Effective Jan. 19, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce will split its investment, corporate and merchant banking unit into three entities: investment banking, corporate credit and merchant banking. As part of this move, 25-year veteran David Leith, deputy chairman and head of the old unit, will leave the bank.

Geoff Belsher was hired as a managing director and global head of investment banking. Belsher (pictured right) was country head of Lehman Brothers Canada Inc. Laura Dottori-Attanasio (left), formerly chief risk officer at National Bank Financial Group, will become managing director and global head of the corporate credit products unit. Merchant banking in Canada and the U.S. will continue to be led by Paul Farrell and Mark Hastings, respectively.

Barclays plc will cut 1,300 jobs from its investment banking unit Barclays Capital, most likely in fixed income and securitization. It will also cut 500 jobs from the wealth management unit and 300 from Barclays Global Investors.

Advent International promoted 18 members of its investment team. Fred Wakeman, head of global technology, media and telecom, is now a managing partner, based in London. Alfredo Alfaro, a founding partner of the Mexico City office, and Patrice Etlin, who started the firm's Brazilian operation, became managing partners, Latin America.

New managing directors include Luiz Alves in Brazil, Ronald Ayles and Ranjan Sen in Frankfurt, Filippo de Vecchi in Milan, Stephen Hoffmeister in Boston, Monika Morali-Efinowicz in Warsaw, and Luis Solórzano in Mexico. Nick Rose, Roberto Torrini, Damien Lestang and Christian Senye were named directors, while assistant directors include Johanna Reineke, Thomas Weisman, Francesco Casiraghi and Milan Kulich.

Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP added two partners to its New York office. Heidi Sorvino, former co-chair of Katten, Muchin & Rosenman LLP's New York bankruptcy and creditors' rights practice, will head SGR's New York bankruptcy practice. Mark Neville Jr., formerly of DLA Piper, will join the firm's customs and international trade practice.

Managing directors Christopher Chase and Thomas Gallagher joined the corporate finance department of Morgan Joseph & Co. Chase was with CRT Capital LLC, covering financing and merger and acquisition assignments for industrial companies. Previously, he was a managing director in the industrials group at Banc of America Securities LLC. Gallagher was with Legend Merchant Group in 2006 as head of mergers and acquisitions before becoming president. Previously, he was a managing director and group head with Wachovia Capital Markets LLC.

New York-based Arsenal Capital Partners, investing in midmarket industrial, healthcare and financial services companies, promoted Christopher Johnson to vice president and Jeffrey Moffett to senior associate.

Alvarez & Marsal expanded its transaction advisory group and its tax advisory division, Alvarez & Marsal Taxand LLC, with six people. From Ernst & Young, Jay Moody and Jeff Foster join the TAG as senior directors, and Nicholas Haughey joins as a manager in Atlanta. Lori Wooden joins the Nashville office as a director in the healthcare section. Wooden was the controller for Gordian Health Solutions. Joining the tax division in Atlanta is senior director Cardell McKinstry, formerly of Deloitte & Touche, and director Amanda Starr, previously with E&Y.

Jeffrey Schlerf and Eric Sutty joined Fox Rothschild LLP's financial restructuring and bankruptcy practice, resident in Wilmington, Del. Schlerf was chairman of Bayard LLP, which he joined in 1995, becoming a director in 1999. Sutty was an associate at Bayard.

Mark Johnson, formerly the chair of the underwriting group at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, joined Cooley Godward Kronish LLP's business practice as a partner in Boston.

In New York, Kelley Drye & Warren LLP hired Benjamin Feder as special counsel in the bankruptcy and restructuring practice group. Feder was a partner at Thompson Hine LLP.

Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP elevated New York-based James Millar and George Shuster of Boston to the firm's partnership. They practice in the bankruptcy and financial restructuring group.

Troutman Sanders LLP elected nine partners: Monique Fuentes and Jaime Theriot, complex litigation; Hank Heyming and Patrick Macken, securities and corporate governance; Albert Hwang, retail properties; Prashant Khetan and Pamela Wahl, directors and officers and professional liability; Mark Slaughter, closely held business and entrepreneurial services; Jason Yost, project development and finance.

Carroll, Burdick & McDonough LLP made Daniel Wu a partner in Los Angeles. He covers complex commercial and intellectual property matters.