Speechly goes international with launches in Luxembourg and Zurich
Speechly Bircham is set to launch in Luxembourg and Zurich, handing the London firm its first international presence. The Luxembourg office opened today (1 June) with the double hire of Francoise Pfeiffer, who joins as a partner from her own independent practice, and Chokri Bouzid, who joins as partner from local firm Oostvogels Pfister Feyten, where he was a senior tax consultant. Pfieffer, who was previously legal counsel for Luxembourg Central Bank and worked at Oostvogels before leaving to start her own practice, will head up the financial services and private wealth practice, which will be named Speechly Bircham Pfeiffer & Partners.
June 01, 2011 at 10:04 AM
3 minute read
Speechly Bircham is set to launch in Luxembourg and Zurich, handing the London firm its first international presence.
The Luxembourg office opened today (1 June) with the double hire of Francoise Pfeiffer, who joins as a partner from her own independent practice, and Chokri Bouzid, who joins as partner from local firm Oostvogels Pfister Feyten, where he was a senior tax consultant.
Pfieffer, who was previously legal counsel for Luxembourg Central Bank and worked at Oostvogels before leaving to start her own practice, will head up the financial services and private wealth practice, which will be named Speechly Bircham Pfeiffer & Partners.
Meanwhile, the firm is also set to launch an office in Zurich on 20 June, to be headed by private client partner Mark Summers. He will be joined by two permanent lawyers and the office will practice only English law.
UK managing partner Michael Lingens (pictured) told Legal Week: "It's a change in direction for the firm which reflects the changing needs of our clients. We're playing to our strengths as a firm, rather than rushing into the major centres already filled by other UK firms.
"We've been operating in the Swiss market for three years now, advising international private clients as well as private banks and fiduciaries in relation to the UK market, so we feel its time we had a presence in the market there. Next to London and Zurich, Luxembourg is the next biggest centre for investment management work in Europe."
Separately, the firm has recruited Akin Gump counsel Ashley King-Christopher as a partner in its London tax group, who will work with both offices, and recruited Berwin Leighton Paisner projects partner Meriel Bennett.
Bennett will replace Andrew Walsh in London projects team. Walsh has been appointed as acting general counsel at Qatari Diar in Doha after a period of secondment there.
Lingens added: "A strategic review in mid-2010 established our priorities for the future development of the firm. Notable among these was a clearer focus on core areas of expertise: financial services, private wealth, technology and real estate and construction. Our new offices are tangible evidence of this."
Lingens added that the firm's revenues had grown 2% during the 2010-11 financial year, on the back of a 28% rise in 2009-10 which saw turnover reach £58.4m.
- Click here for more on Speechly Bircham's 2010 performance
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