Our Talent
Over the course of 2023, we made a series of lateral hires and promotions to grow our talent pool and strengthen the business.
Commercial and Intellectual Property
Rebecca Steer joined our Commercial team as a Partner, based in the Cheltenham office. Over the past 25 years, Rebecca has built up a strong reputation for her commercial expertise and work across the technology, creative and digital sectors. She works with clients in the UK and internationally.
Construction and Infrastructure
Francis Ho joined our Construction, Engineering and Project Group as a Partner. He joined the Firm’s London office from Penningtons Manches Cooper, with over 20 years of industry experience. Francis is an adept construction lawyer leading and managing multi-tiered, innovative, and fast-moving construction projects in the UK and internationally.
Family
Vanessa Duff joined our Family team as a Partner. She joined the Firm’s Hong Kong office from Withers Hong Kong and her appointment supports our private capital focus in the region. Vanessa has over 15 years of experience advising high net worth individuals, professionals, and entrepreneurs on all aspects of family law.
Litigation and Dispute Resolution
We expanded our Litigation and Dispute Resolution team with a series of appointments.
Stephen Chan joined our Hong Kong office as a Partner. He joined the Firm from Ince & Co. Hong Kong, and specialises in complex and high-value commercial litigation and arbitration. He has over 15 years of experience handling multi-jurisdictional fraud and asset tracing involving freezing, gagging and other urgent interim injunctive measures, which have particular synergies with the growing cryptocurrency and virtual asset area.
Partner Alison Goldthorp joined our Restructuring and Insolvency team. She is well versed in guiding her client base of corporates, directors, creditors, insolvency practitioners, and financial institutions through both contentious and non-contentious matters relating to underperforming or distressed assets.
Partner Alim Khamis joined our Qatar office. Alim is a dual-qualified lawyer in Australia and Canada, specialising in construction disputes, with a focus on domestic and international arbitration. He has worked across multiple jurisdictions and project managed large international teams from specialist disciplines on arbitrations spanning Asia, the GCC and Australia.
Partner Richard Kiddell joined our London office. Richard is a highly regarded disputes lawyer with over two decades of experience—principally at Hogan Lovells—handling complex, high-value commercial disputes across multiple jurisdictions.
Simon Le Wita joined our Paris office as a Partner. He joined from French firm, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei with extensive experience in domestic and international commercial, banking, and financial litigation. He is well versed in advising clients on shareholder and post-acquisition disputes, contract and tort litigation, debt restructuring, insolvency, and bankruptcy matters.
Ziva Robertson joined our Private Wealth Disputes team as a Partner. She joins the London office from McDermott Will & Emery, where she previously co-headed the London Private Client group. She has over 26 years of experience and her practice predominantly focuses on complex, high-value international, contentious cross-border trusts and estates matters and commercial disputes containing fiduciary elements.
Stephen Chan joined our Hong Kong office as a Partner. He joined the Firm from Ince & Co. Hong Kong, and specialises in complex and high-value commercial litigation and arbitration. He has over 15 years of experience handling multi-jurisdictional fraud and asset tracing involving freezing, gagging and other urgent interim injunctive measures, which have particular synergies with the growing cryptocurrency and virtual asset area.
Partner Alison Goldthorp joined our Restructuring and Insolvency team. She is well versed in guiding her client base of corporates, directors, creditors, insolvency practitioners, and financial institutions through both contentious and non-contentious matters relating to underperforming or distressed assets.
Partner Alim Khamis joined our Qatar office. Alim is a dual-qualified lawyer in Australia and Canada, specialising in construction disputes, with a focus on domestic and international arbitration. He has worked across multiple jurisdictions and project managed large international teams from specialist disciplines on arbitrations spanning Asia, the GCC and Australia.
Partner Richard Kiddell joined our London office. Richard is a highly regarded disputes lawyer with over two decades of experience—principally at Hogan Lovells—handling complex, high-value commercial disputes across multiple jurisdictions.
Simon Le Wita joined our Paris office as a Partner. He joined from French firm, De Pardieu Brocas Maffei with extensive experience in domestic and international commercial, banking, and financial litigation. He is well versed in advising clients on shareholder and post-acquisition disputes, contract and tort litigation, debt restructuring, insolvency, and bankruptcy matters.
