Good morning! 

In today's news, Ashurst and Perkins Coie have completed their $2.8 billion transatlantic combination to create Ashurst Perkins Coie, a globally integrated law firm with a stated focus on technology, energy and infrastructure, and financial services.

In Lateral Moves: Fund finance dominated lateral moves this week. Paul Hastings built out its London bench by adding Reed Smith's fund finance head while also bringing on a veteran M&A executive compensation/benefits partner in New York. King & Spalding recruited fund finance leader Ron Franklin from Proskauer in New York and separately added two complex commercial and IP litigation partners in Chicago. Weil Gotshal picked up an A&O Shearman fund finance specialist.

Ropes & Gray saw mixed fortunes—recruiting a former Paul Weiss financial services co-chair while losing special situations partners to Dechert and a finance partner to Debevoise & Plimpton. Cleary Gottlieb hired its second Fried Frank funds partner in two months. Loeb & Loeb added two New York partners in real estate finance (Ryan McCaffrey) and commercial finance (Matras). Vinson & Elkins brought on IP partner Michael Jay from DLA Piper in Los Angeles. Rounding out the week, Kirkland poached an Axinn cofounder, with additional partner moves at BakerHostetler (Chicago) and Holland & Knight (Boston).

And some reassurance from the head of Baker Botts who has declared the firm will hire more associates, betting artificial intelligence will boost, not threaten, young lawyers’ careers. (Though he does not believe the same is true for his rivals!)