Paul Hastings has strengthened his investigation and litigation bench in London by hiring partners Stuart Alford KC and Oliver Brown from Latham & Watkins.
The addition of the highly regarded duo is a major boost for the Los Angeles-based company’s London division. The London arm has lost three partners since the start of the year, including structured finance partner Blake Jones, who joined Clifford Chance this year. week.
Paul Hastings confirmed the move but made no further comment. Mr. Alford had a distinguished career in white-collar crime and investigations, leading the Serious Fraud Office’s Bank Fraud Unit for four years immediately prior to signing with Mr. Latham in 2016.
He spent the first half of his career as a lawyer specializing in domestic and international criminal law, served as a United Nations prosecutor, and served as legal advisor to the judge in the Saddam Hussein trial.
Meanwhile, Mr. Brown will be leaving Mr. Latham after more than 18 years with the world-famous company, which he joined as an employee from Allen & Overy. He became his partner in 2012 and headed his London litigation and trials department for six years until his retirement. He advises corporations and high net worth individuals undertaking cross-border arbitration and litigation.
Their arrival at Paul Hastings follows the hiring of Shearman & Sterling partner Gareth Wong as global chair of the international arbitration practice in March last year.
Investigative and white-collar crime experts are in high demand in London. Last November, Mr. Latham hired white-collar partner in crime Pamela Reddy from Norton Rose Fulbright to make up for Mr. Alford’s losses.
Earlier this month, Sir Max Hill KC, the former Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, was hired as a lawyer by the London office of King & Spalding, a top 20 US law firm. And in October last year, Goodwin Procter appointed Mark Beardsworth, a partner at Cadwallader, Wickersham & Taft, to lead its European research team.
Meanwhile, partners retiring from Paul Hastings’ London division this year include David Herreira, a veteran restructuring and insolvency partner who served on the board of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, and head of Europe. and leveraged finance partner Adrian Chiodo, who joined Covington & Burling as a partner. leveraged finance.