Dentons has hired corporate lending lawyer Will Turner as a partner in its London office.

Will’s practice focuses on a broad range of banking disciplines, covering both lenders and borrowers in relation to cross-border and domestic corporate financings, acquisition financings, fund financings and general investment grade lending. His primary emphasis is advising global banks on financings for investment grade and cross-over credits within Europe and the emerging markets and certain direct lenders in the life insurance sector.

Wong & Partners, member firm of Baker McKenzie International has strengthened its Real Estate practice with the hire of Tang Ai Leen as Partner. Ai Leen joins the Firm effective immediately.

Ai Leen, who joins from Zul Rafique & Partners, brings 20 years of post-admission experience to her new role. During her career, she has acted for some of the most notable local and foreign real estate companies on some of the most recognisable real estate development projects in Malaysia.

International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced that Dr. Ralf Defren has joined the Firm as a partner. Based in the Firm's Frankfurt office, he will lead Weil's Banking & Finance practice in Germany.

“We are very happy to welcome Ralf, a highly regarded lawyer who has worked on a range of important and complex transactions,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf. “He will be a tremendous asset to our clients while also playing a key role in the continued expansion of our market-leading global platform.”

Milbank LLP is pleased to welcome Andrej Wolf to its London office in the Global Corporate Group as a partner, further expanding the firm’s international private equity and M&A capabilities. With over 170 lawyers in London advising on global matters, Milbank handles complex, demanding and groundbreaking transatlantic mandates.

Hiroaki Takagi further strengthens the firm’s Japanese law offering with extensive cross-border and domestic M&A experience.

Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that Hiroaki (Hiro) Takagi will join the firm’s Tokyo office as a partner in the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. Takagi draws on nearly two decades of experience advising clients on both cross-border and domestic M&A transactions, as well as on matters involving Japanese securities and general corporate laws.

King & Spalding has recruited Vincent Rowan and Shareena Edmonds as partners in the Construction and Engineering Disputes team, based in the firm’s London office.

Rowan and Edmonds represent owners and contractors from around the world in international construction disputes, typically in international arbitration. They are particularly active in disputes arising from energy projects in Asia and the Middle East, both onshore and offshore.

Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce that well-known maritime disputes expert Mike Phillips has joined the firm as a Partner in London. He moves from Stephenson Harwood, where he has been a partner for 12 years, six of which as head of their Marine & International Trade group.

Squire Patton Boggs continued the expansion of its commodities and shipping capabilities with the addition of partner Kate Sherrard into its Financial Services Practice. She joins the firm from Clifford Chance where she was Head of the Asia Pacific Maritime and Offshore Group and is accompanied by senior associate Bernice Chia.

International law firm Simmons & Simmons has announced that leading tax lawyer Martin Phelan is to join the firm’s Dublin office as head of tax on 4 January. Martin is the latest senior hire at Simmons’ practice in Dublin, following partners Peter McKeever in September, and Rachel Stanton and David Brangam in January of last year.

HFW has continued to expand its global litigation practice with the hire of partner Nick Braganza.

Nick joins HFW's Dubai office on 4 January from Clyde & Co, and will sit in the firm's fraud and insolvency group.

His arrival follows that of insolvency litigation specialist Simon Jerrum, who joined HFW in London as a partner from Norton Rose Fulbright in 2020.

HFW has specialist fraud and insolvency teams in London, Brussels, Paris, Geneva, Dubai and Hong Kong.

Noel Campbell and Rick Brown, Global Co-Heads of Fraud and Insolvency, HFW: