Linklaters continues US push with COO hire and NY office expansion

Linklaters has hired A&O Shearman’s COO Maria Zaino as chief operating officer of its Americas business, as the Magic Circle firm continues its push in the US market.

Zaino joins in New York, where she will work closely with chairman of the Americas George Casey and Americas managing partner Tom McGrath to accelerate the firm’s US strategy and support growth across its core practices.

She will reunite with Casey, the former Shearman & Sterling rainmaker and co-managing partner who joined Linklaters in a high-profile team move two years ago. Zaino succeeds Michael Brock, who is retiring after 31 years with the firm.

The hire comes alongside a significant expansion of Linklaters’ New York office. The firm has signed a lease for an additional 48,000 square feet, on top of 6,500 square feet taken in October, increasing its footprint by more than 50% to over 150,000 square feet across five floors.

US ambitions

Zaino spent more than 20 years at legacy Shearman & Sterling in a range of senior leadership roles, including global business director for corporate and M&A, working closely with Casey during his tenure as global managing partner. Most recently at A&O Shearman, she served as executive adviser to US management and COO for three global practice groups.

Her move is another sign of Linklaters’ long-term US ambitions. Over the past two years, the firm has added 16 partners across M&A, finance and disputes in New York and Washington as it looks to build out a deeper transatlantic platform.

The US remains a relatively small contributor to Linklaters’ overall financial performance compared with some rivals, accounting for just 8% of global turnover in the year to April 2025. But momentum is building. Americas revenues rose nearly 27% to £189 million, up from £149 million the previous year.