Lawyer Monthly Magazine - February 2019 Edition

FEB 2019 15 Lawyer Moves www. lawyer-monthly .com Deloitte has announced the appointment of Michael Castle as its newManaging Partner for Deloitte Legal in the UK. Michael will be the first permanent lead partner for Deloitte Legal, and will commence the role in February 2019. Based in the London office, Michael will be responsible for leading Deloitte Legal in the UK, which offers expert legal advice alongside technology-enabled delivery and process optimisation. Michael joins after spending more than two decades at Allen & Overy, where he was a partner in the banking practice. In this role, he gained wide-ranging experience of banking transactions and was heavily involved in implementing the delivery of innovative legal solutions to a number of clients. As Managing Partner at Deloitte Legal, Michael will make use of capabilities from across Deloitte and develop new ways to take legal solutions to the market. This will combine legal advice with legal managed services, technology and consultancy to provide solutions to clients looking to optimise the management of their legal operations. Deloitte first announced plans to expand its legal services last year. Since then, the UK team now numbers 60+ client-facing practicing lawyers and 125+ other fee earners who are already delivering regulated legal activities, with recruitment set to continue throughout 2019. Globally, Deloitte Legal has 2,500 professionals operating in 85 countries. Commenting on the appointment, Matt Ellis, Managing Partner for tax and legal, Deloitte North West Europe, said: “We have sky-high ambitions for Deloitte Legal in the UK, and this is why it is excellent to have someone of Michael’s calibre at the helm to build our presence and grow our distinctive suite of legal offerings. “Michael brings a wealth of experience and it is clear to see that his leadership and understanding of the legal market and appreciation of legal technology will only benefit the rest of the team and our clients. We have an ambitious, talented team that looks set to grow rapidly as we ramp up our recruitment across Deloitte Legal.” Michael Castle, the incoming Managing Partner for Deloitte Legal UK, commented on his appointment: " This is an exciting and challenging time for the legal industry. General Counsels face a number of converging complexities, ranging from a heightened regulatory environment to an increasingly globalised business landscape, not to mention an acceleration of technological advancements. “Deloitte Legal is ideally placed to fill the digital gap in the legal market and provide legal solutions to tackle these complexities head on. By drawing not only on our legal expertise, but also on our deep understanding of the latest technology and tried-and- tested ways of improving processes, we can help legal departments improve efficiencies and increase the value they deliver back to their business.” Norton Rose Fulbright Strengthens Government Practice with Four New Partners in Canberra DLA Piper has strengthened its Corporate and Finance offering with the appointment of Philip Lee as a partner in its Corporate practice, based in Singapore. Philip Lee joins the firm from Herbert Smith Freehills, where he has been a partner since 2012. He specializes in debt capital markets work and has experience advising on complex securities transactions, especially related to structured finance and general securities. Philip has been involved in a number of award-winning equity linked, bank capital and other finance transactions. He also has wide ranging experience in syndicated and secured bank lending with particular emphasis on structured finance, project finance and acquisition finance. Li Qiang (LQ), Co-Managing Partner for DLA Piper in Asia, said: "Growing our Corporate and Finance offering in Asia is a key priority for us. Philip's market profile and technical ability in debt capital markets combined with his extensive track record advising both ASEAN and international clients perfectly complement our global business. Following the hire of Yang Ge in Beijing and Henry Cheng in Hong Kong in 2018, Philip’s appointment is another step in further enhancing our offering across these areas." Luke Gannon, DLA Piper's Head of Corporate, Asia, added: "Philip's hire is part of our continued investment in Singapore, a key financial hub for South East Asia. He has strong relationships with many institutions active in this market and he will work closely with our existing team to further grow our local and global business." DLA Piper Strengthens ASEAN Corporate and Finance Offering with Key Partner Hire