Thiha Tun, Dechert

Dechert has hired Akin Gump investment funds partner Thiha Tun to its London office. He advises on fund formation and capital raisings, fund investments, secondary transactions, establishment of managed accounts, carried interest schemes and co-investment arrangements. Tun moved to Akin Gump in 2014, a year after he joined Bingham McCutchen from Herbert Smith Freehills, where he made partner in 2005.

Locke Lord has appointed restructuring partner David Grant as the firm's new London managing partner, replacing James Channo in the role. Channo remains co-chair of international transactions for Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Grant joined Locke Lord in 2012 from legacy Dentons firm Salans. He is the regional practice group leader for Europe and Asia-Pacific Rim and also head of the London bankruptcy, restructuring and insolvency group.

Gateley has expanded its London team with three partner hires, two of which launch a private wealth offering in the UK. The new offering will be made up of private client partners Richard Jordan and Mark Pearce. Both have been hired from Irwin Mitchell, where Jordan was head of the London private client team.

The firm has also hired corporate partner Oliver Harker from Weightmans, where he was a partner since 2017. Previously, Harker was a partner at Reed Smith for four years, after seven years as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell.

Howard Kennedy has hired barrister Duncan Bagshaw as a partner in the firm's dispute resolution team. Bagshaw moves from Stephenson Harwood, where he was counsel in the Africa team working on international arbitration. Bagshaw was called to the bar of England and Wales – St Philips Chambers – in 2003.

Bird & Bird has made a Big Four hire for its Hamburg office. Hartmut Horner joins Bird & Bird as a partner from Deloitte's Swiss business, where he was general counsel in the firm's consulting group. Horner will join Bird & Bird's commercial practice group, where he will focus on the tech and comms, financial services and life sciences sectors.

Proskauer Rose has hired Bird & Bird employment partner Alexandra Stocki in its Paris office. Stocki advises French and international clients on employment and social security law, and has a particular focus on M&A and restructurings. Stocki was a partner at Bird & Bird for six years and is the third partner to leave Bird & Bird's Paris office this year, after public sector head Sophie Pignon and banking partner Eric Charvillat left for Taylor Wessing.

Fox Williams has bolstered its commerce and technology practice with the hire of travel partner Rhys Griffiths to head its travel practice group. Formerly head of travel at Fieldfisher, Griffiths advises clients on the laws and regulatory requirements regarding the sale of travel services in Europe.