Morgan Lewis & Bockius has grown its structured transactions practice in London with the addition of Orrick partner Richard Hanson. 

Hanson advises alternative investment funds and asset managers on structured finance, securitisation and finance solutions across a range of alternative and illiquid asset classes. He has moved over to the Philadelphia-based firm after just shy of three years in Orrick’s London office, prior to which he served as counsel at Ropes & Gray.

“Rick brings a wealth of experience in representing private funds on structured credit matters and securitisation transactions, bringing strong synergistic opportunities to collaborate with colleagues in our investment management practice,” said Morgan Lewis chair Jami McKeon. “His capabilities broaden and deepen our strength and the services we provide to our fund clients in an important jurisdiction.”

Hanson’s arrival follows partner Merryn Craske joining the practice in London at the beginning of last month from Mayer Brown. The firm said at the time that Craske’s transactional experience combined with her regulatory understanding in relation to UK and EU securitisation and risk retention rules made her ‘a valuable addition for our global clients as they navigate their international risk matrixes.’

Reed Auerbach, global chief of Morgan Lewis’ structured transactions practice, said the hire of Craske and Hanson “are part of our strategy to build our practice in London and both strengthen our full-service global capabilities in local markets and support our US practice.”  

He added that the new additions also help the practice serve clients on market developments such as rising interest from alternative investment funds in Europe, both to unlock value in their investments and enhance returns for their investors. 

The firm also added a pair of partners to the structured transactions practice in the US last April, bringing aboard Steven Becker in New York from Hunton & Williams and Alex Velinsky in Washington DC from Hunton Andrews Kurth.

The new arrivals bring Morgan Lewis’ structured transactions practice to nine lawyers in London and 80 across the firm. Their hire offsets the loss of investment funds partner Joel Seow to Linklaters in January, with Seow moving over to the UK magic circle firm in Singapore to set up an investment funds practice. 

Last month Linklaters also added a trio of leveraged finance partners in London from US rival Vinson & Elkins that included V&E’s London head of finance and M&A-capital markets, Noel Hughes. The team hire was the largest Linklaters has made in its hometown in recent years.