Mayer Brown has boosted its London pensions team with the hire of partner Jay Doraisamy [pictured] from Dentons, where she had been a partner for four years. Prior to joining Dentons, Doraisamy headed the London pensions team at Eversheds. Her work covers the full range of pensions advisory work including funding, benefit redesign projects, scheme closures and amendments, and defined benefit/contribution schemes.

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy has hired private equity partner Michael Bernhardt from Allen & Overy. He joins Milbank's corporate department in Frankfurt. His practice is focused on corporate M&A and private equity, representing national and international corporations and sponsors on investments and cross-border transactions.

Eversheds has appointed Pinsent Masons Manchester partner Andy Phillips as its head of private equity for the northwest. Phillips, who was named as one of Legal Week's up-and-coming corporate M&A stars earlier this year, has a practice that focuses on private equity deals and private company M&A work. He is set to joins Eversheds in early 2017.

Gowling WLG has appointed Mary Mackintosh as its new general counsel for the UK, replacing Eddie Breen who announced he was stepping down at the end of 2015. Mackintosh joins from builders' merchant Travers Perkins, where she was head of corporate legal services. She was previously head of legal affairs at De Montfort University and was UK head of capital markets at professional services firm TMF Group. She was a partner at Freeths between 2008 and 2014, where she led the firm's Leicester office.

Incentives lawyer Michael Carter has joined Osborne Clarke as a partner in its London office. He joins from Addleshaw Goddard, where he was a partner for eight years. He advises clients on all aspects of employee remuneration and taxes, with a particular focus on the design of share and cash incentive plans. Prior to joining Addleshaws, he was a partner and head of executive compensation at KPMG.

Clifford Chance has hired international trade expert Frederico Ortino in London to boost its Brexit advisory capability. Ortino will consult for the firm on a part-time basis while continuing in his role as a lecturer for King's College London. Ortino is a reader in international economic law. He will work for the firm's international trade practice, which comprises 60 lawyers and six partners.

Dentons has hired real estate partner David Dixon from US risk management company Solera Holdings, where he was general counsel for the EMEA region. He joins Dentons in Warsaw, having previously been head of Norton Rose Fulbright's corporate finance team in the Polish capital. Prior to joining Norton Rose, he was a partner at Chadbourne & Parke.

Hill Dickinson has appointed its first chief operating officer (COO), Iain Johnston, who had previously spent 11 years at GB Plc, an identity management company. Johnston had spent 18 months as a non-executive director at Hill Dickinson prior to his appointment to the COO role.

DWF has strengthened its Dublin office with the hire of insurance partner Nina Gaston. She was previously a partner and head of risk at Irish firm Mason Hayes & Curran. Her practice focuses on professional indemnity insurance defence litigation.

In London, the firm has hired partner Simon Gildener from Bond Dickinson. Gildener specialises in financial lines insurance claims and professional indemnity matters.

Watson Farley & Williams has hired aviation partner Oliver Tebbit in Dubai. He was previously a partner at Clyde & Co in the same city. He has particular experience advising clients in the corporate jet market.

TLT has appointed Jason Juden as its head of property litigation in London. Juden was formerly a partner at King & Wood Mallesons, where he was head of property litigation and co-head of the real estate practice.

Shepherd and Wedderburn has expanded its Aberdeen base with the acquisition of boutique firm The Commercial Law Practice (CLP). CLP partners Keir Willox and Mike Anderson join Shepherd as partners and Ma'aruf Razzak joins as a director.

Kennedys has hired RPC lawyer Christopher Butler as a partner in its London office. Butler focuses on professional indemnity work and acts for clients that include insurers, engineers, surveyors and architects.