Latham & Watkins

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Thomas Forschbach

Thomas Forschbach is a partner in Latham & Watkins' London and Paris offices. He has advised international clients on mergers and acquisitions and private equity for over 25 years and is one of Europe’s most experienced and renowned lawyers in his field.

Adrian C. Grocock

Adrian Grocock has extensive experience advising a broad range of clients on the formation, management, and structuring of their private funds across a variety of asset classes, including buyout, credit, infrastructure, and real estate. His experience ranges from advising first-time fund sponsors on their maiden fund launches to prominent sponsors on multi-billion-dollar products. Adrian also advises sponsors on a variety of bespoke structures, including funds of one and separate managed accounts, as well as on their internal management, regulatory, sponsor co-investment, and carried interest arrangements. In addition, Adrian has advised a number of clients on secondary transactions — both sponsor-led secondaries (on both sponsor and investor sides) and limited partner portfolio transactions (on both buyer and seller sides). Adrian also has an active investor-side practice in which he advises major institutional investors in relation to their investments in private funds and other bespoke structures. Previously, Adrian was a strategy consultant at the Boston Consulting Group and spent six months on secondment at a direct secondary fund sponsor in London.

Alain Traill

Alain Traill is a member of the Data & Technology Transactions Practice. Alain advises on outsourcing projects, platform and technology solutions (business and consumer facing), and complex commercial contracts and renegotiations, regularly advising clients on both the customer and supplier side. Alain works with a broad range of clients across various sectors from early stage companies to major global financial institutions. Alain’s practice includes: Outsourcing (business processing and IT) Complex commercial contracts and renegotiations Platforms, SaaS, and cloud computing Fintech and payments Ecommerce and consumer Data protection

Alexander Buckeridge-Hocking

Alexander Buckeridge-Hocking represents sponsors, governments, and lenders on a range of matters across the capital structure in complex cross-border project development and finance transactions, particularly relating to transitional energy industries and infrastructure sectors. Alexander draws on experience consummating award-winning deals across industries to advise international energy companies, export credit agencies (ECAs), multilaterals, commercial and investment banks, and non-traditional lenders and investors on developing and financing energy and infrastructure projects, including: Batteries and energy storage systems Hydrogen and ammonia Liquefied natural gas (LNG) Solar Mining and metals He leverages his international education and comprehensive understanding of the commercial and cultural frameworks under which his clients operate to effectively negotiate transactions. A recognized industry leader, Alexander serves as a member of a specialist working group participating in the EU-funded LNGnet project on the LNG market’s future transition. He has also collaborated with legal, government, industry, development finance, and civil society leaders to develop Green Hydrogen Contracting for People and Planet, a Green Hydrogen Organisation (GH2) initiative to create standardized contracting practices for renewable energy and green hydrogen projects. Alexander maintains an active pro bono practice, including through the Windrush Legal Clinic initiative, which helps individuals navigate the complex application process to claim financial compensation from the Windrush Compensation Scheme. He has also advised an African government in negotiations with developers regarding green hydrogen projects and investments, and the drafting of legislation for a green hydrogen economy.

Alexander A. Gomonov

Alexander Gomonov is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member the firm’s Corporate Department. Alexander advises Russian and international clients on a variety of complex cross-border acquisitions, disposals, and joint ventures, with a particular focus on the oil and gas and mining sectors. Alexander also has significant experience advising companies and executives on a range of regulatory, compliance, and general corporate law matters.

Amanda Fortuna

Amanda Fortuna is a counsel in the London office of Latham & Watkins and advises clients in the infrastructure and core plus sectors. Amanda focuses on all aspects of core and hybrid infrastructure, acting for a wide range of infrastructure funds, bank lenders, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. She has experience across a broad range of debt capital structures. She has significant experience advising clients on the acquisition and financing of digital, transport, and energy infrastructure.

