Market & Business Intelligence Manager

Freeths secures major tax hire with appointment of David Smith. 9th july 2026. Leading law firm Freeths has appointed renowned tax specialist David Smith as Partner and Joint Head of Tax, further strengthening its national tax practice as client demand continues to grow across private equity, international investment and complex corporate transactions. David joins Freeths from DLA Piper and brings more than 20 years' experience advising multinational businesses, private equity investors and management teams on high-value domestic and cross-border tax matters. Working alongside existing Partner and Joint Head of Tax Adrian Hackett, David will help lead the firm's national tax team, supporting clients on a broad range of transactional and advisory matters. His appointment significantly enhances Freeths' capabilities in key growth areas including private equity, international tax structuring, global mobility and energy sector mergers and acquisitions. Over the course of his career, David has advised on the tax aspects of acquisitions, disposals, restructurings and international expansion projects across multiple jurisdictions. He is particularly recognised for his expertise in private equity transactions, multinational group structuring, employment taxes and helping businesses navigate increasingly complex international tax landscapes. The appointment reflects Freeths' continued investment in its tax offering and wider corporate services platform, reinforcing the firm's ability to support clients on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters. Commenting on the appointment, Adrian Hackett, said: "David is one of the most experienced and well-regarded tax lawyers in the market, and his arrival is a significant moment for our team. His expertise spans many of the areas where we are seeing the strongest client demand, from private equity and international transactions through to employment taxes and global mobility. "Beyond his technical excellence, David brings a highly commercial and pragmatic approach that aligns perfectly with how we support our clients. His appointment reflects both the strength of our ambition and our continued investment in building one of the UK's leading tax practices." David Smith added: "Freeths is a firm with genuine momentum, an impressive client base and a clear vision for growth. What attracted me was the opportunity to help shape the future of the tax practice while working alongside talented colleagues across the firm's sector and service teams. "The firm has established a strong reputation for delivering commercially focused advice on complex matters, and there is a real opportunity to further develop the offering in areas such as private equity, international tax, global mobility and cross-border investment. I'm excited to be joining at such an important stage in the firm's growth journey."

Weekly update - 15th June 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 Morgan Lewis has hired Goodwin Private Equity Partner and former London office Co-Chair Gemma Roberts as it continues to add senior talent in London. McDermott Will & Schulte has added former Brown Rudnick partner Jessica Lee to its growing disputes team. DAC Beachcroft has boosted its commercial disputes practice in London with a Partner hire from Signature Litigation. Paul Brehony brings almost 30 years of experience to DACB. DLA Piper is expanding its global Capital Solutions bench with the addition of Andrew Bechtel who joins from Simpson Thatcher. Cadwalader Private Wealth Partner, Matthew Sperry, has left the firm for Pillsbury after less than a year, as the former prepares to merge with Hogan Lovells next month. Stewarts has hired former Clyde & Co lawyer Alexandra Lyons as a Partner in its policyholder disputes practice. Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton has hired Simmons & Simmons former Co-Head of Private Equity, Gideon Sharp to lead its London office, becoming the latest U.S. firm to make expansive moves in the U.K. capital. Rafique Bachour joins Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as Partner in the Brussels Antitrust/Competition team. Bachour joins from Freshfields. Patent litigator Christopher Weber is founding a new litigation firm patlit.xyz based in Düsseldorf. A team of four Private Equity and M&A Partners Wessel Heukamp, Verena Nosch, Markus Paul and Carsten Haak have joined Latham & Watkins from Freshfields in Germany. Promotions & Appointments Grine Lahreche has been appointed managing partner of the 19-partner office, having been a partner at legacy Winston & Strawn for three years before its merger with Taylor Wessing's UK business. Clifford Chance has announced seven promotions to local partner in the first formal round for the role. The salaried role is not new, but this is the first time the firm has formally announced a dedicated round. Going forward, promotions to the role will be announced annually in June, separately from the firm's global partner round, which takes place in April. Simmons & Simmons has made two major leadership appointments to the firm, hiring Emma Williams as General Counsel (GC) and Partner, and Andy Peat as Chief Client Officer (CCO) and Partner. Emma Williams joins from Simpson Thacher while Andy Peat exits DLA. Anahita Thoms was elected Country Managing Partner by the partners and will lead Baker McKenzie's German office for the next three years in the post previously held by Alexander Wolff. Fieldfisher announces the appointment of James Craddock as Chief Operating Officer (COO). James joins Fieldfisher from DLA Piper, where he held a number of senior leadership roles. Firm and Market Activity Office Openings & Closings Global law firm DLA Piper reaffirms Saudi Arabia as a strategic priority market, with continued investment aligned to Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 transformation, marked by the opening of a new office in King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), the country's premier financial centre. Mergers & Alliances U.K. law firm Irwin Mitchell is considering taking private equity backing as it seeks to regain ownership of its umbrella company, which is majority-controlled by retired Partners, according to sources and media reports. Financial Results Kennedys has posted revenue of £457 million in its latest financial year, marking a 9% increase on the previous year and the firm's twelfth consecutive year of growth. The UK remains the firm's largest market, responsible for 47% of total revenue. Its EMEA and LATAM businesses contributed 9.2%. Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins both broke through the $1bn barrier for London office revenue for the first time ever last year, new data in this year's The Lawyer's US 50 report confirms. A quartet of U.S.-based law firms dominates the rankings of the legal institutions with the highest revenue per lawyer in the U.K., according to the latest in-depth research by Law.com. Market Commentary Milbank kicked off the latest round of US associate salary increases last week, with McDermott following suit and Quinn Emanuel raising the stakes further in London. The firm was once again the first mover, pushing associate salaries up the "Cravath scale", the benchmark pay structure followed by most top US firms. In his first interview since becoming Co-Managing Partner in April, Jens Wenzel set out how the firm is handling a market that has shifted sharply since its last leadership election in 2022, not least with the rise of AI reshaping how legal work is delivered. Innovation & Culture Technology & Innovation The International Bar Association (IBA) has launched an Artificial Intelligence Institute, a new initiative intended to advance responsible AI governance through international cooperation and interdisciplinary expertise. Kirkland & Ellis has co-developed an AI platform with Palantir to help its private equity clients raise funds from investors as part of a multi-year technology partnership. The deal with the data analysis, surveillance and AI company - whose technology has been used in the US by immigration authorities to help round up undocumented immigrants − is part of a $500m plan by the world's largest law firm by revenue to build its own AI technology. Swedish legaltech firm Legora is opening three new offices in Madrid, Milan and Paris as it seeks to tap into increasing European-based demand. The offices are set to open in the third quarter of this year, with their primary focus on sales, customer success and legal engineering - a key role in assisting its customer base with AI adoption and workflow creation. Essam Al Tamimi explains: "We worked with Legora's competitors. We tried different systems. But it became clear that the determination and drive of the Legora team was most closely aligned with our vision and would provide clients with the best solution. We were very impressed with the system, and I received excellent feedback from our team."

