Paul Hastings adds two partners in São Paulo

Law firm Paul Hastings has announced the recruitment of M&A partner Jonathan Kellner and capital markets partner David Flechner, and who will be based in São Paulo, where Kellner will also serve as the chair of the office.

The two hires “add further momentum to Paul Hastings’ strong flow of corporate partner additions across the firm’s global platform”, the firm, which also has offices in the US, Europe and Asia, said in a statement.

Flechner (pictured, left) and Kellner (right) also bring a team of lawyers to the firm, and which includes of counsel Andrea Campos and associates Thomas Ayres, Diana Balassiano, Filipe Lima, and who will be joined by others to be announced. All of the team join Paul Hastings from Shearman & Sterling, where Kellner was head of that firm’s São Paulo office.

“We are committed to expanding our leading global transactional practice with the addition of outstanding partners like Jon and David,” said Seth Zachary, chairman of Paul Hastings.

“Fielding a strong team on the ground in São Paulo is an important component in our cross-border strategy as we help clients act on opportunities for growth in Brazil and across this diverse, dynamic region,” he added.

“Over the past decade Paul Hastings cemented its position as a go-to firm in Latin America,” according to Bob Kartheiser, a partner in the Latin American practice and chair of the firm’s global project finance practice. “With Jon, David and their team on board, we add key transactional bandwidth in São Paulo and bolster our ability to project throughout the Southern Cone.”