Audit Associate

Weekly update - 5th october 2026. Welcome to this week's update, where we bring you the latest moves, promotions, and strategic appointments shaping the legal industry. Partner Moves Individual UK & Ireland Willkie Farr & Gallagher Partner David Jansen will join Weil, Gotshal & Manges' Frankfurt office as a Partner in the Private Equity Practice. With a focus on financial regulatory matters, Jansen has expertise in asset management and advising sponsors on complex secondary transactions. He also advises on M&A transactions in the financial sector involving the purchase and sale of regulated entities, in coordination with regulators including BaFin and the ECB. Louise Woods joins as Chair of International Disputes from Vinson & Elkins, where she practiced for 13 years and served as European Co-Head of International Disputes. Woods advises clients on complex international commercial disputes, with a particular focus on international arbitration in the energy sector. Paula Deasy joins as Partner in Real Estate from William Fry and will work in the Cork office. Her appointment further strengthens RDJ's market-leading Real Estate practice and reflects continued client demand for specialist advice across the full spectrum of commercial property, development and real estate finance matters. Nicola Simmons joins as Partner in London in the Private Wealth from Mishcon de Reya. Nicola is a Tax and Private Wealth lawyer with more than ten years of experience advising entrepreneurs, family offices, trustees, and corporates on both personal and corporate tax matters. Employment Partner Matt Freeman has joined Keystone in London. Matt previously worked as a Solicitor at AXA has over 20 years' experience advising financial institutions and multinational organisations across the UK and EMEA. He advises on complex, high-stakes employment matters, including senior executive exits, employment tribunal litigation, regulatory issues and business-critical restructurings, working closely with C-suite stakeholders on sensitive and strategic matters. Linda Adelson joins as Partner in London from Forvis Mazar to strengthen Keystone's Indirect Tax Practice. She has over 30 years' experience advising on all areas of VAT and indirect tax, and has particular expertise in financial services, insurance, fintech, e-money, real estate, and complex cross-border matters. Matheson confirms appointment of Partner, Gerry Thornton, as Head of Tax in Dublin. He will lead Matheson's market-leading tax practice, the largest of any Irish law firm. He succeeds Shane Hogan, who was recently appointed as Managing Partner of the firm. Andy Tyler joins the firm in Edinburgh from Davidson Chalmers Stewart as Partner in Real Estate. He brings extensive experience advising developers, investors, funders and occupiers, with particular expertise across the living sector, life sciences and healthcare. His appointment further strengthens the team's expertise as they respond to growing demand for specialist advice across a range of asset classes and sectors. Paul Batchelor joins from Knights as Partner to further strengthen their Birmingham office. Paul brings more than 20 years' experience advising clients on a broad range of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, joint ventures, restructurings and strategic business growth projects. James Sherlock has joined the Firm's M&A and Private Equity Practice as a Partner in London. He joins from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where he was a member of their Private Equity Group. Sherlock advises financial sponsors on a wide range of transactions, including private acquisitions and disposals, carve-outs, co-investments, consortium deals, joint ventures, group restructurings and other general corporate matters. Global law firm Ashurst Perkins Coie announces the appointment of Henry Stewart as partner in the Projects, Energy, Environment and Resources practice, based in London, as the firm builds out its European energy offering. This comes only a few days after Energy transactions partner Quentin Robinson parts with the firm, and heads to Simmons and Simmons. Greenberg Traurig has hired Ben Patton as Partner from Ashurst Perkins Coie to lead its London construction practice, the latest in a string of real estate hires in the City by the US firm. Ben Patton has joined Greenberg as a Shareholder after nearly 20 years at Ashurst Perkins Coie and legacy firm Ashurst, where he was co-head of the London construction group. Richard Bush opens new dedicated Sports practice at Hill Dickinson. He joins as Hill Dickinson's new Head of Sport from Bird & Bird, where he spent over a decade (with five years as Partner). Richard is based in London. John Sheehy joins as Partner in Dublin at Corrigan and Corrigan from DAC Beachcroft Dublin. He has experience in litigation and dispute resolution, as well as particular expertise in the areas of defence personal injury, professional negligence and all insurance-related litigation. Wilmer, Cutler, Pickering, Hale and Dorr have hired two Partners from Cooley and Clifford Chance as the firm expands in arbitration and establishes a commercial disputes practice in London. Charlie Lightfoot joins the firm from Cooley where he was Head of International Arbitration. He was previously Jenner & Block London Managing Partner. Jeremy Kosky joins from Clifford Chance, arriving as Head of the London Disputes Practice. Travers Smith Litigation Partner Huw Jenkin has left the firm to join Enyo Law LLP in London, The Lawyer has learned. Jenkin, who has been a Partner at Travers for 14 years, is set to become the litigation boutique's 22nd partner. Skadden is pleased to announce Sam Blake has joined the firm as a Partner in the financial sponsor practice in its London office. Blake is an experienced private equity lawyer who has advised on complex transactions across the U.K. and Europe. He joins from Antin Infrastructure Partners where he worked for 8 years. Douglas Roberts joins as Partner for Gillespie MacAndrew after 3 years at TLT and will work in the Edinburgh office. Hogan Lovells Cadwalader corporate tax partner Adam Blakemore has joined Proskauer in London. Blakemore spent more than 20 years at Cadwalader before moving over to Hogan Lovells Cadwalader when the firms completed their merger in July. Rachel Kerr joins as Partner in Birmingham. She moves from Gowling WLG. She has over 15 years' experience working across numerous real estate sectors and assets for a range of both investment and development clients. She specialises in industrial and logistics, offices, retail, data centres and the living sector, including hotels.

Forvis Mazars reported $2.32 billion in US revenue for fiscal year 2026, representing 3.5% growth. The public accounting and consulting firm's Assurance and Tax service lines each grew 5%, whilst Consulting services remained steady amid industrywide softening. The firm expanded its footprint with new offices in Minneapolis and Seattle, and partnered with The Innova Group to strengthen healthcare consulting services. Growth was strongest in three sectors: Nonprofit, Education, & Public Sector; Private Equity; and Technology, Media, & Telecommunications. Forvis Mazars promoted 50 new partners and managing directors and added 20 direct-admit partners and managing directors. Through its foundation, the firm distributed nearly $3.6 million to nonprofit organisations. Team members contributed over 33,700 hours of community service during the year.

CloudFirst, backed by private equity firm Renovus Capital, has acquired the IT and cybersecurity unit from Forvis Mazars. The deal adds an established team of IT and cybersecurity professionals to CloudFirst's operations. The acquisition expands CloudFirst's Microsoft Azure capabilities and introduces a formal Service Desk offering to its portfolio. No financial terms of the transaction were disclosed. Forvis Mazars is an accounting and advisory firm, whilst CloudFirst provides managed IT services.