Shearman & Sterling has hired former Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer partner Simon Marchant as a full-time senior adviser, according to a person close to the matter.

A highly regarded Freshfields M&A partner of 21 years, Marchant made a bid for senior partner at the firm in 2016, but was beaten by incumbent Edward Braham. He left the firm in 2018 for Australian outfit Clayton Utz, on a temporary consultancy contract.