Latham & Watkins has made its first hire in Spain since it appointed former DLA Piper co-chair Juan Picon to lead its Madrid office.

The US firm has recruited Linklaters counsel Naiara Rodriguez-Escudero as a partner in its benefits, compensation  and employment practice. Her practice includes advising Spanish and international clients on a variety of issues relating to restructurings, outsourcings and mergers and acquisitions.

Picon said: "We have exciting plans to further grow our market-leading corporate practice in Spain. Naiara is a highly respected practitioner, with deep expertise across a range of employment law matters. An experienced, strategic advisor to companies and boards, Naiara's counsel and experience will be of great value to our public company and private equity clients."

Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) has expanded its shipping practice with the hire of shipping litigator Nick Fisher in London. He has over 25 years' experience in commercial shipping litigation, international trade and insurance and will join HFW from his firm Fishers Solicitors, which he founded in 1993. He was previously a partner at legacy Richards Butler.

Baker McKenzie has made three additions to its London banking and structured capital markets practice with the hire of a partner and two of counsel. White & Case partner Michael Doran has joined the firm's structured capital markets team, while of counsel Nick O'Grady and Bevis Metcalfe have joined its banking practice from Ropes & Gray.

Irwin Mitchell has appointed its national head of family law Ros Bever as its new Manchester office head, replacing the base's current leader Roy Beckett on 1 May. Beckett will head up the firm's Manchester real estate offering, replacing former regional real estate head Anita Weightman after she led a team move to Addleshaw Goddard last month.

Charles Russell Speechlys has expanded its real estate practice with the hire of CMS Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang funds head Melville Rodrigues. He had been a partner at legacy CMS Cameron McKenna for ten years, specialising in the launch and operation of funds holding underlying real estate investments in the UK as well as on a cross-border basis.

Simmons & Simmons has hired derivatives partner Matthew Hebburn from Allen & Overy. Hebburn joins the firm's City office from the magic circle firm's Singapore base. He had been based there since 2015 after relocating from Hong Kong, where he was head of the Asia trade and commodities finance group. Simmons head of capital markets Paul Browne said: "Matthew has an extremely strong reputation and technical ability and his arrival adds to the bench strength in our over the counter derivatives expertise on the sell side."

The firm has also expanded its tax practice in Amsterdam with the hire of EY global transfer pricing controversy head Monique van Herksen. van Herksen, who joined Simmons this month as a partner after relocating from New York, will specialise in transfer pricing at the firm.

Ashurst has boosted its London disputes team with the hire of Squire Patton Boggs partner Alison Hardy. She joins the firm's City real estate dispute resolution group after four years as a partner at the US firm. Ashurst global head of real estate Hugh Lumby said: "Alison's appointment reflects our commitment to having one of the strongest and highest performing multi-disciplinary real estate teams in the market. There are some major opportunities in the sector on which Alison will help us capitalise."

Eversheds Sutherland has hired antitrust partner Rod Lambert from Brodies in a boost to its EU and competition practice. Lambert rejoins the firm after spending three years as a partner at legacy Eversheds from 2002. He was also formerly co-chair of the global antitrust and competition group at legacy Fulbright & Jaworski. At Eversheds Sutherland he will split his time between the firm's London and Brussels offices, advising on antitrust and trade sanctions.

Clyde & Co has bolstered is Australian real estate practice with the hire of Cameron Thomson from Norton Rose Fulbright. Thomson acts on commercial property portfolios, divestment and acquisition, leases and licenses and development projects for government, corporate real estate and inbound investor clients. Head of the firm's Australian projects and construction group David McElveney said: "Cameron's capabilities, along with the firm's extensive footprint in the region, made establishing a dedicated non-contentious real estate practice in Australia the next logical step."

The firm has also appointed a third partner for its upcoming Bristol office launch. Construction focused Peter O'Brien has joined the firm from Clarke Willmott where he was a partner for just under seven years. Prior to joining Clarke Willmott, O'Brien was a senior associate at Osborne Clarke. He specialises in construction dispute resolution and represents contractors and sub-contractors operating in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Clydes' Bristol office will open its doors on 1 May.

DWF has launched a private capital team in London with the hires of partner Amanda Chapman and director Roger Holman. Both Chapman and Holman join from West End boutique Brecher. Chapman, who joined Brecher in 2016 from Cripps, specialises in acting for high net worth individuals, families, businesses, trustees and charities on succession planning and family business governance, wealth structuring and charity law and practice. Holman joined Brecher from Cripps alongside Chapman and has a focus on private wealth tax.

Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner has hired partner Bernd Geier in Frankfurt from Dentons, where he led the firm's German financial regulation and funds practice. His practice focuses on regulatory change projects, fund and transaction structuring, outsourcing and restructuring and settlement handling. Geier began his career at Linklaters, moving to Allen & Overy as a counsel in 2012, before joining Dentons as a partner in 2015.

Keystone Law has hired Joanne Wheeler MBE (pictured top) from Bird & Bird, where she continues to do some consulting work, to launch a new practice area focused on the satellite, space and telecommunications industries. Wheeler's focus is on communications, satellite and space regulatory policy and she has previously worked at the European Space Agency (ESA) as a legal administrator. Wheeler has also represented the UK at the United Nations space meetings and was awarded an MBE in 2017 for services to the UK space industry. Prior to joining Bird & Bird, Wheeler was a partner at CMS Cameron McKenna for almost five years.