Ziva Robertson joined our Private Wealth Disputes team as a Partner. She joins the London office from McDermott Will & Emery, where she previously co-headed the London Private Client group. She has over 26 years of experience and her practice predominantly focuses on complex, high-value international, contentious cross-border trusts and estates matters and commercial disputes containing fiduciary elements.
Thomas Snider joined the Firm as a Partner and Head of our International Arbitration practice. He joined from Al Tamimi & Co and is in the Dubai office. He has extensive experience resolving large-scale, complex disputes across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. His appointment followed our expansion into Singapore and reflects our ambition to further develop the international arbitration practice at a time of increasing globalisation.
Real Estate
Emma Carter joined our London office as a Partner. She joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, with over 15 years’ experience advising investors, developers, and banks on all aspects of commercial property. Her appointment complements and strengthens the Firm’s investor and occupier commercial real estate offering.
Real Estate
Emma Carter joined our London office as a Partner. She joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, with over 15 years’ experience advising investors, developers, and banks on all aspects of commercial property. Her appointment complements and strengthens the Firm’s investor and occupier commercial real estate offering.
Tax
David Cordova Flores joined our Luxembourg office as a Partner in the Tax team. His arrival allows Charles Russell Speechlys Luxembourg to expand its services in tax advisory as well as to further develop our presence in the Latin America region. He has over two decades of experience guiding clients through complex international tax planning and structuring matters.
Partnership promotions
The following colleagues were promoted to Partner in May 2023, alongside two Legal Director and 11 Senior Associate promotions:
Mazin Al Mardhi (Construction, Engineering & Projects – UAE, Dubai) Robert Avis (Private Wealth Disputes – Switzerland, Geneva) Richard Davies (Commercial – UK, London) Katie Talbot (Tax, Trusts & Succession – UK, Cheltenham) Phil Webb (Real Estate – UK, Cheltenham) Caroline Young (Commercial and Intellectual Property – UK, London)
Legal Director promotions:
Reem Al Mahroos (Real Estate – Bahrain, Manama) Lara Haidar (Commercial – UAE, Dubai)
The following colleagues were promoted to Partner in May 2023, alongside two Legal Director and 11 Senior Associate promotions:
Mazin Al Mardhi (Construction, Engineering & Projects – UAE, Dubai) Robert Avis (Private Wealth Disputes – Switzerland, Geneva) Richard Davies (Commercial – UK, London) Katie Talbot (Tax, Trusts & Succession – UK, Cheltenham) Phil Webb (Real Estate – UK, Cheltenham) Caroline Young (Commercial – UK, London)
Legal Director promotions:
Reem Al Mahroos (Real Estate – Bahrain, Manama) Lara Haidar (Commercial – UAE, Dubai)
Senior Associate promotions:
Mike Barrington (Corporate – UK, London) Katie Bewick (Commercial Dispute Resolution – UK, Guildford) Caroline Carter (Corporate – UK, London) Rebecca Day (Private Property – UK, London) Sarah Farrelly (Pro Bono – UK, London) Jonathan Fisher (Corporate – Bahrain, Manama) Sophie Hart (Private Client – Switzerland, Geneva) Joseph Le Page (Private Client – Hong Kong) Mary Perham (Private Client – UK, Cheltenham) Jamie Tilling (Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency – UK, London) Ian Yeung (Private Client – Hong Kong)
These promotions follow the promotion of four Of Counsels in Paris:
Sarah Bergougnoux (Private Client) Guillaume Ferrand (Corporate) Aubéri Foy (Employment) Victoria La Scola (Litigation)
Senior Associate promotions:
Mike Barrington (Corporate – UK, London) Katie Bewick (Commercial Dispute Resolution – UK, Guildford) Caroline Carter (Corporate – UK, London) Rebecca Day (Private Property – UK, London) Sarah Farrelly (Pro Bono – UK, London) Jonathan Fisher (Corporate – Bahrain, Manama) Sophie Hart (Private Client – Switzerland, Geneva) Joseph Le Page (Private Client – Hong Kong) Mary Perham (Private Client – UK, Cheltenham) Jamie Tilling (Corporate Restructuring and Insolvency – UK, London) Ian Yeung (Private Client – Hong Kong)
These promotions follow the promotion of four Of Counsels in Paris:
Sarah Bergougnoux (Private Client) Guillaume Ferrand (Corporate) Aubéri Foy (Employment) La Scola (Litigation)
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