Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has significantly enhanced its London capital markets practice with the addition of two well-known lawyers from Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF).
Steve Thierbach, HSF's former global head of capital markets and Chris Haynes (both IFLR1000 Leading lawyers) join the team at the US firm and will focus on equity capital markets matters. The pair focus on bank side mandates taking roles on the recent London IPOs of Just Eat and Zoopla.
Gibson Dunn has been making a clear play to enhance its London practice in recent years and has in the last 12-18 months hired finance lawyers Stephen Gillespie and Philip Crump from Kirkland & Ellis; while on the corporate side the firm raided Ashurst for no less than four M&A/private equity practitioners in the forms of Jonathan Earle, Nigel Stacey, Mark Sperotto and the firm’s former head of department Charlie Geffen.
The firm is thought to be targeting the private equity sector specifically and the hires of Thierbach and Haynes is thought to complete the picture from a finance perspective by providing the firm with London capital markets coverage.