Shoosmiths has welcomed a new partner to its national real estate practice.

Chris Morris joins the firm’s Birmingham office from Gowling WLG where he spent over 16 years advising developers, operators and investors on major regeneration schemes and real estate transactions.

This appointment further enhances Shoosmiths' real estate team, which welcomed six new partners and legal directors in 2023 - most recently hiring construction and engineering partner, Jody Kite, who arrived at the firm from national developer Dandara.

Leading international law firm Herbert Smith Freehills has hired Benjamin Lohr as a funds and asset management partner in Hong Kong, further expanding its Asia private capital capability.

A firm alumnus, Benjamin specialises in funds and asset management, with broad experience of LP and GP representation, secondary transactions, and general asset management matters.

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, the global litigation powerhouse, announced that Paul T. Dacier has joined the firm as a partner. A luminary of Boston’s legal establishment with deep roots in its tech sector, Dacier joins Quinn Emanuel from Indigo Agriculture Inc., where he served as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary. Prior to that, he served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel of EMC Corporation. Dacier is also the Chairman of AerCap Holdings N.V. (NYSE: AER), the world’s largest commercial aircraft leasing company.

Akin is pleased to announce that James Munsell has joined the firm as a partner in its market-leading investment management practice in the New York office. He joins from Sidley Austin, where he was a partner.

Mayer Brown announced that litigator Anthony (Tony) Weibell has joined the firm as a partner in Northern California. Tony brings substantial experience in consumer class action, privacy and internet law matters. He joins from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

“Tony is a well-regarded Silicon Valley litigator and counselor whose broad-based litigation practice dovetails nicely with our preeminent team of more than 500 litigators,” said Richard Spehr, the leader of Mayer Brown’s global Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice.

A new dispute resolution partner has joined Shoosmiths’ national construction and engineering team.

Jody Kite arrives at the law firm from Dandara, where he spent eight years developing and leading the housebuilder and build to rent specialist’s construction law and dispute resolution function, while also advising on non-contentious matters and forward funding transactions.

DLA Piper is pleased to welcome litigation partners Amanda Wait, Victor Domen, and Carsten Reichel, further expanding the firm’s Antitrust and Competition practice. All three partners are former government antitrust enforcers and will be based in the firm’s Washington, DC office.

Dentons announced that litigator Chad Higgins has joined as a partner in the Portland, Maine, office. Chad, a member of the Commercial Litigation practice, represents clients in state and federal courts across the United States in products liability and mass tort matters, with a focus on environmental litigation. Chad has more than 20 years of experience defending businesses in multiple industries, including lawsuits related to Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) and groundwater contamination matters regarding Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE), a discontinued gasoline additive.

Dentons announces the addition of partners Andrew J. Callahan and Robert Scheininger to its Corporate practice in the New York office. The duo brings extensive experience in secondary market trading, distressed investing and special situations, catering to a diverse clientele including leading investment banks, broker-dealers, hedge funds, private equity firms and other financial institutions.

Mayer Brown announced that private equity lawyer Robert Pohlus has joined the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice as a partner in New York.