Linklaters has hired Mark Gordon from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz as managing partner of its Americas business and co-chair of global M&A, effective November. The move is a significant coup for the London-based magic circle firm, which has historically struggled to attract partners from more profitable Wall Street firms. Gordon, a 30-year veteran at Wachtell, advised on major deals including the AZEK Company's $9bn acquisition by James Hardie Industries and Alexion Pharmaceuticals' $39bn sale to AstraZeneca.

His departure follows a string of high-profile exits from Wachtell this year, including former co-chair Bill Savitt and restructuring head Joshua Feltman, who joined Kirkland & Ellis for a package worth up to $80mn. Wachtell's lockstep pay model is under pressure as rivals offer increasingly outsized compensation packages. Linklaters senior partner Aedamar Comiskey said expanding US M&A capabilities is central to the firm's strategy, noting it currently has eight M&A partners in the US versus 51 in London.

The firm has also recently recruited a litigation team from Paul Weiss and hired former Johnson & Johnson litigation head Erik Haas. Fellow magic circle firms Freshfields, Clifford Chance, and A&O Shearman are similarly investing heavily in the US market.