Andrea Monks

Andrea Monks, Deputy Managing Partner of the London office, advises leading financial institutions on their most significant disputes and contentious regulatory matters, both domestically and in a cross-border context. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Andrea helps a range of banks, asset managers, hedge funds, and other key participants in the financial services sector to navigate highly complex and sensitive disputes. She brings particular experience handling contentious regulatory investigations, having been involved in nearly all of the key global regulatory investigations to occur in recent years. Her work includes counseling clients in relation to risk management, internal investigations, and regulatory enforcement. An accomplished litigator, Andrea has been at the helm of a number of test cases, group actions, and precedent-setting matters in the UK involving the banking industry. She has taken cases all the way to the Supreme Court. Her practice encompasses complex and structured products disputes, insolvency disputes, trade and asset finance disputes, loan syndicate disputes, and disputes following on from regulatory findings. A former in-house banking lawyer, Andrea leverages her sophisticated industry knowledge and experience to help clients achieve their commercial objectives, including through settlements and other alternative forms of dispute resolution. Andrea also provides general commercial litigation representation, including in connection with contract disputes, fraud and asset-tracing, joint venture and supply chain disputes, and aviation disputes.

Andrew Moyle

Partner

Angel Quek

Angel Quek represents private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, borrowers, and other financial institutions on a broad range of financing transactions. Angel focuses on cross-border acquisition and leveraged finance. She has in-depth knowledge and experience over a variety of debt capital structures, including: Senior / mezzanine financings First lien / second lien financings High yield bond transactions (including bridge to bond and super senior revolving facilities) Bridge facilities Unitranche financings Holdco / PIK facilities Post-IPO financings Angel was a former member of the BVCA Legal & Accounting Committee. She has also served on the firm’s Associates Committee.

Anna Ngo

Anna Ngo represents a mix of UK and international companies, investment banks, and investors, including private equity sponsors, in cross-border capital markets and M&A transactions, as well as in general corporate matters. Combining sophisticated product knowledge and technical skills, Anna regularly navigates multifaceted capital market offerings and M&A transactions involving a range of jurisdictions and industries. She offers particular experience in cross-border equity offerings, including dual listings. Anna also leverages her strong understanding of UK company and securities law and regulations to anticipate potential obstacles that may arise in complex and cross-border transactions. Anna’s capital markets work includes: Initial public offerings Rights offerings Secondary and follow-on offerings Debt/equity swaps American and Global Depositary Receipts Private placements and registered transactions Equity-linked securities, including convertible, and exchangeable bonds Spin-offs Anna frequently handles listings and capital raisings around the world, including in the UK, the US, France, Italy, Spain, and Saudi Arabia, drawing on her prior secondment experience in the equity corporate finance team at Credit Suisse. Anna also regularly advises international companies in a range of public cross-border M&A matters. Additionally, she provides general corporate advice to public companies, including in connection with corporate governance matters and compliance with ongoing regulatory requirements. Anna serves as a Vice Chair of Latham’s Diversity Leadership Committee and is a member of the firm’s Ethics Committee and Mentoring Committee. She previously served as London Co-Chair of the firm’s Asian & Middle Eastern Lawyers Group.

Anne Mainwaring

Anne Mainwaring is a financial services regulatory attorney with a focus in ESG. Anne has extensive experience advising on UK and EU regulatory developments relevant to ESG. Anne also handles the implementation of ESG transition projects in accordance with multiple regulatory regimes and requirements. A thought leader in ESG, Anne co-authored the Latham and AFME White Papers: Governance Conduct and Compliance in the Transition to Sustainable Finance and ESG Disclosure Landscape for Banks and Capital Markets in Europe.

Aoife McCabe

Aoife McCabe advises clients on a full spectrum of complex UK and international transactional tax matters. Aoife leverages a depth of experience using a commercial approach to guide financial institutions, private equity funds and their portfolio companies, and multinational corporations on the tax aspects of: Mergers and acquisitions Capital markets (debt and equity) transactions Private equity transactions Finance transactions Real estate transactions Restructurings She helps clients navigate the rapidly evolving regulatory and market conditions that affect corporate and finance transactions, multijurisdictional tax planning, and tax-related financing and structuring. A recognized leader at the firm, Aoife is a Latham Mentoring Star and has served on the Training and Career Enhancement (TACE) Committee.

