Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has hired a M&A lawyer apiece from Kirkland & Ellis and Jones Day in the US, as the firm continues to prioritise strengthening its M&A bench globally. 

Adam Cromie has joined in New York from Jones Day and is slated to move to the firm’s Washington DC office next year, while Matthew Fisher has come aboard from Kirkland & Ellis as the fifth partner in the Boston office Simpson Thacher launched earlier this year. 

“As the demand for high-end M&A services continues to increase, strengthening our bench of talent across the United States and globally is a priority for the firm,” said Alden Millard, chair of Simpson Thacher’s executive committee. “Adam and Matt bring significant experience in complex M&A and private equity transactions that will be an asset to our clients.”

The duo’s hire comes just days after Simpson Thacher M&A partner Sebastian Tiller exited the firm in New York to join Vinson & Elkins as co-head of that firm’s strategic M&A practice.  

For his part Cromie advises public and private companies and boards of directors on transactional matters including M&A, divestitures, joint ventures and majority and minority investments. He focuses on the healthcare, tech, manufacturing and sports and entertainment industries and was assistant general manager for Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals before joining Jones Day in 2017, where he was an associate. 

Meantime Fisher made partner at Kirkland last year, having joined the firm in 2017. He counsels private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on leveraged buyouts, mergers, divestitures, growth equity investments, joint ventures and recapitalisations. He focuses on industries including asset management, healthcare, life sciences and technology. 

In Simpson Thacher the duo have joined a firm that consistently ranks among the top 10 in league tables for M&A. In the first nine months of the year the firm worked on deals worth $212.8bn, earning sixth place in London Stock Exchange Group’s rankings for legal advisers by global deal value, up from eighth place for the same period last year.