Neel Kashkari will oversee the $700 billion U.S. bailout plan.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. made Kashkari (pictured) interim assistant Secretary of the Treasury for financial stability under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008. Kashkari is currently assistant Secretary of the Treasury for International Economics and Development.

Kashkari joined the Treasury Department in July 2006 as a senior adviser to Paulson. Before that, Kashkari was a vice president at Goldman, Sachs & Co. in San Francisco, where he led the information technology security investment banking practice, advising public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions and financial transactions.

Healthcare investment bank Leerink Swann & Co. said Michael Jenkins joined the firm as a senior managing director and head of Leerink Swann Strategic Advisors. Previously, Jenkins was a partner with Trinsum, formerly Marakon Associates, where he worked for more than 15 years and most recently led its private equity practice.

U.K. private equity firm Sovereign Capital appointed Jon Edington as assistant director in its portfolio development team. Edington joins Sovereign from 3i Group plc, where he spent seven years. He also spent seven years at Deloitte Consulting LLP.

Liability Solutions Ltd. and MIT Associates LLC, two hedge fund placement firms, will combine. In the U.S. and Europe, institutional coverage encompasses funds of funds, endowments, pension funds and private banks. In the Middle East, the focus is on sovereign wealth funds, private investment funds and banks.

Mike Finnell will become president of Liability Solutions Inc. following completion of the merger.

Reed Smith LLP announced that Patrick Rice joined its New York office as counsel in the private equity group. Rice covers corporate and securities law, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, corporate finance and general corporate and securities law matters.

While an assistant general counsel at Goldman, Sachs & Co., he served as counsel to Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Partners and the Whitehall Street Real Estate Funds, as well as other PE funds. Earlier, Rice was a senior associate in the M&A department at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

In Silicon Valley, Reed Smith added Steven Gasser as a partner in its corporate and securities practice. Gasser is a former general counsel, executive vice president and secretary of online retailer Zappos.com.

Davis Polk & Wardwell said former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissioner Annette Nazareth joined the firm as a partner in Washington. Nazareth practices in the financial institutions group, advising on complex regulatory matters and transactions.

Mary Moynihan, former general counsel of the AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust, joined Bell, Boyd & Lloyd LLP as a partner in Washington. She'll practice in the investment management and financial markets group, counseling investment companies and mutual fund boards of directors. Earlier, Moynihan practiced at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP.

Jeremy Glover and Sanjay Mehta joined Stephenson Harwood as partners in the corporate practice. Glover was consulting at Stephenson Harwood, while Mehta arrives from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Sills Cummis & Gross PC elected Charles Falletta, David Kiefer and Paula Tuffin as members of the firm. Falletta focuses on products liability, mass tort litigation, complex commercial and class action litigation. Kiefer covers general commercial and construction litigation and dispute resolution. Tuffin handles complex commercial litigation, corporate internal investigations and business crimes.

Also, Gwen Coleman and William Horwitz became of counsel. Coleman works in the litigation and products liability practice groups. Horwitz is an employment and labor attorney.

Dechert LLP hired Angelyn Lim as a partner in the financial services group. Based in Hong Kong, Lim was at Herbert Smith LLP and Stephenson Harwood & Lo.

SmithAmundsen LLC tapped Bruce de'Medici as a partner in its bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice in Chicago. Medici was of counsel at Mendell Menkes & Surdyk LLC.

Atlanta-based Morris, Manning & Martin LLP elected Michele Madison as a partner in the healthcare group, effective Jan. 1.

Traxi LLC, a special situations financial advisory firm, said former U.S. Trustee Kelly Stapleton joined the firm as a senior managing director in its corporate restructuring and advisory group.