Paris, 1 March, 2006 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Baker & McKenzie announced today that leading French banking & finance lawyer, Clotilde Dirnat, will join the Firm’s Paris office as a partner to develop its French banking and finance practice. Clotilde joins the Firm from Herbert Smith’s Paris office.
Clotilde Dirnat spent the early part of her career at Freshfields where she worked for both the Paris and Madrid offices. Clotilde moved to Herbert Smith in 1998 where she actively contributed to establishing and running the French Banking & Finance practice.
Clotilde has extensive experience in advising on a wide range of international finance and banking transactional work. Her practice is mainly focused on advising French and foreign financial institutions and corporates on acquisition and structured finance (including securitisations) and debt restructurings.
Commenting on her appointment, Jeremy Pitts, head of the Global Banking & Finance Practice group at Baker & McKenzie said: “Clotilde is a highly respected banking & finance lawyer in France and our recruitment of Clotilde highlights just how serious our ambitions are in this market. Her versatile skills and energy will be invaluable as we consolidate our high level banking & finance capabilities in all the key financial centres across the globe.”
Clotilde Dirnat said: “I was attracted to Baker & McKenzie because of its clear commitment to developing a first class global banking & finance capability. The depth of its international structure is fundamental in delivering quality advice and client care across borders, and this fits perfectly with my skills and aspirations.”
As well as the hire of Clotilde in Paris, Baker & McKenzie has this week also announced the arrival of a leading structured finance partner from Linklaters – David Deck – to its Tokyo office.
Baker & McKenzie has been steadily building its banking & finance practice in the key financial centres during the last twelve months with a number of notable partner hires. This has included the high profile hire of the four partner structured finance team, who joined the London office from Norton Rose in the later part of 2005. Other key partner hires have included Nick Tostivin, who will join the London office from Linklaters in March, and Laurence Pettit, who joined the New York office from White & Case in August 2005.
