Proskauer, a leading global law firm, is pleased to welcome Sylvain Dhennin as an M&A partner in its London office.

A prominent corporate lawyer with significant cross-border expertise, Sylvain will further enhance Proskauer’s private equity offering in London and its growing international presence.

Perkins Coie is pleased to announce that Elliott Smith and Sarah Ross have joined the firm’s Corporate & Securities practice as a partner and counsel, respectively, in the New York office. Their additions further strengthen the firm’s public company and capital markets presence and capabilities in the world’s leading financial market.  

King & Spalding announced that Laurent Assaya has joined the firm’s Finance and Restructuring practice group as a partner. He is based in the firm’s Paris office.

Assaya’s practice focuses on pre-insolvency proceedings (mandat ad hoc and conciliation) and formal insolvency proceedings. His global corporate practice also includes distressed M&A, complex restructuring operations and special situations matters. His clients include groups of companies, debtors, creditors and investment funds.

Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce the expansion of the firm’s International Arbitration Practice Group with the addition of Patrick W. Pearsall as a partner in Washington, D.C. Patrick is a leading lawyer in the areas of international arbitration and public international law who served in the U.S. State Department for nearly a decade working on economic diplomacy and departed as the Chief of Investment Arbitration. Since leaving government, Patrick has developed a robust practice advising multinational corporations and sovereign states on a variety of cross-border matters.

Fried Frank announced that Kathy O’Neill has joined the firm as a partner in its global Antitrust and Competition Department, based in Washington, DC. O’Neill served nearly 16 years in the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Antitrust Division.

O’Neill focuses on clearance of mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, as well as investigations and litigation under federal and state antitrust laws, and antitrust compliance counseling and training.

HEUKING continues to strengthen its Frankfurt office with the addition of Ulrich Weidemann (49) as an Equity Partner. A highly experienced expert in M&A, Venture Capital, and Capital Markets, Weidemann will enhance HEUKING’s Corporate/M&A and Capital Markets practice areas.

Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is pleased to announce that energy disputes lawyer Susan D. Maples has joined the firm as a partner in New York. She joins from Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP where she was a partner.

International law firm Stephenson Harwood LLP has strengthened its asset finance capabilities with the arrival of maritime finance expert Georgia Asimakopoulos. She joins the firm's maritime, trade and offshore (MTO) practice as a partner, based in Greece.

Linklaters is delighted to announce that Vinita Sithapathy has joined the firm’s M&A practice as a partner in New York. Vinita’s arrival builds on Linklaters’ transformational growth in the US over the past year, including the addition of market-leading partners across the firm’s corporate, finance, and disputes practices.

DLA Piper is pleased to welcome Nat Edmonds as a partner in the White Collar, Investigations, and Government Enforcement Practice. He will be based in the Washington, DC office.