Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (‘Freshfields’) has today announced that James Duncan, a longstanding derivatives and structured products lawyer, will join the firm’s global transactions practice as a partner in London. Duncan joins Freshfields from Shearman & Sterling, where he served as a partner for over a decade. He has significant experience advising on cross-border transactions, including buy-side and sell-side, strategic equity solutions and equity financings. Duncan will work closely with Freshfields’ partner Richard Hart to advise and support the firm’s corporate, financial institution, financial sponsor, and private capital clients, where the firm’s derivatives and structured products team play a global role, alongside colleagues in New York and Hong Kong. Commenting on the appointment, Freshfields’ London transactions head, Andrew Hutchings, said: “We are delighted to welcome James to our team in London, and global transactions practice, which reflects continued investment in our core practice areas. We’re proud too that he joins a market-leading team underpinned by a strong bench of associate talent.” Richard Hart added: “I look forward to working closely with James to further strengthen our derivatives and structured products offering, as we seek to enhance further our existing advisory role for clients globally. His appointment also demonstrates Freshfields’ strategic growth ambitions in the private capital space where derivatives-based and other structured solutions are increasingly relevant to sponsors’ financing and risk-management needs.” The appointment of Duncan to Freshfields’ London office follows that of partners Carol Van der Vorst, Rebecca Ward, and Lisa Stevens who joined the firm’s leveraged finance, financial sponsors, and restructuring capital solutions teams respectively in 2022. Today the firm also announced the appointment of partner Haden Henderson joining the London leveraged finance team.