Beatrice Lo

Beatrice Lo advises corporate and private equity clients on their most complex transactions, often within highly regulated industries and with a cross-border element. Beatrice draws on extensive experience representing clients on their key transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations, carve-outs, and equity investments, as well as providing general corporate law advice. Beatrice’s work spans across a number of industries, including: Power, energy transition, and renewables Financial services and fintech Insurance and insurtech She understands the markets in which her clients operate and crafts effective solutions that help them achieve their ultimate business objectives.

Becky Critchley

Becky Critchley advises a range of financial institutions on matters of complex UK financial services regulation, particularly relating to consumer protection, structured finance transactions, and benchmark regulation. Becky leverages a keen understanding of the regulatory and market landscapes, as well as trusted relationships with industry bodies, to help investment banks, corporate finance houses, regtech and fintech companies, fund managers, lenders, and online trading business navigate: UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Conduct of Business Rules MiFID and MAR Regulated consumer lending, including the extensive proposals for change to the UK’s existing consumer credit regime Consumer Duty Consumer Rights Act Benchmark regulation Culture and Conduct Cross-border issues She interprets complicated and technical laws and regulations and distills them for clients in an easy-to-comprehend and commercially focused way. Becky collaborates closely with the firm’s Structured Finance team to bring her extensive experience in consumer protection and regulated lending to clients’ transactions. Becky maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising on regulated lending for social enterprises and nonprofit organizations.

Brett Cassidy

Brett Cassidy is a corporate partner in Latham & Watkins’ London office where he has practiced law since 2000. Brett was previously in the Los Angeles office and has practiced law with the firm since 1998. He is a member of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice and Leveraged Finance Practice. Brett advises clients on capital market securities matters and leveraged finance, which to date has included a variety of public and private securities offerings (including Rule 144A offerings), leverage and acquisition financing, bridge financing, restructuring and tender offers, exchange offers, and other liability management transactions, with an emphasis on representing investment banking clients and private equity portfolio companies with respect to high yield debt products. He also advises corporate clients concerning compliance with registration and reporting provisions of the US Securities Act of 1933 and the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Carsten Loll

Dr. Carsten Loll, one of the leading German real estate lawyers, advises clients on complex real estate and private equity transactions. Carsten Loll draws on extensive experience to guide private equity funds, institutional investors, and asset managers on their highest-value domestic and cross-border real estate matters, including: Asset and share deals Portfolio transactions across all asset classes, including office, retail, and logistics Joint ventures and real estate M&A He is a member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and a member of the Advisory Board Germany. From 2012 to 2018, he was Local Chair of the ULI in Munich and a member of the ULI Executive Committee Germany. He is also a member of the gif Gesellschaft für Immobilienwirtschaftliche Forschung e.V. / International Real Estate Society (IHRES), the German-British Lawyers Association and the German-American Lawyers Association.

Charles Claypoole

Charles Claypoole, a leading arbitration and international trade law practitioner, advises governments and investors on public international law, with a particular focus on investment treaty arbitration and trade sanctions. A seasoned advocate with an impressive track record, he draws on more than two decades of experience representing clients before a range of international courts and tribunals. Charles advises clients on a full spectrum of public international law, international trade, and dispute resolution issues. He regularly helps clients navigate disputes related to: Investment treaty arbitrations under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties including the Energy Charter Treaty International commercial arbitration Free trade agreements State immunity issues International humanitarian and human rights law International law on territorial and maritime boundaries, including the Law of the Sea International trade sanctions and export control laws An experienced advocate, Charles has successfully represented clients before the International Court of Justice, the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, ICSID, ICC, LCIA, and UNCITRAL arbitral tribunals. Charles regularly publishes and speaks about international law, arbitration, as well as trade and finance sanctions. He has lectured on international boundary law at King’s College London since 2003.

Charles Armstrong

Charles Armstrong is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the Banking Practice. He focuses on domestic and cross-border leveraged finance and restructuring transactions acting for both sponsors and corporate across multi-tiered capital structures including the full range of bank and bond/bridge, first and second lien, bank and mezzanine, and holdco PIK transactions.

