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by Baz Hiralal
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. will bring in Jing Zhao as head of its financial institutions group in emerging Asia. Zhao will report to Therese Esperdy and Todd Marin, co-heads of Asia-Pacific investment banking. Zhao was co-head of FIG for Asia Pacific, ex-Japan, at Citigroup Inc.
Separately, J.P. Morgan's new chief investment officer, Matt Zames, established a new leadership team. Rob O'Rahilly will lead the chief investment office team in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. London-based Achilles Macris, head of the desk that made trades leading to a $2 billion loss, will step down.
Marie Nourie will become chief financial officer of the group, reporting to Zames and CFO Doug Braunstein.
Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. made several international equities and fixed-income sales and trading appointments: Diego Baez, formerly of Terra Futuros, was named managing director of Latin American equities; George Medina, formerly of SJ Levinson & Sons LLC, is a director of Latin American sales; Jose Berges, formerly of Interacciones Casa de Bolsa, is a director of Latin American sales; and Mauro Orefice, formerly of Interbolsa Securities, joins as a director of Brazilian dales. They report to Jarred Kessler, global head of equities. Baez and Medina are in New York, while Berges and Orefice are in Miami.
In addition, Francisco Romero, formerly of Macquarie Capital, was named managing director of emerging markets.
Bermuda-based insurance asset manager Juniperus Capital Holdings Ltd. named Chris McKeown as CEO. He succeeds Phil Lotz, who remains as executive chairman. McKeown was recently vice chairman of North America broking at Guy Carpenter & Co. LLC. He was also president and CEO of CIG Reinsurance Ltd. and New Castle Reinsurance Co. Ltd.
Juniperus is backed by private equity firm Aquiline Capital Partners LLC and Marsh & McLennan Cos., and will rebrand itself as Pillar Capital Management.
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP said Francis Barron, former chief legal officer at Morgan Stanley, will rejoin Cravath as a partner on July 1. Prior to joining Morgan in July 2010, Barron spent 25 years as a litigation partner at Cravath. He will again be a member of the board advisory practice.
Thomas Noto joined Morrison & Foerster LLP's financial services regulatory, litigation and transactional practice as a partner. Noto was an associate general counsel at Bank of America Corp., responsible for legal support to BofA Home Loans.
In New York, Lorenzo Borgogni joined Proskauer Rose LLP's mergers and acquisitions practice as a partner. He was with Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP.
Mayer Brown LLP said former California Attorney General John Van de Kamp joined its Los Angeles office as counsel in the government and global trade practice. Previously, he was of counsel with Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in Los Angeles.
Jones Day said four attorneys joined its business restructuring and reorganization practice in Los Angeles from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP. The group is led by Bruce Bennett, who was managing partner of Dewey's Los Angeles office. Bennett was recently lead counsel to the Los Angeles Dodgers in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. Partners Sidney Levinson and Joshua Mester and of counsel James Johnston also join in Los Angeles. More of their colleagues are expected to join.
Susquehanna Bancshares Inc. said Michael Harrington will rejoin the firm as executive vice president and treasurer in June. Harrington is treasurer and chief investment officer at First Niagara Financial Group and had been its chief financial officer. He worked for First Niagara since 2003. Harrington worked for Susquehanna as CFO of its bank subsidiary in New Jersey from 2002 to 2003.
DLA Piper brought in Sarah Kahn as a partner and co-chair of the aerospace, defense and government services transactional, based in Washington. Previously a partner at Arnold & Porter LLP, Kahn focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions.
Steptoe & Johnson LLP hired Brigida Benitez as a partner in the international regulation and compliance and commercial litigation practices in Washington. Benitez was most recently chief of the office of institutional integrity of the Inter-American Development Bank.
The Portland, Ore., office of K&L Gates LLP added B. John Casey as a partner in the commercial disputes practice. Casey joins K&L Gates from Latham & Watkins LLP.
Clippings from the next column:
-- LinkedIn Corp. co-founder Konstantin Guericke joins Earlybird Venture Capital.
-- Goldman, Sachs & Co. names Valentino Carlotti as head of its client-focused trading business
-- Wunderlich Securities adds Ted Cashion, Burton Milnor and Scott Poore to its private client group and Matt Hayden, William Kitchens and Jason Wangler to equity capital markets.
-- Wells Fargo & Co. brings in Yvette Hollingsworth as chief compliance officer.
-- Coutts & Co. makes Kenneth Sue head of products and services in Asia.
-- Harcourt Investment Consulting adds Jan Viebig and Georg Wessling for alternative investments\
-- Viteos Fund Services hires Ranjan Mishra for European expansion.
Steptoe & Johnson LLP hired Brigida Benitez as a partner in the international regulation and compliance and commercial litigation practices in Washington.
