US law firms boost alternatives practices

Andrews Kurth and Potter Anderson have hired a private equity counsel and real estate lawyer, respectively.

US law firm Andrews Kurth has appointed J.R. Morgan as an investment management counsel in its corporate department.

Morgan will join the firm’s Austin office. He focuses on compliance and regulatory matters, as well as alternative investment fund structuring in the US, Ireland and Luxembourg.

He was most recently the founding partner of his own firm, Morgan LLP, which has offices in New York and Austin. Prior to this he was an investment management associate at Schulte, Roth & Zabel, a US law firm.

In Delaware, Potter Anderson has appointed Joy Barrist as a real estate finance partner. Barrist’s practice includes real estate acquisition financing for private equity firms.

She joins from Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff, a US law firm. Prior to this she practiced at Pepper Hamilton for 12 years, where she was made partner.