Allen & Overy loses leveraged finance guru

· Former SEC enforcement director Robert Khuzami has resurfaced at Kirkland & Ellis, where he will split his time between the firm’s New York and Washington DC offices. Khuzami, who left the SEC in January after a four year stint with the agency, was a key player in the creation of a special unit which hired specialist investigators to oversee the private funds market. 

· Dechert partner Michelle Moran left the firm to join Ropes & Gray’s London office. Moran is a financial services lawyer who concentrates on regulations affecting private funds. 

· M&A lawyer Ross Allardice left Kirkland & Ellis to join the London arm of White & Case. 

· Private equity deals lawyer Brian Wassner left Winston & Strawn to join Jones Day’s New York office. 

· David Woronov joined McCarter & English as a Boston-based partner concentrating on cross-border transactions, with a focus on European and Asian markets. He previously was with Posternak Blankstein & Lund.

· Kai Schneider, who was head of Latham & Watkin's Middle East and Africa investment funds practice, will lead Clifford Chance’s Singapore funds team. He replaces Han Ming Ho, who is leaving for Sidley Austin.

· Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton poached New York-based private equity deals lawyer Ariel Yehezkel from Kirkland & Ellis.

· John Williams, who focuses on transactional and regulatory work related to financial derivatives, left Allen & Overy to join Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy in New York.

· Proskauer’s New York real estate practice added Kevin Hackett to its roster. Hackett was previously head of the Rockefeller Group, a commercial real estate-focused company. 

· Debevoise & Plimpton lawyer David Wicklund, who focuses on acquisition credit facilities and high yield offerings in the private equity industry, is now a New York-based partner with Vinson & Elkins.

· Leveraged finance legal guru Mark Wojciechowski joined Morrison Foerster’s New York office. He previously led Allen & Overy’s leveraged finance practice in North America, and before that the global leveraged finance practice at Mayer Brown. 

· Boston lawyer James Coffey, who specializes in emerging companies, left Nutter McClennen & Fish to join McCarter & English. Also to have recently joined McCarter’s Boston office is cross-border financing lawyer David Woronov, who was previously with Posternak Blankstein & Lund.

· Tax lawyer Jennifer Wheater left Proskauer Rose to join Duane Morris in London. 

· CMS Cameron McKenna private equity deals partner Richard Bull left for the London office of Norton Rose Fulbright.

· White & Case recruited London-based M&A lawyer Ross Allardice from Kirkland & Ellis. 

· Stacy Vezina, who counsels LPs during fundraisings, left Ropes & Gray to join Nixon Peabody’s Boston office.

· Goldman Sachs’ deputy general counsel, David Greenwald, rejoins Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson. He specializes in private equity transactions. 

· Maclay Murray & Spens added M&A lawyer Andy Lowe, formerly with Ogier Guernsey, to its Aberdeen office. Joining the firm’s London office is Jonathan Ingram, who was formerly with Addleshaw Goddard’s business support and restructuring team.

· Transactions lawyers Jake Robson and Adam Summerly join Morrison & Foerster’s Singapore office. Both were previously with Norton Rose Fulbright

· Moore Blatch is launching a London office, to be led by former DMH Stallard lawyer Stephen Clow, whose areas of expertise includes M&A work. 

Know of any private equity lawyer career moves we might have missed? If so, email PEM editor Nicholas Donato at nicholas.d@peimedia.com.