People moves and key promotions in securitisation

This week’s roundup of securitisation job swaps sees Ashurst hiring three structured products professionals, including a partner, from Fried Frank. Elsewhere, Capital Four’s US ceo has left the firm after three years, while HFW has appointed two executives from Norton Rose Fulbright to its global shipping and export finance practice.

Ashurst has made three appointments to its US structured products, derivatives and complex financial products team, including the hiring of Fried Frank’s Nick Allen as partner, working out of New York. The trio were all part of the 20-strong team of lawyers Fried Frank poached from Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft in February 2022.

Allen leaves his role as special counsel at Fried Frank and previously spent nine years at Cadwalader. He advises banks, asset managers and hedge funds across a range of derivatives and financial products transactions.

The firm has also hired Andrea Stanovic and Juan Franco as associates from Fried Frank. Stanovic spent a combined two and a half years at Cadwalader, while Franco spent seven months with the firm, prior to the trio’s move to Fried Frank.

Meanwhile, Capital Four’s US ceo Jim Wiant, who also served as partner and a portfolio manager focusing on CLOs and US high yield, has left the firm after three years. Wiant joined the Danish credit manager in early 2021 in order to establish and lead the firm’s US office, after 12 years at MidOcean Partners. Capital Four was yet to reply to a request for comment from SCI at the time of publication.

HFW has hired Norton Rose Fulbright pair Paolo Pinna and Constance Ollat as partner and associate respectively in its global shipping and export finance practice, working out of the firm’s Paris office. 

Pinna leaves his role as counsel at Norton Rose Fulbright after a cumulative 11 years with the firm across two spells. HFW said he advises on “English, French and Italian law” and on “international aspects of banking and finance transactions”, including asset finance, ECA and project finance, infrastructure finance, structured finance, lease transactions, and restructuring.

Ollat joins after six years at Norton Rose and Fulbright, most recently in the role of associate.

Credit and political risk insurance broker BPL has appointed Marsh’s Lizzie Thomas as a director, covering both the European and US markets. Thomas will be based in the company’s London office and will report to deputy ceo James Reynolds. She leaves her role as lenders solutions group leader for the UK – credit specialties at Marsh after 10 years with the firm.

The development comes shortly after Marsh announced the elevation of Christophe Letondot to the head of its newly launched global alternative risk solutions division.  The division will work alongside Guy Carpenter to access capital pools including in the insurance linked securities market. 

Letondot has been with Marsh since 2015 and is promoted from practice leader for the US and Canada credit specialties team, where he focused on alternative risk transfer, structured credit and parametric solutions. He will report to Pat Donnelly, president of Marsh specialty and global placement, and is based in New York.

White & Case has appointed Linklaters’ Eriko Sakata as a funds partner, based in Tokyo. Sakata has experience in real estate, infrastructure, financial regulation and structured finance. She leaves her role as partner at Linklaters after 12 years with the firm’s Tokyo office.

And finally, Paul Hastings leveraged finance partner Luke McDougall has joined Davis Polk as a partner in the firm’s finance practice, working out of its London office. McDougall leaves Paul Hastings after nine years with the firm, having previously worked at Ashurst and Minter Ellison.

Kenny Wastell