By Caitlin Tremblay 

Oct 16 (Reuters) - Baker & McKenzie has a new tax dispute resolution partner in Washington. George Clarke, most recently a partner at Miller & Chevelier, started his law career as a paralegal at Baker & McKenzie.

Joseph Laroski Jr., a former associate general counsel in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, has joined King & Spalding as partner. Laroski will be counsel in the firm's international trade practice in Washington.

John Tormey, previously senior counsel at Constellation Energy Group, has joined Hunton & Williams as counsel in Washington working with the firm's global energy and infrastructure team.

Paul Hastings has hired Behnam Dayanim as partner in its global compliance and disputes and global banking and payment systems practice groups. Based in Washington, Dayanim moved over from Axinn Veltrop Harkrider, where he co-chaired the litigation and regulatory group.

Scot Fishman is now with Manatt, Phelps & Phillips as counsel and director of pro bono activities in Los Angeles. Fishman once launched and directed the pro bono program at Dewey & LeBoeuf.

Entertainment attorney Harvey Geller has joined Steptoe's property group. Geller, who used to be deputy general counsel and senior vice president for business and legal affairs at Universal Music Group, will be based in Century City, California, but will also work out of Steptoe's other offices, particularly New York.

Mintz Levin Cohn Ferris Glovsky and Popeo has added Paul Churchill and Evan Nadel as members in San Francisco. Churchill, former head of Goodwin Procter's San Francisco office and partner in its business law department, joins as a managing member. Until now Nadel was a shareholder at Greenberg Traurig and specializes in technology and class action litigation.

Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart has a new shareholder in San Francisco. Kevin Reese, who represents management in wage and hour class action cases, moves over from Hanson Bridgett. A new shareholder in its Tampa, Florida, office is Bob McCormack, most recently a partner with Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith and vice chair of the firm's life, health, disability and ERISA practice.

Seyfarth Shaw has added a labor and employment partner in Boston. Patrick Bannon comes from McCarter & English, where he was also partner. The firm has also established a new energy and clean technologies practice group, which will focus on transactional and regulatory work and will be co-chaired by members Robert Winner in Chicago and Don Lepore in New York.

In Dallas, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has hired seven partners from Haynes & Boone. Joining its corporate practice are Tom Yang, Garrett DeVries and Matt Zmigrosky, while Marty Brimmage Jr., Mike Warnecke, Arnold Spencer and Sarah Teachout will work in its litigation practice. Also at Akin Gump, Kim Koopersmithhas been elected to serve as chairperson. She is currently the firm's U.S. managing partner and succeeds Bruce McLean, who will remain at the firm as senior executive partner.

Georgia Schley Ritchie has joined Barnes & Thornburg as of counsel in Atlanta. Ritchie moves over from Workout Partners, where she was general counsel, and will work in the firm's litigation department.

In Chicago, Mayer Brown has added James Williams as partner in the firm's employment and benefits group. Williams used to be partner at Proskauer Rose.

In Europe, Morrison & Foerster has hired David Bresnick as partner in its corporate practice. Based in London, Bresnick joins from CMS Cameron McKenna, where he was head of the private equity group and led the telecoms, media and technology group.

Oil and gas attorney Merrick White moves over to King & Spalding as partner in its energy practice. Previously with Clifford Chance, White will be based in the firm's Singapore office.

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton has opened a foreign legal consultant office in Seoul, Korea. Partner Yong Guk Lee and counsel Jay Hoon Choi have relocated to Seoul from Hong Kong to head the office, which is Cleary's 16th worldwide and its third in East Asia.

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