the firm’s FDA and Health Care Practice Group. Katlin was previously Deputy General Counsel for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and served in senior roles at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and on the U.S. Senate HELP Committee.

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced that bankruptcy and restructuring lawyer Robert M. Hirsh has joined the firm as a partner in the New York office.

Hirsh focuses his practice on debtor-in-possession financing, exit financing and distressed and special situation financing. In addition, he has substantial experience in Chapter 11 proceedings, representing creditor committees, acquirers, fiduciaries, indenture trustees, bondholders, boards of directors and other significant parties in complex restructurings both in and out of court.

Global law firm Ashurst has hired tax expert Alexandra Clouté as a partner based in Luxembourg, as the firm further strengthens its offering in the Grand Duchy.

Mayer Brown announced that Janelene Chen has joined the firm's Banking & Finance practice as a partner in Singapore, where she will focus on trade and other structured finance transactions. She joins from Norton Rose Fulbright where she was a partner.

Skadden is pleased to announce that Michelle Scheffler has joined the firm as a litigation partner in our Houston office. Ms. Scheffler’s practice focuses on advising major oil and gas companies, publicly traded and privately owned independents, and private equity investors at trial and in other complex disputes in the energy sector.

Enhancing Morgan Lewis’s trial, business disputes, and crisis management capabilities, Aliza Karetnick, who most recently led Ballard Spahr’s commercial litigation and dispute resolution group and co-led its manufacturing and consumer products and class action litigation teams, joins as a partner in Philadelphia. Aliza will continue to represent clients in complex commercial, class action, and other litigation.