The four-partner Latham finance group lands at Paul Hastings in London

One west coast UK company’s hiring tally continues, tying into 2021 record by ambushing Los Angeles rival

Paul Hastings has officially unveiled a four-partner finance team at Latham & Watkins in London, including Latham’s former Co-Chairman of Global Banking and the former Co-Chairmen of London Treasury.

Mo Nurmohamed, Ross Anderson, Karan Chopra and Rob Davidson have all joined the Los Angeles-based firm’s global finance practice as partners, with Nurmohamed taking on a leadership role as co-chair of finance.

While news of her departure broke earlier this month, Paul Hastings has now publicly welcomed her to his ranks.

At Latham, Nurmohamed served as co-chair of Latham’s London finance team alongside Chopra, while Anderson was co-chair of global banking. Davidson, meanwhile, was promoted to partner in Latham’s 44-man squad last fall.

Seth Zachary, Chairman of Paul Hastings, described the new arrivals as “an exceptional team of outstanding talent and excellence in providing sophisticated legal advice to support clients’ most complex transactions”.

He added: “They are recognized as market leaders trusted by leading global financial institutions and direct lenders. The team creates immediate synergies while adding further depth and breadth to our existing market-leading global team.”

Latham did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the departures.

At their previous firm, the quartet completed a series of transactions that Paul Hastings described as “groundbreaking” transactions. They helped fund Bain Capital Private Equity’s $2 billion acquisition of Spain’s Rolls-Royce business ITP Aero last year and helped fund Blackstone’s acquisition of Welsh home improvement chain Huws Gray just months before.

Now they are ready to contribute to the growth of Paul Hastings in London after a record 2021.

The firm, which focuses on funds, finance, M&A/PE and investigations, and corporate defense, grew 16% in 2021 to over 150 legal staff and saw revenue jump from $108.6 million in 2020 to 152, $7 million.

At Paul Hastings, the newcomers are reunited with financial partner Adrian Chiodo, who joined the firm as a partner last summer.

Other additions to the office in 2021 included six attorneys from US competitor White & Case. Partner duo Jonathan Pickworth and Joanna Dimmock joined the investigative and commercial defense team in January, followed by new partner Rebecca Copcutt and three associates in May.

Other additions for 2021 included former co-chair of Covington & Burling’s London Dispute Settlement Group, Alex Leitch, private investment fund partner Ted Craig, who joined from Dentons, and former Proskauer Rose partner, Max Kirchner, who moved to the securities and capital markets changed team.

said Anderson. “The company’s momentum and strong growth in London – and around the world – is remarkable and our team is committed to continuing to drive this upward trend.”

Paul Hastings has also hired staff in his home country. In June, Eduardo Gallardo, co-chair of global M&A at Gibson Dunn, was called to New York – a move Zachary described as an “important milestone” for the practice.

Headcount in New York is on track to reach 400 by the end of the year, according to the company, also boosted by the hiring of a three-person project and infrastructure team from Shearman & Sterling in May and the arrival of a new employee 18- strong restructuring team from Stroock & Stroock & Lavan in March.