Simpson Thacher raids Clifford Chance's insurance team, and Paul Hastings jumps into sports

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett hired a team of insurance M&A partners from Clifford Chance and Mayer Brown in New York. The two Clifford Chance partners co-led its US insurance practice and will co-head Simpson Thacher's insurance and regulatory team. It lands just days after five Clifford Chance partners left for Sidley Austin, and Clifford Chance is now suing two of its departed partners to claw back pay. Paul Hastings is launching a sports practice and poached the general counsel of the Baltimore Ravens to help lead it. Davis Polk & Wardwell, Simpson Thacher, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges have all been edging into sports work on the investor side.