The global head of transport at Watson Farley Williams has been poached by Herbert Smith Freehills.

Several other lawyers are also leaving with Rex Rosales. Even if he was departing solo it would represent a hammer blow for WFW.

Rosales is a 30 year veteran of the sector. An aviation finance specialist, he effectively founded WFW's transport practice when he joined in 2010 as part of a defection of five transport lawyers from Reed Smith. As its global head he built the department up into a significant team for WFW. As recently as last summer, while announcing new hires from White & Case, he said that transport was "one of the firm’s key specialist sectors" and "one we are committed to expanding”.

Just not with him. Or the rest of the lawyers who are leaving too. 

    He's leaving, on a jet plane. 

A spokesman for WFW declined to comment on how many other partners and associates were following Rosales out the exits, and HSF was also taken a bit by surprise when ROF called up. 

Rosales told RollOnFriday he was not able to comment.
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Comments

Anonymous 20 April 18 09:49

So WFW poached him first, what more could they expect of someone who had already done that before?

Anonymous 20 April 18 11:36

"He effectively founded WFW's transport practice". Messrs Watson, Farley and Williams were all shipping lawyers who left what was then Norton Rose Botterell and Roche in the 1980s. Rex was a latecomer.

Anonymous 22 April 18 07:57

This is some awfully ignorant reporting. WFW were doing transportation asset finance for 30 years before Rex came along. I don't think the firm does much else, so this might put a dent in their aviation finance practice, but they still have the corner on the marine asset finance market.