Kirkland pulls Blackstone advisor from Freshfields

• Michael Steele will join Kirkland & Ellis as a partner in the finance practice group in its London office. Steele, who was formerly Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s relationship partner for The Blackstone Group and Goldman Sachs, advises private equity sponsors, credit funds and financial institutions across a broad range of complex and cross-border financing transactions.

• Kirkland is also poised to poach Simpson Thacher & Bartlett banking and finance partner Melissa Hutson to become partner in its New York office, according to a report from Am Law Daily. Hutson, a 14-year veteran of Simpson Thacher, represents leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies in connection with various bank financings. As of Wednesday, Hutson’s bio profile no longer appears on Simpson’s website, suggesting the move is imminent.Kirkland was not able to immediately return a request for comment.

• Jenner & Block made three new hires, bringing on Locke Lord’s Alan Roth and Christopher Douglass as partners and Kate Price as special counsel. With more than three decades of experience, Roth leads one of the most active fund formation and SBIC practices in the US. Douglass and Price both represent private equity and mezzanine funds, including SBICs.

• Chris McGarry joined Ropes & Gray as a partner in the firm’s London finance practice, enhancing the firm’s CLO and securitization capabilities. McGarry, who previously practiced at Weil, Gotshal & Manges, advises on structured finance transactions with a focus on CLOs and securitizations for clients including arrangers, sponsors, originators and investors.

• Sean Ruff is rejoining Morrison & Foerster as co-head of the FinTech practice group. Ruff, who previously spent 10 years as of counsel at MoFo, returns to the firm after two years as director of lead payments and regulatory counsel at Square Inc. His practice focuses on advising emerging and established FinTech organizations, including both non-bank and traditional banking institutions, with respect to complex regulatory and transactional matters.

• In October, O’Melveny & Myers will welcome Eve Ellis back to the firm as a partner in the London office’s investment funds practice group. Ellis rejoins from Mishcon de Reya, where she was a partner and served as co-head of the funds and financial services group. Ellis, who worked at O’Melveny from 2007 to 2010, advises clients on UK financial services regulatory matters, including the Alternative Investment Funds Management Directive.

 • Ogier promoted two to partner in Hong Kong – Anthony Oakes and Kate Hodson. Oakes, who will now serve as head of the firm’s finance practice in Asia, specializes in banking, capital markets, corporate and commercial transactions and structured finance. Hodson focuses on strengthening Ogier's private equity capabilities in Asia as well as specializing in advising on unit trust structures in the Japanese market.

• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati added Rob Rosenblum and Susan Gault-Brown as Washington, DC-based partners in the law firm's corporate and securities practice. They previously were partners with K&L Gates, advising financial services firms and operating companies on regulatory, transactional, and product development projects.

• Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy boosted its M&A team with the hires of Robert Kennedy and Brien Wassner as partners in its New York global corporate group. Both were previously partners at Jones Day. Kennedy’s practice consists primarily of public and private M&A work, with a focus on private equity transactions, including portfolio company acquisitions and joint ventures. Wassner also works on private equity and public and private M&A, as well as energy and infrastructure deals.

• Vinson & Elkins bolstered its energy transactions practice with the addition of Bryan Loocke as partner. Formerly a partner at Bracewell & Giuliani, Looke will advise both corporate and private equity clients in the energy sector V&E’s Houston office.