The Brazil-UK Summit: deepening the bilateral realtionship. * Finton Hanks * 04th Jun 2026 On Thursday, 21 May, Canning House convened the Brazil-UK Summit in São Paulo, in partnership with DLA Piper. Its expert panels and speakers reflected on the multifaceted and increasingly important bilateral relationship and opportunities for further cooperation and growth. The first session focused on international relations and geopolitics. Both governments participated and recognised the strategic alignment of both countries and the importance of continued partnership. Its first panel categorised both the UK and Brazil as influential middle powers who align on key issues. Brazil's foreign policy is more universal: the country has diplomatic relations with almost all countries, notably including Russia through the BRICS. The panel stressed the growth of violence and increasing sophistication of criminal gangs involved in politics. HM Trade Commissioner for Latin America, Amy Barklam, celebrated the commercial relationship, which has never been stronger. She recognised the challenges of doing business in the region and highlighted the steps her team is taking to build trust, rules, and confidence between the two nations. The day's latter half dealt with the business opportunities in the Brazil-UK relationship. Its second panel discussed developments in the energy and mining sector. The speakers agreed that the energy transition requires the continued use of oil and gas, and celebrated Brazil and the UK's commitment to renewables. In particular, the discussion explored the use of green hydrogen and the roles of central bank oversight in stimulating investment in these areas. Carlos Levy, the President of Britcham Brasil and CEO of Rolls-Royce Brazil, participated in a fireside chat in which he explored the ample opportunities for business on both sides of this relationship. The third session focused on technology and finance. Speakers praised Brazil's high adoption of fintech and cryptocurrencies, supported by British businesses. They called for regulation that supports innovation, which can allow businesses to prepare for the future. In turn, businesses must educate their workforce to be well-equipped for these changes and be prepared against cyberattacks. Renato Lulia Jacob, Itaú Unibanco's Group Head of Corporate Strategy, joined for a fireside chat. He reflected on how the past 10 years have affected the UK's perception in Brazil and driven a loss of talent and investment. He stressed the importance of competing with venture capital based in the USA. The Brazil-UK Summit provided a comprehensive and insightful analysis of the key issues facing the bilateral relationship and highlighted key opportunities for diplomacy and business. Canning House extends its thanks to all of its speakers and attendees for their contributions. Canning House Ltd look forward to convening the Mexico-UK Summit in London later in 2026.