New year, new start: Moves, mergers and promotions of 2015

International Tax Review has compiled its own non-exhaustive new years honours list to keep track of the myriad announcements which January 2015 has brought. Click on the links to see more detailed coverage.

Mergers and acquisitions

American firm Cooley announced it will open its first European office in London. It will take a team of lawyers from Edwards Wildman.

Prietocarrizosa, from Colombia, and Philippi, from Chile, have undergone a merger, creating one of the largest South American law firms. The new firm will also be associated with Uría Menéndez.

Ryan has bought tax automation services company Taxaccord.

Moves and promotions

Taxand has created a new role of global managing director to improve its cross-border services, knowledge sharing and work with multinationals, to be filled by Tim Wach.

Tara Ferris, formerly of the Internal Revenue Service, has joined the OECD as a consultant in Washington.

Heather Gething has been made a judge in the First-tier Tribunal (tax chamber) in England. She will continue to lead Herbert Smith Freehills’s tax disputes practice.

Altorfer, Duss & Beilstein has made Pascal Taddei a tax partner. The firm also became a member of Nexus International late last year.

Bruno Knadjian, Roberta An Chang and Lee Squires are among 24 new partners and 41 new counsels, of counsels and consultants at Hogan Lovells.

White & Case has hired Michael Lebovitz and Steven Weerts for its Los Angeles office from DLA Piper.

Noah Beck has been elevated to partner at Schulte Roth & Zabel.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges has promoted 12 practitioners to partner and another 15 to counsel roles, including Edouard de Lamy and David Irvine in tax.

For the new year, Elvinger, Hoss & Prussen has made Oliver Gaston-Braund a tax partner, along with two other non-tax promotions.

Akerman has increased the amount of international tax experience in its Chicago branch by hiring Susan Klein from Polsinelli.

If you don’t see key activity from your firm on this list, email Joe Stanley-Smith at joseph.stanley-smith@euromoneyplc.com to add information on promotions, mergers and people moves this year.