Norton Rose Fulbright has appointed a duo of new practice group leaders in its corporate, M&A and securities, and banking and finance practices. 

Ayse Yuksel Mahfoud will step up as global head of corporate, M&A and securities from her role as a member of the firm’s executive committee and head of cross-border practices, while banking partner Nick Grandage will lead the banking and finance practice in London. 

In their newly created roles, Yuksel Mahfoud and Grandage will be splitting matters previously covered by the firm’s global head of business Martin McCann. The transition will see McCann move to lead the firm’s emerging markets and mining practices. 

The appointments are the latest moves to come down from NRF’s global chief executive Gerry Pecht, who stepped into the role earlier this year taking over from 20-year veteran Peter Martyr as part of a wider leadership overhaul. 

Pecht commented that the appointments “emphasise our firm prioritising both our corporate and our banking and finance practices globally. Ayse and Nick will continue to grow these groups and enhance our offerings, ensuring our clients have a seamless and superior experience throughout the world.”

Yuksel Mahfoud, who splits her time between Istanbul and New York, specialises in M&A, private equity, privatisations, joint ventures, strategic alliances, capital markets and SPAC deals. 

Following NRF’s 2017 merger with smaller New York outfit Chadbourne & Parke, Yüksel Mahfoud became partner-in-charge of its associated Turkish firm — now known as Inal Unver Attorney Partnership following the hire of former Allen & Overy project finance partner Utku Unver — having served as Chadbourne’s Istanbul managing partner since 2011. 

Grandage, meanwhile, has racked up a wealth of experience acting on international structured finance transactions with an emphasis on the financing of international trade flows and transactions in the commodity sector during his decade-long tenure with the firm. He moved to NRF in 2010 after 21 years at Dentons. 

“With more than 800 lawyers across the world’s financial centers, our banking and finance practice is ideally positioned to offer innovative solutions to financial institutions and other clients,” Grandage said in a statement. 

“The banking and finance sector is transforming rapidly, and our global team will be at the forefront of providing client support through the changes ahead.”

The appointments come a few months after the firm’s EMEA arm axed 132 employees including 19 associates and counsel following a restructuring of its business services operation intended to boost efficiency and cut costs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.