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US securities team joins Allen & Overy
Three lawyers from a US securities law practice will join global firm Allen & Overy as it expands its presence in Australia.
Melissa Coade
Allen & Overy will be taking on partner Mark Leemen, counsel Cécile Baume and associate Matthew Lim from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, following the announcement that the US firm will end operations in Australia.
Mr Leemen’s clients include Scentre Group, Transurban, Westpac, most of the leading investment banks operating in Australia, and the Commonwealth Department of Finance, which he represented on the Medibank privatisation and IPO.
Sydney managing partner Jason Denisenko said that the team’s commitment to staying in Australia was a “fantastic opportunity” for Allen & Overy.
“With increasing globalisation we recognise that regional coordination and US expertise will be vital to our clients and that’s why we’re continuing to invest in highly experienced practitioners like Mark and his team,” Mr Denisenko said.
Tony Sparks, the Australian capital markets practice lead for Allen & Overy, added that US securities expertise was a critical component of many of the funding transactions that the firm is involved in.
“This addition creates a unique integrated capital markets offering to our clients,” he said.
In May Simon Huxley left Allen & Overy to join DLA Piper as a partner in its finance and projects team.
Recently the global firm has promoted Australian partners James Abbott and Goran Galic by internal appointment.
L-R: Mark Leemen and Jason Denisenko
