Linklaters’ co-head of leveraged finance is set to leave the Magic Circle law firm to join US rival Gibson Dunn in London.
David Irvine is set to join Gibson Dunn after more than three years at Linklaters, according to people familiar with the situation.
Irvine is the latest high-profile partner to ditch Linklaters for a US legal titan.
READ Paul Weiss continues London hiring spree with Linklaters partner
Corporate partner Dan Schuster-Woldan left Linklaters in January to join Paul Weiss in London, following private equity M&A partner Will Aitken-Davies and antitrust partner Nicole Kar, who also jumped to the same firm last year.
Late last year leveraged finance partner Noel Hughes left to join Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in London.
Linklaters is consulting on plans to make it harder for partners to leave for rivals, in the face of the flow of exits, according to a person familiar with the situation. Under the proposals, the firm could force partners who leave for rivals to forego end-of-year bonus payments.
Irvine joined Linklaters in London from Kirkland & Ellis in Hong Kong in November 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.
READ Linklaters hires Shearman & Sterling managing partner George Casey
He was previously a partner at Linklaters between 2008 and 2015, his profile on the social media site said.
Linklaters has been on a push to grow in the US in recent months. It hired Shearman & Sterling managing partner George Casey and fellow corporate partner Heiko Schiwek in New York in January.
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