Broadfield adds Sidley and Kirkland talent in global hiring spree

Broadfield has unveiled a raft of hires in London and Hong Kong, adding senior talent from Sidley Austin, Kirkland & Ellis, Baker McKenzie and Addleshaw Goddard just a year after the firm’s launch.

New joiners

Among the highest-profile moves is the arrival of Sidley’s former Asia restructuring chief Gordon Davidson, who joins Broadfield in the same role and takes a seat on its executive committee.

Other additions to the restructuring team include former Sidley lawyer Dylan Rogers, appointed as a partner in London, two further Sidley associates and counsel Will Swan from Baker McKenzie.

Also jumping ship in Asia is highly-regarded litigator Fergus Saurin, previously head of Kirkland & Ellis’s disputes practice in the region, who enters an equivalent position at Broadfield.

In London, infrastructure and planning specialist Mike Dempsey joins from Addleshaw Goddard, further deepening Broadfield’s projects bench.

Bigger picture

Broadfield launched in the UK last year through a partnership between regional firm BDB Pitmans and SHP Legal Services (a subsidiary of Alvarez & Marsal's parent company) - creating a new challenger it said was focused on mid-market private capital and corporate clients with the aim of becoming a market leading full-service player.

The firm’s Hong Kong office, launched in February with the hire of Sidley’s former China co-chief, Effie Vasilopoulos, operates through an association with a boutique founded by Patrick Liu and Huberta Chow, also ex-Sidley lawyers.

What they said

"This has been a milestone period for the firm", said John Hutchinson, London managing partner. "Our client-first model, deep sector focus, and seamless team coordination reflect the value we bring to complex, cross-border deals."

Vasilopoulos said "Our market leading teams are built to navigate the full lifecycle of complex private capital and commercial matters, from front-end investment fund structuring and special situations through restructuring, dispute resolution, litigation, and enforcement."

Update: This article has been updated to clarify that the partnership was between BDB Pitmans and SHP Legal Services, not Alvarez & Marsal directly.