White & Case hires Links’ Asia PE head

• White & Case expanded its global mergers & acquisitions practice with the hire of Chris Kelly as partner in Hong Kong. Kelly will lead the firm’s corporate practice in Asia. He joins the firm from Linklaters, where he served for more than 20 years, most recently as head of private equity in Asia. Kelly has experience in a wide range of public and private corporate finance and commercial matters, including mergers and acquisitions and equity offerings.

• Reed Smith added Jared Hershberg as partner in the firm’s corporate and transactional advisory group. Hershberg joins the firm’s New York office from Winston & Strawn where he was a private equity and investment funds partner for three years. During his tenure he represented middle market-focused private equity, hedge, venture capital and asset managers on fund formation, mergers and acquisitions and regulation and compliance. Hershberg’s appointment adds to a number of hires made by Reed Smith since it announced the cuts of 45 attorneys and an undisclosed number of non-legal staff across its offices in the US, Europe and Middle East in January.

• Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe hired Betty Louie as partner in the firm’s mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice in Rome. Louie joins the firm from DLA Piper where she practiced for seven years. She focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions and represents Chinese companies investing in Italy and Europe. Louie has experience advising both publicly-traded and private companies, financial institutions and private equity firms. She is the fourth partner to join Orrick’s Italian offices in the past year.

• Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher added Ferdinand Fromholzer as partner in the firm’s Munich office. Fromholzer joins the firm from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where he served for 18 years. In his new role he will continue to practice corporate law, focusing on stock corporation law and corporate governance issues, as well as mergers and acquisitions. He works typically with corporate entities and private equity funds. Recent deals he has advised on, include the €3 billion public takeover by Daimler and Rolls Royce of industrial engine maker Togum.

• Jenner & Block hired Kyle Gann as partner in the firm’s its private equity and mergers and acquisitions practice. Gann will be based in the firm’s Chicago office. He previously worked as a corporate partner at Kirkland & Ellis for four years. Gann has corporate transactional experience representing both private equity groups and public companies in a broad range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures and divestitures.

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