LONDON – Global law firm Reed Smith announces the hire of James Atkin as partner in its global Energy and Natural Resources Group and London office.

Atkin joins from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe where he was Global Head of Oil and Gas. He was previously a partner at Vinson & Elkins for 10 years and has also worked at Baker Botts and Denton Wilde Sapte, where he qualified.

Global law firm K&L Gates LLP welcomes Paul M. Eckles as a partner in the litigation and dispute resolution practice. He joins K&L Gates’ Charleston office from the New York office of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he practiced for 25 years.

Global law firm Hogan Lovells announced that Courtney Devon Taylor has joined the firm as a partner in the Litigation, Arbitration, and Employment practice in Philadelphia and New York. Taylor joins the firm from Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis, where she was vice-chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation Practice Group.

Global law firm White & Case LLP has added two new partners to its rapidly expanding Global Financial Restructuring and Insolvency (FRI) Practice in the US. Keith Wofford joins the Firm in New York, and Stephen Moeller-Sally joins the Firm in Boston, both from Ropes & Gray. Wofford and Moeller-Sally are predominantly creditor-side lawyers who represent leading asset managers and investment funds.

Allen & Overy announced that Nick Marchica has joined the firm as a partner in A&O’s U.S. Private Equity (PE) group based in New York.

Marchica’s deep experience advising PE and corporate clients on M&A transactions will complement Allen & Overy’s established practice advising leading PE funds and multinational corporations on U.S. and cross-border transactions.

Keystone Law has appointed 14 new partner-level lawyers from some of the UK’s top law firms, demonstrating the growing interest in the Keystone model as the firm continues its strong levels of recruitment this year.

James Knight, CEO and Founder of Keystone Law, said:

Of the new partners, two will join the firm’s international dispute resolution team, a clear indication of the ongoing commitment to expanding the expertise in key areas of its international disputes practice, especially given the predicted increase in contentious work in the coming months and years due to the current economic challenges. Sara Sheffield joins the Dubai office, Pierre Bydzovsky joins the Geneva office and experienced litigator Ray Ng joins as a Registered Foreign Lawyer in the firm’s Hong Kong office.

Dominika Korytek Joins Firm’s San Francisco Office; Strengthens World-Class US and International Tax Practice

International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that Dominika Korytek has joined the Firm’s US and International Tax practice as a partner based in the San Francisco office. Dominika has extensive experience in international tax planning with a focus on technology companies, allowing her to integrate seamlessly into McDermott’s international tax group and further expand the West Coast practice.

Mayer Brown announced that it has expanded its Antitrust & Competition practice in Düsseldorf with the appointment of a team led by partners Christian Horstkotte and Dr. Johannes Weichbrodt. Both partners will join Mayer Brown from Baker McKenzie on January 1, 2021 with three associates.

Mayer Brown announced that Larry Murphy has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate & Securities practice in Houston. His arrival bolsters Mayer Brown’s capabilities in the oil and gas sector, particularly in private equity transactions. Mr. Murphy joins from Fullstream Energy Holdings, a private equity-backed midstream company that he founded in 2015.