Former Ashurst global managing partner James Collis has moved to Norton Rose Fulbright, as partner moves in London continue apace in June.
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has also added to its finance offering in London with the addition of a partner from Mayer Brown.
Collis joins Norton Rose after three years at Squire Patton Boggs, having previously worked in Ashurst’s London and Paris offices for 14 years. He was Ashurst global managing partner from 2012 to 2016.
He has particular expertise as an acquisition and leveraged finance lawyer, advising both borrowers and lenders on investment grade and sub-investment grade transactions, as well as working on restructuring and distressed finance matters, according to Norton Rose’s announcement on Monday.
Meanwhile Akin Gump has added Mayer Brown partner Dasha Sobornova to its structured finance team in London.
Sobornova has spent the last three years at Mayer Brown, according to her LinkedIn, where she was a banking and finance partner and led the firm’s European collateralised loan obligation practice.
She has experience advising arrangers, investment managers and issuers on a wide range of structured finance work including EU and U.K. securitisation regulation and refinancings.
Akin Gump has made a number of finance hires in London in recent years, most recently Clare Cottle in April 2021 from Weil Gotshal & Manges.
Both firms have seen lots of lateral movement in London so far this year. In May, Norton Rose bolstered its legal managed services offering with a duo hire from EY, in the same month as losing an intellectual property partner to Linklaters. Meanwhile Akin Gump lost a London partner last week to U.S. rival Weil.
Squire Patton Boggs and Mayer Brown did not respond to requests for comment in time for publication.
