Travers Smith has promoted Ella Sharpley (1) to partner in its corporate M&A and equity capital markets team, and Max Conway (2) to senior counsel in its private equity and financial sponsors team. 

Sharpley is based in London and joined the firm six years ago from Goodwin, having trained with Dechert. Conway has been with the firm 11 years, having trained with them.

Freeths has recruited banking and finance partner Andrew Curtis to its Leeds office, to establish the service line in the region and support the Leeds corporate team on transactions across the region. He has joined from Clarion Solicitors and previously worked for banks providing funding to private equity backed business across Yorkshire. He also previously worked for Squire Patton Boggs and Addleshaw Goddard.

Taylor Wessing has recruited corporate partners Rob Hendriks (1) and Michiel Boer (2) in Amsterdam from Simmons & Simmons. Hendriks led the corporate commercial practice for Simmons & Simmons in the Netherlands. His particular focus is on M&A in the real estate, renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. Boer trained with Clifford Chance, before joining Simmons & Simmons.

Erwin Simons (1) and Sebastian Klingen (2) have joined Dentons corporate and M&A teams in Brussels and Dusseldorf respectively. 

Simons has joined from DLA Piper in Brussels, where he was corporate and M&A partner and Klingen from Linklaters. Klingen, who also previously worked for Lovells, focuses on international deals, and has particular expertise with Japanese counterparties.

Debt finance lawyer Dean Masuda has joined Gibson Dunn in New York as partner in its finance practice group, from Kirkland & Ellis. He previously worked for Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett and Cravath Swaine & Moore.