Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announces that Drew Dutton and Clare Swirski have been named co-heads of the firm’s market-leading UK/European insurance transactional and regulatory practice. Situated within the firm’s Global Insurance Group, chaired by partners Nick Potter and Marilyn Lion, the UK/European practice works with prominent public and privately held insurance companies and private equity sponsors on a full range of M&A, reinsurance and regulatory matters, including cross-border transactions.
Mr. Dutton, who is relocating to London from the firm’s New York office, joined Debevoise in New York in 1999 and became a partner in the firm’s Paris office in 2007. During his career, Mr. Dutton has worked on a wide range of high-profile insurance transactions in North America, Asia and Europe. From 2008 to 2016, he was resident in the firm’s Hong Kong office where he led the Asia Pacific insurance practice during and after the 2008 financial crisis. Mr. Dutton is qualified as an attorney in New York, a solicitor in England and Wales and Hong Kong, and an avocat à la cour in France and speaks English, French and German.
Dr. Swirski is a London-based insurance regulatory and transactional lawyer who has been with the firm’s London office since 2017. She was previously a partner at a Magic Circle firm and has more than 25 years of experience in advising insurers and other financial institutions on a full range of corporate matters. Dr. Swirski also advises multi-national insurers on key regulatory developments impacting the insurance and financial services sectors, including Solvency II and Brexit, and has played an active role in the development of the regulatory environment for insurers in the UK.
Presiding Partner Peter Furci said: “The UK/European insurance M&A and reinsurance markets and regulatory environment have become increasingly important to the firm’s U.S. and European insurance clients. We continue to invest in building and growing our London team responsible for serving these clients, and we look forward to Drew and Clare leading that effort.”
Corporate Department Chair Matt Kaplan noted: “Our global insurance practice has been one of the firm’s crown jewels for more than 60 years, driven by collaborative working relationships among our teams in New York, London and Hong Kong. Drew and Clare are best positioned to continue the Debevoise tradition of working seamlessly with their colleagues in New York and Hong Kong on the most complex deals in the market.”
Global Insurance Group Co-Chair Marilyn Lion added: “Drew and Clare are outstanding team members and exceptional lawyers who bring strong leadership to our London team, and we look forward to continued collaboration on behalf of our clients.”
With an integrated team of lawyers serving our clients in the insurance sector in all major markets, Debevoise brings decades of experience and a multidisciplinary approach to the most complex insurance industry transactions, the highest-stakes disputes and the most challenging regulatory engagements.