Ex-A&O banking chief Bowden exits for Proskauer as US firm snaps up City finance quartet

A&O Shearman banking heavyweight Philip Bowden, the previous co-head of legacy A&O’s world banking observe, has left the newly merged agency to affix Proskauer as a part of a four-partner raid by the US agency.

Bowden, who unsuccessfully ran for senior associate at A&O Shearman forward of the transatlantic tie-up, is departing alongside acquisition finance associate Megan Lawrence, who made associate at A&O in 2022.

The pair will transfer to Proskauer, the place they are going to be part of the worldwide banking and finance staff alongside two companions becoming a member of from Cahill Gordon & Reindell’s London workplace –  Jake Keaveny and Warren Newton, each of who’re additionally A&O alumni.

‘We thank Philip and Megan for the contributions they’ve made to the agency and want all of them the very best for the longer term’, an A&O spokesperson stated in an announcement.

For Cahill, the departures come after two different latest London associate exits, with leveraged finance duo Jonathan Brownson and Joydeep Choudhuri exiting for Latham & Watkins.

Govt committee chairman Herb Washer stated in an announcement: ‘We’re dedicated to increasing our company observe in London and we’re at the moment evaluating our choices to make sure the suitable match for our staff and our company purchasers. We thank them for his or her service to the agency’s purchasers and we want them nicely of their future endeavors.’

Within the wake of the A&O Shearman merger, Bowden had been appointed as one of many agency’s 5 non-public capital sector leads. He had been on the agency since 1999, making associate in 2002. He went on to co-head each the agency’s world banking and finance observe and its world leveraged finance group and is a Authorized 500 main particular person for acquisition finance

Bowden had run for senior associate in two consecutive elections, dropping each – to incumbent Wim Dejonghe in 2020 and to interim managing associate Khalid Garousha in 2024. He’s the one one of many three senior associate candidates at pre-merger A&O with out a seat on both the manager committee or the board at A&O Shearman. Garousha is senior associate and co-chairs each the board and the manager committee with Adam Hakki, who took over as senior associate at Shearman & Sterling final March, and now serves as A&O Shearman’s US chair.

The third contender, David Lee is now world co-head of challenge, power, pure sources and infrastructure in addition to an ExCom member.

The departures see Cahill lose the final of a clutch of ex-A&O legal professionals it introduced over in 2020-21. Authorized 500 high-yield main particular person Keaveny joined Cahill alongside Brownson in summer season 2020, whereas Newton came to visit in January 2021, becoming a member of the agency as a associate after leaving A&O as a senior affiliate. The US agency’s web site now lists no banking and finance companions in London.

Alexander.ryan@legalbusiness.co.uk