Chris Horton

Chris Horton is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Capital Markets Practice. He has a broad range of experience advising on IPOs, secondary offerings, and M&A transactions by listed companies for over twenty years. He regularly advises investment banks, listed companies, and asset managers on the UK Listing Rules, Disclosure Rules and Transparency Rules, the Prospectus Regulation, and the AIM Rules.

Christian McDermott

Christian McDermott, an experienced technology lawyer, advises clients on large-scale technology contracts, commercial collaborations, as well as fintech and payments transactions. He advises global and UK-based clients — including major financial institutions as well as publicly listed, private, and emerging companies — on the development, use, and commercialization of technology, in particular: Large-scale technology and outsourcing projects Complex commercial collaborations Fintech contracts Established and emerging payments technologies Licensing and distribution arrangements Diligence on technology and fintech M&A and IPOs Transitional services arrangements General commercial law and intellectual property matters Christian draws on more than a decade of experience with technology and fintech matters. He has a keen sense of what is at market, utilizes effective collaboration strategies, and has developed a reputation as a skilled negotiator who knows how to get deals done.

Christopher Armstrong

Chris Armstrong advises private equity, private capital, and banking clients on structured and bespoke financing opportunities and solutions across companies’ life cycles. He draws on his extensive experience across a broad range of asset classes to help clients devise and implement structures relating to: Preferred equity and hybrid capital Asset-backed financing Litigation funding Sports financing Esoteric structures He unlocks the resources across the firm’s robust global platform to provide clients with integrated solutions to monetize assets and manage risk in borrowing and lending opportunities. Chris maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising on commercial contracts through Runnymede Trust, an organization challenging structural racism in the UK.

Clare Nida

Clare Nida represents international corporate clients in complex white-collar investigations into bribery and corruption allegations across regulatory regimes in the US and UK. She applies a commercial mindset and a comprehensive understanding of clients’ business needs in the context of: Cross-border civil and criminal government investigations into bribery and corruption, fraud, and money laundering allegations Internal investigations spanning a broad range of disciplines Commercial litigation across a variety of industries and subject matters Compliance program design and enhancement She helps clients mitigate reputational risk and minimize business disruption when the stakes are highest. Clare leverages her tenacity and experience as a Principal Investigative lawyer in the Bribery & Corruption Division of the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to guide clients through all stages of investigations and interactions with the UK National Crime Agency (NCA), UK SFO, UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the US Department of Justice (DOJ). During her 13-month UK SFO secondment, she investigated, prosecuted, and litigated cases. She gained extensive knowledge of the financial and extractive industries, led the SFO’s first successful conviction for a failure to comply with a Section 2 notice under the Criminal Justice Act 1987, successfully defended a number of judicial reviews, and obtained and executed search warrants. Clare maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising a nonprofit carbon credits exchange on their compliance program, and served as Global Chair of the firm’s Women Lawyers’ Group.

Clare Scott

Clare Scott advises private fund sponsors, investors, and joint venture participants in forming, investing in, and operating private investment funds and alternative investment vehicles. She regularly advises sponsors, from leading institutional asset managers to first-time fund managers, as well as institutional investors — including strategic corporates, pension schemes, and sovereign wealth funds. She assists sponsors with their formation, global fundraising, capital deployment, and operating activities for a range of private funds, including: Buyout funds Green and climate investment funds Real estate funds Infrastructure funds Debt funds Co-investment funds Secondary transactions She also helps client navigate fund marketing and regulatory matters, including AIFMD. Given her experience advising both sponsor and investor clients, Clare has a sophisticated perspective on the fund market. Clare serves as the liaison to Hatch Enterprise, an incubator for social enterprises, with an emphasis on supporting entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. She also served as the London Co-Lead for Latham’s Women Lawyers Group.

Clement N. Fondufe

Clement Fondufe is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and the Global Co-Chair of the firm's Africa Practice. He advises clients on international and domestic corporate, commercial, and financial transactions. Clement has experience representing public, private, and state-owned corporate clients (including sovereign wealth funds) in the development and financing of large projects and focuses on the oil, gas, petrochemicals, mining, and infrastructure industries.

