David Phillips has joined Eversheds Sutherland as a partner after a brief but eventful stint in-house, saying he was attracted by the newly-merged firm's mix of Atlanta roots and global reach.

After 19 years working on M&A deals at Jones Day, Phillips became deputy general counsel for one of the firm's clients, chemical giant Axiall, in December 2015. Just a month later, the Atlanta-based public company was targeted in a hostile takeover bid by Westlake Chemical Co., based in Houston.

The two companies ultimately reached a deal, and Westlake acquired Axiall last year.