Freshfields has named US M&A co-head Damien Zoubek as its new US managing partner, succeeding Sarah Solum after five years in the role.
The appointment comes as Freshfields continues one of the most successful US expansion drives among the Magic Circle firms, built around a series of high-profile lateral hires.
Freshfields has appointed Damien Zoubek as its new US managing partner, handing leadership of the region to one of its top M&A partners.
Zoubek succeeds Silicon Valley-based capital markets partner Sarah Solum, who has led the firm's US business since 2021 and will continue to focus on client work.
US growth story
Zoubek is co-head of Freshfields' US M&A practice and joined the firm from Cravath in 2021 as part of its ambitious US expansion strategy. Fellow M&A partner Jenny Hochenberg followed from Cravath the following year.
Their arrivals formed part of a broader push that has transformed Freshfields' standing in the New York M&A market. Since hiring Ethan Klingsberg from Cleary in 2019, the firm has invested heavily in senior talent and is now widely regarded as having built a top-tier US M&A practice.
What they said
Senior partner Georgia Dawson said Zoubek was "exceptionally well placed" to lead the firm's US business.
"The United States is a core part of our global platform, and Damien's appointment reflects our continued determination to deliver top-tier, fully integrated counsel to the most sophisticated clients, on the most demanding matters, around the world," Dawson said.
Zoubek said he was honoured to take on the role, adding: “Freshfields has built something truly distinctive in the United States: a fully integrated practice with genuine depth across transactions, regulatory, investigations and litigation.”
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