Movers & shakers

Movers & shakers: May 20, 2013

by Baz Hiralal

VTB Capital added Xin Lin and Wei Chen to its Hong Kong office.

Lin is head of multiproduct sales for China, responsible for sales and origination and fixed income across Chinese corporate, investor and financial institutional clients. She joined VTB from Nomura International Ltd. in Hong Kong, where she was head of global finance and chief operating officer of China since 2008. Prior to that, Lin worked at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. as head of the risk solutions group and global finance, China, between 2005 and 2008. She also held senior positions in the fixed-income division at UBS in Hong Kong between 2001 and 2005. Lin began her career at JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Singapore division in 1998.

Chen recently joined the firm's corporate and investment coverage team, covering Chinese corporate and financial institutional clients. From 2006 to 2012, she worked in global markets at Deutsche Bank AG in Hong Kong. Between 2000 and 2006, Chen worked in the investment banking division of Lehman Brothers in New York and Hong Kong.

Adveq Management AG, investing in private equity and real assets, named Ron Li as head of China. He works from Beijing and joined the firm in January as a managing director. Li arrived from Legend Holdings Ltd., where he established Raycom Real Estate Asset Management. Before that, he worked for Legend's private equity subsidiary, Hony Capital. Earlier in his career, Li worked for Whirlpool Corp. in the U.S. and in China.

Mayer Brown LLP said Lawrence V. Berkovich joined the firm in Charlotte, N.C., as a partner in the banking and finance practice. Previously, he was a counsel with Dechert LLP. He covers complex structured finance transactions, with emphasis on broadly syndicated and middle-market collateralized loan obligations; first mortgage and mezzanine commercial real estate loan securitizations; and rated and unrated leveraged loan and commercial real estate loan warehouse facilities. Berkovich is also experienced with derivative products.

In a press release, Carol Hitselberger, Charlotte office leader of Mayer Brown's banking and finance practice, pointed to a "re-emergence and rapid growth of the CLO market."

In Dallas, Wells Fargo Capital Finance hired Rossi Felix as a managing director in its healthcare finance group. He will work on providing senior secured financing to middle-market healthcare providers and ancillary service companies operating across sectors, including hospitals, skilled nursing, home healthcare, hospice, medical device, pharmaceutical, and other healthcare companies.

Felix most recently tried his hand at car sales, owning and operating A-Team Auto Sales since January 2011. His family members are running the business. From July 2010 to February 2011, he worked at Healthcare Finance Group, where he was a senior vice president. Before that, he was a managing director at GMAC Health Capital, where he worked from 2001 to July 2010. He also had stints at GE Capital, Heller Financial, Finova Capital Corp. and Healthcare Financial Partners.

San Francisco venture capital firm Bay City Capital hired biotech veteran David W. Beier as a managing director. He spent nearly a decade at Amgen Inc., most recently as senior vice president of global government affairs at Amgen, also responsible for corporate communications and philanthropy. From 2001 to 2003, he practiced at Hogan & Hartson LLP, where he was a partner. From 1998 to 2001, Beier was chief domestic policy adviser to Vice President Al Gore during the Clinton administration. He spent the previous nine years at Genentech Inc., most recently as vice president, government affairs and policy.

Energy and tax lawyer Elias B. Hinckley joined Sullivan & Worcester LLP's environment, energy and natural resources group as a partner in Washington. He has counseled clients in sectors including solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biofuels, hydroelectric, batteries, fuel cells, energy efficiency, demand response, electric transmission, natural gas and advanced coal. He was a partner and clean energy practice chair at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP. Before that, Hinckley was the U.S. leader for alternative energy tax at Deloitte & Touche, and clean energy practice leader at Venable LLP.

Shearman & Sterling LLP expanded its Latin America practice, hiring Carla Passos as counsel. She will split her time between New York and São Paulo. Passos was with Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP.

Timothy C. Langenkamp, formerly of Andrews Kurth LLP, joined Sidley Austin LLP as a partner in Houston and a member of its securities/capital markets practice, counseling on securities law compliance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other general corporate and securities matters.

K&L Gates LLP welcomed Kate Spelman as a technology transactions partner in the firm's Seattle office. Spelman joins K&L Gates from Cobalt LLP. She handles copyright, content, social media policy and digital publishing.

Separately, K&L Gates added William H. Holmes and Teresa A. Hill as partners in its energy and infrastructure projects and transactions practice in Portland, Ore. Both arrived from Stoel Rives LLP.

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