London: Pitmans hires banking & finance partner

Pitmans, a leading commercial law firm in the Thames Valley and London, has hired a new Banking & Finance partner, Kieran Roche for its City office.

Trained and qualified at Clifford Chance, Roche has worked thereafter within the London banking arena since 1991. He became the youngest ever London Head of Legal in investment bank, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB, London in 1994. In 1997, Roche founded his own hedge fund group where he was a shareholder and main board director until 2006, whilst latterly advising Société Générale, Skylight Funds, Merrill Lynch and ING Bank.

Roche specialises in capital markets and all derivatives, prime brokerage/re-hypothecation (post Lehmans), the establishment and structuring of hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, private equity and UCITS funds (including exchange-traded, derivatives-based funds (ETFs), structured finance and products based on hedge fund strategies), repackaging, credit linked notes and enhancement products, principal-protected and capital guaranteed notes, basket portfolio structures, synthetic and non-synthetic CFOs and CDOs, and credit default swap negative basis trades. Roche was previously a Magic Circle member.

Christopher Avery, managing partner, commented: "Kieran's appointment to the Banking and Finance Team makes the department even stronger and more formidable. With his previous experience, knowledge and contacts he will be an invaluable asset to the firm. This new hiring is in line with the firm's stated policy of recruiting the best lawyers available and making Pitmans the leading commercial law firm in the region."