Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance has moved to rebuild its London private equity infrastructure offering, following two significant partner departures last year.

The firm has hired real estate asset manager OMERS Infrastructure's legal director Toby Parkinson as a partner in its City office to bolster its offering.

He is a former CC alum, having joined the firm in 2006 and worked in its infrastructure and private equity practice for a decade. During the stint, he spent three years in the firm's Tokyo office, and joined OMERS Infrastructure in 2016.

In a statement, CC UK managing partner Michael Bates said: "Over the years, the infrastructure sector has matured and become highly specialised, making deep and focused expertise essential to success. Toby's in-depth knowledge across infrastructure assets and his experience at a leading international infrastructure investor will add substantial value to our European infrastructure group. We are delighted to welcome Toby back to the firm, and we look forward to continuing our success together."

CC's core private equity infrastructure bench was depleted last year when head of infrastructure M&A Brendan Moylan joined Latham & Watkins and partner Amy Mahon subsequently departed for Simpson Thacher.

Both Latham and Simpson Thacher have picked up multiple private equity partners from CC in recent years. Simpson Thacher's now-London managing partner Jason Glover was hired from CC in 2010 to launch a funds practice for the U.S. firm, the year after it recruited high-profile CC corporate partner Adam Signy.

Latham, meanwhile, picked up a string of CC hires in 2013 and 2014, including former CC private equity head David Walker and partners Tom Evans and Kem Ihenacho in the City.