Malcolm Hitching-Article-201610191158

Ropes & Gray has hired Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) banking partner Malcolm Hitching.

Debt finance expert Hitching will join the US firm after 13 years at HSF and legacy UK firm Herbert Smith, including a stint as global head of finance.

He was appointed global head of finance at legacy Herbert Smith in 2010, a title he held until the merger between Herbert Smith and Australian legacy firm Freehills in 2012.

After the merger he was appointed head of UK and EMEA finance for HSF, but stepped down from this role in 2015.

He trained and qualified at legacy Norton Rose before making the move to Herbert Smith in 2003.

His practice focuses on leveraged finance, corporate finance and restructuring work, and his clients include lenders, sponsors, borrowers and financial advisers.

High profile mandates during his time at the Anglo-Australian firm include advising the senior lenders in connection with the leveraged buyout of phone company Phones 4u, and acting for the Yell Group on a $7.4bn (£6.02bn) debt restructuring.

Mike Goetz, London managing partner of Ropes & Gray, said: "Malcolm is a great addition to the team. His broad base of experience makes him an excellent fit for our European practice, providing support for our growing finance and private equity teams and enabling us to meet the increasing demand for our services from key financial sponsor clients."

Boston-headquartered Ropes has grown to 35 partners in London since its 2010 launch in the City.

The firm signed a 20-year lease in 2014 for a larger office at 1 New Ludgate and has made a number of hires since.

In May, the firm hired private equity partner Helen Croke from Travers Smith, a move that reunited her with former Travers private equity chief Phil Sanderson, who joined the US firm in the summer of 2014.

In August 2015, Ropes hired McDermott Will & Emery UK IP, media and technology head Rohan Massey, who joined the firm as its first privacy and data security partner in the City.

Ropes also established a London commercial litigation practice in 2015, with the hire of K&L Gates litigation partner Thomas Ross.

A spokesperson for HSF said: "We can confirm that Malcolm Hitching has decided to retire from the partnership. We thank him for his contribution over the past 13 years and wish him well for the future."