City law firm Broadfield has added five partners across its United Kingdom and United States practices and appointed David Ramm as head of corporate in the UK.
The appointments aim to strengthen the firm’s capabilities in energy and infrastructure, cross-border corporate and finance, and private wealth.
Joining Broadfield as partner and global head of energy and infrastructure, Gavin Watson brings experience advising sponsors, corporates, trading companies, financial institutions, and government-related entities on corporate, commercial, and project development matters across the global energy and infrastructure sectors.
With greater demand from clients in the energy sector in Europe, MENA, and Asia, his growing team and practice will span these jurisdictions, with a focus on the energy transition and the circular economy, and will include mandates supporting near-term energy security across oil and gas, LNG, and petrochemicals. He joins the firm from Pillsbury and has been recognised by Legal 500, Chambers Global, and Euromoney as a leading lawyer on international projects and cross-border corporate matters.
Michael Smith has become a partner in Broadfield’s New York office. Smith is an international corporate and finance lawyer with more than 35 years of experience across New York, London, and Toronto, and is qualified in all three jurisdictions, including time at Clifford Chance in London and Skadden in New York.
He advises boards, sponsors, asset managers, and financial institutions on cross-border transactions, capital markets, intricate debt products, governance, and risk management. His recent work includes developing practical legal operating models for clients, including fractional general counsel support for private capital platforms and growth-oriented businesses.
Also joining the New York office, Constantinos Pappas joins from Goodwin as a partner focused on private equity and mergers and acquisitions. He advises private equity sponsors and portfolio companies across the deal life cycle, including acquisitions, divestitures, leveraged buyouts, growth equity investments, and recapitalizations, with experience across technology, healthcare, consumer, media and entertainment, telecommunications, education, and manufacturing.
In London, Broadfield has added two partners to its Private Wealth team in response to growing demand from UHNWs seeking advice on complex financial matters in the current UK tax environment. Jonathan Kropman advises on family succession planning for family businesses, with experience in trusts, family office structures, shareholder arrangements, and family investment companies. He joins from JMW Solicitors after time at Trowers & Hamlins and BLP. Katherine Forster, who joins after 16 years at Mishcon de Reya, focuses on domestic and international private client matters, including wealth structuring, offshore trusts and restructurings, governance, asset protection, and succession planning, often working with overseas advisers.
Broadfield has also appointed Dr. David Ramm as Head of Corporate for Broadfield UK having joined the firm as a partner in October 2025 from Crowell & Moring. He has nearly 30 years of experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and commercial transactions, primarily for technology clients. In his expanded leadership role, he will oversee the firm’s corporate practice across the United Kingdom, supporting clients from early-stage capital through later-stage rounds, exits, and strategic commercial arrangements, including joint ventures and licensing.
“Over the past year, we have been building a firm with international reach, strong regional depth, and a delivery model designed for speed, multifaceted matters, and business outcomes,” said John Hutchinson, managing partner of Broadfield UK. “Gavin, Michael, Constantinos, Jonathan, and Katherine bring experience that aligns with where our clients are going and what they need next. David’s appointment reflects the momentum in our corporate practice and our focus on strengthening leadership as we scale.”
