Bird leaves Simmons nest for Mayer Brown

Law firm Mayer Brown has appointed Alistair Bird to the corporate group from Simmons & Simmons.

He has more than 17 years’ experience as a specialist corporate lawyer, including M&A, joint ventures and in particular private equity and venture capital transactions. He has particular expertise within the communications sector.

He joins the London corporate practice and will work closely alongside partners in the private equity, hedge funds and investment banking group.

Bird was made a partner in 1986 and spent four years as managing partner of Simmons & Simmons’ New York office where he advised numerous North American companies on the English and European aspects of investing, and doing business, in Europe.

The appointment of Bird comes just weeks after another new arrival in the firm’s corporate group, this time in the shape of William Charnley will join the firm’s corporate group from McDermott Will & Emery UK. Charnley has more than 18 years’ experience practising high-end corporate law, with extensive knowledge of the private equity and hedge fund sectors, which he will continue to focus on at Simmons & Simmons.