Paul Hastings has appointed its London head Ronan O'Sullivan as global co-managing partner, as the US firm ramps up its presence in the City. O'Sullivan, who has led the London office since 2011, replaces Los Angeles based co-managing partner Stephen Harris. O'Sullivan will be based in London and take up the role from October.

Additionally, the firm has appointed newly hired private equity partner Anu Balasubramanian as global vice-chair of private equity. She also leads the firm's City private equity practice.

Morrison & Foerster has added its third London partner this year with the hire of finance partner Benoit Lavigne from US rival Ropes & Gray. Lavigne had been a partner at Ropes since 2013, and his practice focuses primarily on leveraged finance, acquisition finance and special situations lending.

His hire is MoFo's third partner addition to its City base in 2018, after it picked up former Clifford Chance finance partner Caroline Jury and corporate partner Dan Coppel from Jones Day earlier this year. Latham & Watkins has bolstered its Frankfurt data privacy and security practice with the hire of Tim Wybitul from Hogan Lovells. He joins the US firm as a partner in the litigation and trial department. His practice focuses on advising domestic and multinational clients on a variety of complex data privacy and employment law matters, with a particular focus on GDPR compliance, employee data privacy, internal investigations and data protection litigation and regulatory proceedings.

White & Case has hired M&A partner Tommaso Tosi to its Milan office. Tosi was previously a counsel at Shearman & Sterling, and his areas of expertise include capital markets, particularly high yield, private equity and general corporate law.

Fieldfisher has boosted its Luxembourg office with the hires of tax partner Jean-Luc Dascotte and corporate partner Richard Ledain Santiago. Santiago joins from Allen & Overy's Luxembourg office, while Dascotte was formerly managing partner of Brussels-based boutique tax firm Tiberghien Luxembourg.

Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson has added Simpson Thacher & Bartlett private and investment funds counsel Sam Wilson to its London asset management practice. At Fried Frank, his practice will focus on private investment funds and complex corporate transactions, with a particular emphasis on European fund formation.

TLT has appointed Leeanne Armstrong (pictured above) as a legal director in its Belfast office. Armstrong was previously an associate in Pinsent Masons' office in the Northern Irish capital, where she advised private and public sector clients on a variety of employment issues.

Travers Smith has hired Oliver Bethell as the firm's first chief technology officer. Oliver will join the firm in September from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer where he led the team responsible for technology strategy and underlying IT architecture. Current Travers IT Director Ann Cant will retire in early 2019 after being with the firm for 21 years.

Clifford Chance has boosted its German litigation and dispute resolution practice with the hire of litigation partner Moritz Keller from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. Keller specialises in international commercial and investment arbitration.

Herbert Smith Freehills has grown its New York office with the hire of litigation partner Peter Behmke from US firm Curtis Mallet-Prevost Colt & Mosle. His experience includes representing clients across a range of sectors in complex disputed matters, including in the areas of financial services, commercial contracts, commodities, securities, bankruptcy litigation and energy. With his arrival, HSF will have 13 partners in its New York base.

Eversheds Sutherland has relocated two London partners to its Dubai office, following the departure of two energy partners, including regional energy and infrastructure head Tim Armsby to Pinsent Masons earlier this year. Iwan Walters has been appointed to head of clean energy and sustainability MENA, and Karim Mahmud has been named head of conventional energy and infrastructure MENA.

Hogan Lovells has added London-based corporate tax partner and global co-head of tax Karen Hughes to its global board and finance committee. She replaces Marie-Aimee de Dampierre, following her appointment as the firm's regional managing partner for continental Europe. Hughes has been elected as an at-large representative, and will start her role effective immediately. The Hogan Lovells board comprises 12 members in total and has supervisory responsibility for overseeing the affairs of the firm, but without executive responsibility for strategy, management, and operating decisions.

BLM has appointed two new partners to its commercial advisory and private wealth team. Jonathan Askin – a non-contentious commercial law specialist – joins from Weightmans, alongside Stowe Family Law partner Daniel Jones, who advises high-net-worth private clients.

Bates Wells Braithwaite (BWB) has bolstered its real estate practice with the hire of Gowling WLG partner Malcolm Headley. Headley, who will advise primarily on commercial property and real estate finance matters, will begin his role at BWB effective immediately.