HarbourVest Partners, a global private markets asset manager, has appointed Paula Drake as managing director and general counsel. Drake will oversee all aspects of HarbourVest’s legal and compliance functions across the globe.   “As HarbourVest continues to grow and expand our solutions and investment capabilities, our primary focus remains on delivering high-quality service to our clients and partners, and this includes staying ahead of changing regulatory dynamics in the global private markets,” says John Toomey, managing director, HarbourVest. “We already have robust legal and compliance functions in place, as well as a strong control environment, and with the addition of

Law firm MJ Hudson has hired three senior lawyers to its team. Christopher Dearie joins as partner (financial services law and regulation).   Dearie advises asset managers, banks and domestic and international investment funds on a broad range of financial services regulatory issues. He previously worked at Freshfields, Ropes & Gray, and Jones Day.   Dearie says: “I am delighted to be joining MJ Hudson at this exciting time and look forward to playing my part in growing the regulatory offering.”   Daniel Lewin will head the firm’s tax practice as partner. Lewin is currently a partner of Arnold &

Michael P Gallagher has joined Duane Morris as a partner in the firm’s Philadelphia office. Gallagher enhances the firm’s corporate and securities capabilities in Philadelphia, nationally and internationally. He joins Duane Morris from Pepper Hamilton.   Gallagher concentrates his practice in the areas of corporate finance, private equity, family businesses, securities, mergers and acquisitions, workouts, exit planning and general corporate matters. He has represented issuers and underwriters in private and public offerings of debt and equity securities, as well as financial and strategic buyers and sellers in stock and asset acquisitions.   Gallagher has significant experience advising clients in a

CIL has appointed Tabitha Elwes as a partner to head its new media practice. Elwes joins from Prospero Strategy Consultants, which she helped to build as a partner from 2011; previously she was partner in charge of media at Spectrum Strategy Consultants.    Elwes has a long track-record of advising clients in the media, digital and tech sectors internationally. She also has extensive M&A experience and has advised on deals totalling over EUR6 billion.   Sebastian Chambers, managing partner at CIL, says: “We are delighted that Tabitha is joining us to lead our focus on media. CIL has extensive expertise in many

Tikehau Capital, a pan-European listed alternative asset management and investment firm, has appointed Peter Cirenza as head of its London operations, effective 24 April 2017. Cirenza will be responsible for helping develop the firm’s private asset strategies – private debt, real estate and private equity.   He will be running the London operations alongside chairman Lord Peter Levene.   Cirenza has been a member of Tikehau Capital’s advisory board since 2005. In this role, he has been supporting the company’s leadership team providing his insight as an outside expert in principal investing, structured finance and mergers and acquisitions.   Bringing

Clayton Euro Risk, a provider of risk analysis on mortgage and asset finance, has appointed Maurice Wijmans (pictured)to the newly-created role of senior manager – business development for the Netherlands. Based in The Hague and working across the country, Wijmans takes up his role with immediate effect, reporting to Clayton Euro Risk’s strategic delivery director Simon Collingridge.   His primary focus will be to build relationships across a range of markets including commercial real estate, consumer, shipping and corporate finance in the Netherlands to ensure that Clayton’s services deliver value and fully meet the needs of its clients.   In residential

Cairngorm Capital has appointed Amit Thaper as investment director, extending the firm’s capacity for new investments. Thaper joins from HIG Capital, a global private equity investment firm, where he was a vice president in the Boston office. Thaper was involved in acquiring and advising value-orientated, lower middle-market companies with high-return outlooks.   Prior to HIG Capital, Thaper worked as a strategy consultant for Bain & Company, both in Boston and London. At Bain, he advised clients across a range of industries including healthcare, manufacturing and distribution, as well as conducting due diligence studies for private equity and hedge funds.  

Serra Ventures, a Champaign, Illinois-based venture capital firm, has appointed John Giuliani as a venture partner. Giuliani has over 30 years of experience helping and growing successful businesses. He took the helm of Dotomi and built the company until it was sold for USD295 million.   Subsequently, as CEO of Conversant, Giuliani led the company to significant growth and a USD2.3 billion exit to Alliance Data in December 2014.   “I am very pleased to welcome John as a venture partner to our team,” says Tim Hoerr, managing partner and CEO of Serra Ventures. “John has great expertise in a variety of business domains

Corporate credit specialist Muzinich & Co has added to its European private debt team with the appointment of Jan Henrik Reichenbach as head of DACH private debt (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). He will be based in the firm’s Frankfurt office.    Reichenbach has more than 17 years of financing and capital markets experience and joins the firm from Ernst & Young where he was a partner in the capital & debt advisory team for the DACH region. He was focused on relationships with financial investors as well as providing financing advice to companies in special situations.    Prior to joining Ernst

Three new partners are joining Baker McKenzie's M&A and private equity practices in London. This is a continuation of the firm’s 2020 strategy to increase bench strength in London in M&A, private equity, banking and finance and double headcount in New York.   David Duncan joins from Allen & Overy as an M&A partner focussed on the energy, mining and infrastructure (EMI) industry vertical. He has extensive expertise of working on complex M&A deals and joint venture transactions for many of the key global players in the EMI sector.   Melanie Howard joins from Clifford Chance, also as an M&A partner.