Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP) has hired Mayer Brown JSM's head of its Asia hospitality and leisure group Andrew MacGeoch. MacGeoch will join BLP's Hong Kong office this autumn as head of Asia real estate, hospitality and leisure. He has extensive experience dealing with infrastructure developments and mixed-use projects and has worked in Hong Kong, Macau, mainland China, Vietnam and Thailand.

Paul Hastings has hired corporate crime and investigations partner Simon Airey from DLA Piper. His practice focuses on a broad range of regulatory, criminal and civil litigation and his arrival will launch the US firm's white-collar crime and corporate investigations practice in the City. Paul Hasting's chair Seth Zachary said: "Paul Hastings has enhanced our global strength in investigations with a series of strategic hires, including DOJ prosecutors, former SEC enforcement attorneys, and federal and state prosecutors and regulators. Simon brings similar prestige and a leading reputation to the London office, where he will be an integral part of our team."

Linklaters has hired a TMT partner from its Australian alliance partner Allens. Niranjan Arasaratnam joins the magic circle firm's Singapore office and will co-head the firm's global TMT practice. At Allens he had led the firm's corporate practice and spent four years practising in China. He has acted for TMT clients such as Disney, Hutchinson Telecommunications and Experian.

Weil Gotshal & Manges has boosted its London office with the hire of finance partner Paul Hibbert from Baker McKenzie. He joined Bakers in 2013 from Clifford Chance, where he was an associate for eight years. Hibbert's focus at Weil will be on infrastructure and real estate finance matters.

Katten Muchin Rosenman has hired commercial and regulatory partner Alan Meneghetti in its London office. Meneghetti joins from Locke Lord's City office, where he had been a partner since January 2014. Previously he was at Clyde & Co, where he made partner in 2013. His practice covers a range of commercial and regulatory work in the general commercial, aviation and aerospace sectors.

DAC Beachcroft has hired DWF's Manchester employment team head Philip Harman. He was a partner at Manchester firm Cobbetts prior to that firm's acquisition by DWF in 2013. Alex Lock, head of employment and pensions at DAC Beachcroft, said that Harman's "depth of knowledge and aspirational nature make him a very exciting new addition to our team".

Gowling WLG has expanded its German business with the appointment of patent litigation partner Carsten Schulte in Munich. He joins from US firm Fish & Richardson. He was previously a lawyer at Jones Day and Eversheds legacy firm Heisse Kursawe. He acts for clients in the technology and life science industries on patent litigation matters across Europe.

Dentons has hired a team from DLA Piper's Milan office, having originally launched its Italian base with a team from the firm in 2015. The firm has hired tax litigation lawyer Giulio Andreani (pictured above), who was an adviser at DLA, as a partner in its Milan office. Andreani specialises in tax litigation, M&A tax structuring and tax issues related to restructuring and insolvency. He is joined by a team of five lawyers, including one counsel, two senior associates and two associates.

Clyde & Co has hired two Africa-focused international arbitration partners from US firm Curtis Mallet-Prevost. David Hesse acts for states and energy companies on dispute resolution and international arbitration, while Peter Stewart acts for national oil companies and governments on commercial transactions, oil and gas development and international arbitration. Both Hesse and Stewart join the firm in London.

The firm has also appointed healthcare lawyer Gemma Brannigan as a partner in its London office. She was previously a partner at Capsticks, where she led the London inquests team. She is joined at Clydes by senior associate Jacques Howell.

Addleshaw Goddard has boosted its real estate finance team with the hire of Habib Ullah in its London office. He was previously Taylor Wessing's head of banking in Dubai and was formerly a partner at legacy Nabarro. He advises banks and financial institutions on conventional and Shariah-compliant finance transactions.

The firm has also appointed Allen & Overy counsel Beth Collett as a partner in its housing finance practice. She advises issuers, managers and trustees on public bond issues.

Addleshaws has also appointed a new general counsel, Sarah O'Neill, who has been promoted from deputy general counsel. She had previously worked in the in-house teams of Herbert Smith Freehills and Allen & Overy. She is replacing Simon Callander, who has left the firm to join clothing company SuperGroup.

Eversheds Sutherland has hired three partners in the UK in recent weeks, strengthening its renewable energy, real estate and pensions teams.

Real estate partner Mark Chester joins the firm from Gowling WLG, where he spent 17 years. His practice focuses on alternative assets, particularly in the pharmaceuticals, technology and education sectors. He is particularly well-known for his data centre work.

The firm has also added pensions partner Georgina Rankin to its human resources practice in Birmingham. She joins from Squire Patton Boggs, where she was a partner. She focuses on advising on the pensions aspect of large M&A deals, assisting pension scheme closures and acting as a long-term legal adviser to pension schemes, particularly in the university sector.

Finally, the firm has bolstered its renewable energy practice with the hire of construction specialist Richard Streeter from CMS UK. Streeter joins Eversheds as a partner. He was a senior associate at CMS, focusing on offshore renewable energy construction. He was previously senior legal counsel at Danish energy company DONG Energy.

DLA Piper has appointed two non-executive directors to sit on its international board: Ana Garcia Fau, who has also joined the firm's global board, and Guillaume Penot. Fau was formerly a senior executive at Hibu and Telefonica while Penot is European president of drinks business Moet Hennessy. Sean Mahon, who had been a director on DLA's international and global board since 2007, has stepped down. DLA Piper co-chair, Juan Picon, said: "The appointments of Ana and Guillaume will help us to continue to embrace new ideas and help us achieve our vision to be the leading global business law firm."

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer has appointed dispute resolution partner Georgia Dawson as regional managing partner for its Asia offices. Dawson will split her time between Hong Kong and Singapore. She replaces Robert Ashworth, who has stepped down after six years in post. Ashworth now joins the leadership of the firm's international M&A practice, alongside Bruce Embley in London and Matt Herman in New York.

Squire Patton Boggs has hired a partner from hotel group Starwood to lead its global hospitality practice. Elias Hayek, who was vice-president, legal, for the EMEA region at Starwood, will split his time between Squires' London and Dubai offices.

The firm has also hired Andrea Cropley as a corporate partner in its Manchester office. Cropley joins the firm from Irwin Mitchell, where she was a partner. Her practice focuses on M&A and corporate finance for clients in the financial services, technology, healthcare and manufacturing sectors.

Irwin Mitchell has appointed Pinsent Masons' partner Adrian Barlow as its new head of real estate. Based in London, Barlow will lead a team of more than 30 real estate partners and more than 40 other real estate lawyers. He led Pinsents' real estate group between 2004 and 2016.

Viacom International Media Networks (VIMN) has promoted Marcus Lee, previously general counsel of Channel 5, to GC for UK, northern and eastern Europe. Lee trained with legacy Charles Russell before moving in-house, where he worked for companies including Portland Media Group, Express Newspapers, Paramount Home Entertainment and Showtime. He joined Channel 5 in 2010.

Withers has hired senior tax adviser Shingo Iizuka in its Tokyo office from big four accountant Deloitte, where he was director of the private company and the global employer practices. He was previously deputy director in the Tokyo office of Japan's national tax agency.

UK top 50 firm Shakespeare Martineau has appointed a commercial property partner in its Stratford-upon-Avon office. The firm has hired Caroline Irvine from Worcester-based Harrison Clark Rickerbys, where she was head of the commercial and residential property teams. She has particular experience of non-contentious landlord and tenant cases.