Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has made a significant addition to its London finance team with the addition of Philip Crump from Kirkland & Ellis.
Crump, a debt finance specialist who focuses on acquistion financings and restructuring, will team up with Stephen Gillespie, a former Kirkland colleague, who joined the team at Gibson Dunn in late 2014. Crump himself is dual-qualified in both England and Wales and New Zealand. Both moves are part of the firm's strategy to build out it English law finance capacity.
Crump's departure is yet another blow to Kirkland who have seen a number of key partners leave the practice in the past six months. These include a trio of funds lawyers who departed for Fried Frank, private equity specilaist Graham White (also to Fried Frank) and high yield specialist Ward McKimm whose move to Freshfields was announced in June.
Kirkland has made hires itself in London in the past year most notably finance partner Stephen Lucas who joined in 2014 but the high profile nature of a number of the finance departures will be cause for concern.
In the wider context this latest move fits with a general trend of US firm's boosting their London finance and corporate teams, with many specifically looking to add English law capacity.