Twelve disputes lawyers have made partner in DLA Piper’s latest round, which strengthened the firm’s capabilities in sectors such as finance, healthcare, energy and construction.

In a round spanning 28 offices, DLA Piper has promoted 46 lawyers to partner, including 12 dispute resolution practitioners.

Two United States healthcare specialists have been elevated – Austin-based Karen Nelson, who deals with healthcare enforcement and regulatory matters involving investigations, billing and audits, and Boston-based Jessica Wilson, who represents pharmaceutical and medical device companies in multidistrict product liability litigation.

Nelson has been with the firm for nearly four years, having joined after six years as chief counsel at the Texas Health & Human Services Commission, while Wilson joined in 2010.

Within the Philadelphia intellectual property (IP) team, Richard Cruz has made partner after 11-and-a-half years with the firm, with a practice encompassing patent, copyright and trademark prosecution in the telecommunications, computer software and financial services industries.

An IP lawyer has also been promoted in Washington, DC. John Nading handles trademark litigation before federal courts and the US Patent and Trademark Office.

In Seattle, Andrew Escobar, who joined the firm seven years ago to work on securities, class action and real estate litigation, has also been appointed as a partner.

DLA has made up three disputes lawyers in continental Europe, all of whom have spent around nine years with the firm.

In Bucharest, Radu Balas specialises in corporate governance and contract liability disputes in the oil and gas, banking and pharmaceutical industries. Cologne-based Guido Kleve deals with aviation, technology and construction, while in Vienna, Armin Hendrich focuses on regulatory banking matters, securities, data protection, compliance and anti-money laundering.

In Perth, Australia, Jock Campbell has joined the partnership after spending 13 years with the firm, representing professional indemnity insurers in valuation, engineering and accounting disputes.

Two Dubai lawyers have been rewarded with a promotion: Wissam Dagher, who works on finance and shareholders disputes and assists conglomerates with financial fraud and investigations, and Suzannah Newboult, who acts for contractors, developers and financial institutions in construction and engineering disputes.

Dagher joined seven years ago from Dubai firm Habib Al Mulla, while Newboult left Eversheds (now Eversheds Sutherland) for DLA in 2013.

The firm also promoted a construction specialist in London. Edward Shaw represents owners and financiers from the retail, hospitality and health sectors in developments, engineering and infrastructure disputes.

In a statement, Jay Rains, a global co-chief executive officer at the firm, said: “Our vision and strategy are very much reliant on the support and drive of our people, and this group of  talented lawyers represent the future of the firm.”

HIRE ON THE SIDE

DLA has also made an IP hire, recruiting Anna Spencer to the data protection, privacy and security unit as a partner in Washington and Austin after 14 years at Sidley Austin, where she was the health information privacy head.

Spencer’s practice spans data breaches and consumer protection, and her clients include pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, healthcare providers, health-information technology companies and financial institutions.

She also represents companies in investigations by the US Department of Health and Human Services and advises on privacy and security compliance issues related to cloud computing, big data and health information technology.

Jim Halpert, global co-chair of the firm’s data protection group, called her “a highly respected lawyer in the healthcare privacy space”, while Joseph Silver, managing partner of the Atlanta office, said: “Knowledgeable privacy and cybersecurity counsel is in high demand, particularly for companies in regulated sectors.”

The firm made a Washington healthcare addition last month with the arrival of ex-Morgan, Lewis & Bockius partner John Rah, who focuses on corporate compliance relating to the risk of fraud and abuse in the healthcare industry.

Also in April, the firm appointed Calgary, Alberta-based partner Brian Davison QC as chair of its Canadian restructuring team and former Hogan Lovells partner William Fisher as head of its Chinese patent practice.

Other promotion rounds this month saw Osborne Clarke promote a real estate litigation practitioner and a competition lawyer to partner, while Eversheds Sutherland appointed four new dispute resolution partners.