Ashurst boosts ALS offering with new COO
Ashurst has named alternative legal services (ALS) expert Hilary Goodier as a partner and COO of its legal technology arm Ashurst Advance. The firm describes the new position as a sign of its intent ‘to consolidate its position at the forefront of NewLaw transformation.’
In a career bridging the law and tech, Goodier’s previous roles have included in-house at Accenture, as a partner at Corrs Chambers Westgarth and as COO and general manager of NTT Data Business Solutions in Australia. She is also a member of the advisory board of the Centre for Legal Innovation.
Goodier joins Ashurst’s Melbourne office directly from Herbert Smith Freehills, where she held senior leadership positions in the firm’s ALS business.
In her new role, a key focus for Goodier will be the development of Ashurst’s integrated client solutions, combining its offerings across law, consulting and delivery. She will also be strongly focussed on the growth of Ashurst Advance across the Asia Pacific region.
In the first year since it was relaunched as a core division of the firm, Ashurst Advance has seen a 34% increase in revenue and a 25% increase in headcount. Goodier joins its 120-strong team as its fourth partner, working alongside London-based head Chris Georgiou.
Global managing partner Paul Jenkins said Ashurst Advance had an “impressive first year as a core division of the firm” and that Goodier would “help position Ashurst at the forefront of the future legal services market".
Clifford Chance’s tech group adds a partner
Clifford Chance has announced that Simon Persoff will be joining its global corporate practice as a partner in its London-based tech group.
Previous strategic management roles for businesses including Orange and Freeserve mean that he brings expertise in contentious data issues and experience in commercial, outsourcing and telecoms regulatory issues to his new role.
Persoff joins directly from DLA Piper, where he acted as a senior consultant advising on data protection, privacy, cyber security and banking secrecy issues.
CC’s tech group has seen year-on-year growth since its founding in 2017; previous mandates include supporting Telefónica on its £31bn joint venture with Liberty Global and advising HQLAx and Deutsche Börse on their jointly-developed distributed ledger technology solution for frictionless collateral swaps in the securities lending market.
Persoff’s hire follows continuing investment in the group’s global partnership, with 10 partner promotions to the team in May 2020.
CC global head of corporate, Guy Norman commented: "Simon brings a winning combination of solid experience operating at a senior level within corporate enterprises with a strong track record in delivering on highly complex mandates. His sector experience is perfectly aligned with our firm's key strategic areas such as financial investors, life sciences and telecommunications. We look forward to welcoming him into the fold."
Clyde & Co snaps up cybersecurity expert
Clyde & Co has hired insurance lawyer Marc Voses as a partner in New York. He joins from Goldberg Segalla, where he chaired the firm’s cybersecurity and data privacy group.
Voses’ past positions include as a partner at AmLaw 100 firm Edwards Wildman Palmer and insurance litigation firm Nelson Brown.
His practice focuses on handling coverage issues and disputes arising under insurance policies, and he frequently advises clients concerning data privacy regulations, pre-breach planning and post-breach response, ransomware payment negotiation, fraudulent funds transfer response and recovery, digital assets, business interruption losses and cyber subrogation.
Clyde & Co's global senior partner Peter Hirst commented: "Cyber risk is becoming a prominent board-level issue and we're committed to supporting clients as they manage, mitigate and respond to these rapidly evolving risks. We welcome Marc to the firm as his hire strengthens our cyber insurance bench strength in the US and supports our global ambitions in this space."
On his appointment, Voses said: “As well as the exponential growth in cyber breaches and data privacy issues, there is also increased regulation and regulatory scrutiny for organisations to deal with. Clyde & Co is well placed to support clients looking to get to grips with such a dynamic legal landscape.”
McDermott builds UK fintech capabilities
Arvin Abraham has joined McDermott Will & Emery’s global corporate practice in its London office.
Specialising in fintech and corporate transactions, Abraham joins from HSBC, where he was a director on the global banking division management team. Prior to that, he held management roles at Morgan Stanley and worked as an attorney at Sullivan & Cromwell and Davis, Polk & Wardwell.
In his new role, Abraham is expected to lead the development of McDermott’s UK fintech practice and work across the tech-ecosystem, including with venture capital firms, strategic investors and start-ups.
Hamid Yunis, managing partner of the firm’s London office commented: “Arvin brings a wealth of in-house experience focusing on corporate transactions, Brexit transition and financial regulatory matters. He also has significant expertise in leading bank consortia and counselling on strategic investments. His appointment will complement our private equity and M&A practices by enhancing our venture capital and Fintech offering, which will be an invaluable asset to the firm’s clients in London and around the globe.”
Instacart adds former Cooley partner
San Francisco-based Instacart has hired Bradley Libuit as its second deputy general counsel. The privately-held company operates a grocery delivery and pick-up service in the US and Canada, offered via a website and mobile app.
Earlier this year, Libuit led a Cooley team that advised Instacart on two financings that raised $325m, valuing the company at $13.8bn.
He joins Instacart after three years at Cooley, the last two as a partner, and prior to that was an associate at Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.
His hire comes only a few months after Instacart named former Littler Mendelson attorney Alexander MacDonald as employment counsel.
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