Morrison & Foerster has hired a longtime Clifford Chance attorney to its finance team, the firm announced Tuesday.

Jay Gavigan will join the firm's lending and financial transactions group as a partner and will be based in New York. He began his law firm career in 1994 at Clifford Chance, where he made partner in 2004.

Gavigan's move comes as Magic Circle firms have focused on growing their New York and broader U.S. presence to mixed success.

In an interview, Gavigan said Morrison & Foerster's collaborative energy between multiple competitive areas made the move appealing.

"I think it's important that everyone keeps their eye on the market, as well as opportunities and changes in the marketplace," he said. "I felt like it was a good time to make a change based on that."

He mentioned the strength of Morrison & Foerster's corporate, capital markets and bankruptcy practices, adding that the firm was also focusing on growing its clean energy and tech offerings—all areas he said he was excited to build a relationship with.

"A driving factor for [my move] was the firm's culture here of collaboration and entrepreneurship," he said. "It's an exciting environment, and people work together really well."

Gavigan has experience representing both creditor and lenders, and his clients have included asset managers, manufacturers, builders, insurance companies, funds and other direct lenders and financial institutions. He works largely in the energy, construction and real estate sectors, and he also has experience with cross-border financings. He also has experience in Latin American matters, which the firm said will be an asset to its new Latin America desk.

Gavigan said he was excited to market his expertise to existing Morrison & Foerster clients, and although he has developed deeper expertise in borrower-side matters in recent years, he doesn't expect his practice to be changing much at his new firm. He declined to mention whether or not his existing clients would be moving with him from Clifford Chance.

In a statement, Jennifer Marines, co-chair of Morrison & Foerster's finance department, said Gavigan's cross-border experience in various industries will be beneficial to the firm's clients and that his hire was part of the firm's larger strategy to grow its global finance group.

"His diverse experience complements our rapidly growing global finance group and further deepens our substantial offerings for borrowers and lenders," she wrote. "We're delighted to welcome Jay to the firm."

Growing the firm's global finance group is a strategic priority for the firm, Marines said, noting the firm has added 11 more partners in the space so far this year. The growth included additions in New York, London, Singapore and Boston, where more than 20 finance lawyers joined the firm in February.

Representatives at Clifford Chance did not respond to a request for comment.

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