King & Wood Mallesons has sealed the hire of Baker & McKenzie’s global head of private equity Mark McNamara, as the Sino-Australian giant seeks to bolster its M&A practice.

The firm, the result of the merger of Australia’s Mallesons and China’s King & Wood earlier this year, has recruited McNamara as its new head of private equity, as part of a wider strategy to grow its regional footprint and enhance key practice areas. He will make the move on 6 November.