Linklaters lands top Wachtell dealmaker in another New York coup

Linklaters has hired senior Wachtell M&A partner Mark Gordon in New York, landing another heavyweight hire as it continues its push into the world’s most lucrative legal market.

Gordon has spent more than 30 years at Wachtell, joining the famously selective New York firm in 1994 and becoming a partner in 2001. He will join Linklaters in November as managing partner of the Americas and co-chair of global M&A.

A leading adviser on major corporate deals, Gordon has worked on some of the market's biggest deals. He led the Wachtell team advising Teck Resources on its $69 billion merger with FTSE 100 mining giant Anglo American agreed last year.

He will succeed Tom McGrath as Linklaters’ Americas managing partner.

Linklaters steps up New York push

The move is the latest statement of intent from Linklaters in New York, where building a top-tier practice has become one of the UK firm’s biggest strategic priorities.

In July, it poached leading sports disputes partners Christopher Boehning and Daniel Levi from Paul Weiss, with three more litigators subsequently following from the US firm. Last week, it announced the hire of Johnson & Johnson global litigation head Erik Haas.

M&A rainmaker George Casey was appointed chairman of the Americas last year. He joined in 2024 alongside five other dealmakers from Shearman & Sterling shortly before the firm combined with Allen & Overy.

Linklaters says its US partnership has grown by more than 75% since 2022, while revenue has more than doubled and profits quadrupled over the same period.

Senior partner Aedamar Comiskey called Gordon's arrival a “landmark advance” in the firm's ambition to build a top-tier US practice.

Wachtell departures continue

Wachtell has traditionally been one of the most lateral-resistant firms on Wall Street, developing its partners largely from within and rarely losing senior lawyers to rivals.

That reputation has taken a knock this year. Gordon joins a growing list of partners to leave the M&A heavyweight as competition for the most sought-after lawyers at the top of the New York market intensifies.