Conrad Andersen

Conrad Andersen is an infrastructure partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and serves as Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Energy & Infrastructure Industry Group. Conrad advises a diverse range of infrastructure funds, investors, and financial institutions on all aspects of core and hybrid infrastructure on complex infrastructure financing and acquisition transactions. Conrad has significant experience advising infrastructure funds, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. He has significant experience advising clients across all infrastructure sectors, including, among others, airports, energy infrastructure, digital infrastructure, and utilities.

Dan Maze

Dan Maze is a finance partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and Co-Chair of the London Finance Department. He has a wide range of experience representing lenders and borrowers in syndicated and private credit leveraged financings, investment grade acquisition facilities, restructurings, and emerging markets loans. His clients include European and US banks, direct lenders and credit funds, and corporate borrowers. Dan was named by The American Lawyer as its 2015 "Transatlantic Finance Dealmaker of the Year" for his leadership on the US$22 billion cross-border bank and bond financing provided to Altice and Numericable for the acquisition of French telecoms company SFR.

Dan Smith

Danielle van der Merwe

Danielle van der Merwe advises multinational and UK clients on a range of data privacy and cybersecurity matters, including in connection with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Drawing on nearly a decade of experience, Danielle counsels a variety of global companies, leading financial institutions, and major funds on their most complex and sensitive data privacy issues. Her industry experience spans a number of cutting-edge sectors, including technology, social media, and gaming. Danielle regularly advises clients throughout the corporate lifecycle, serving as an extension of their in-house legal team. She brings particular experience handling cross-border matters arising from product developments, transactions, and investments, including large-scale GDPR compliance reviews. Danielle also delivers sophisticated insight on privacy issues in connection with white collar investigations, both in the UK and internationally. Her practice includes advising on: Complex data transfer solutions (including transfers in light of the Schrems II ruling) Sensitive internal and external investigations Strategic management of data breach incidents and regulatory inquiries Product counselling Data subject rights requests Online advertising, profiling, and marketing strategies Data sharing arrangements Training programs M&A transactions A business-minded problem solver, Danielle offers a unique perspective on clients’ needs garnered from her secondment experience at several retail, health, insurance, and sports companies. Danielle is a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. In addition to her commercial work, Danielle provides privacy-related counsel to nonprofit clients on a pro bono basis.

David Ziyambi

David Ziyambi is a member of the firm’s Finance Department and Africa Practice whose practice focuses primarily on project, structured, and leveraged financing in the energy and infrastructure sectors within both mature and developing markets, particularly throughout Africa. He represents sponsors, lenders, and governments on a range of matters, from project development and project finance deals to structured financing, prepayments, and reserve-based lending.

David Wallace

David Wallace is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and Co-Chair of the London Finance Department. He is a member of the firm’s Private Capital and Restructuring & Special Situations Practices. David has extensive experience advising clients on all aspects of private capital investment. He advises on direct lending, private debt and preference equity transactions, opportunistic credit and equity investments, as well as complex, multi-jurisdictional debt and equity restructurings. His clients include issuers and investors alike – asset managers, credit funds, hedge funds, and other alternative capital providers, as well as corporates, private equity sponsors, and management teams. Prior to joining Latham, David spent a number of years as an investment professional in the credit team of one of Europe’s largest sub-investment grade asset managers, where he gained substantive experience in the structuring, execution, restructuring, and value creation of multiple investments across European and US special situations, strategic credit, and direct lending strategies. Before that, he worked at a leading international law firm in their banking and restructuring and insolvency teams. He has experience in a range of sectors, including retail, hospitality and leisure, gaming, business services, logistics, manufacturing, energy and renewables, food and beverages, chemicals, and industrials.

David Little

David R. Little advises clients on many of their most significant and complex UK, EU, and international competition law matters, including merger control, anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominance, and litigation. Drawing on more than a decade of experience spanning large-value transactions and sensitive disputes and investigations, Mr. Little counsels leading global clients on a variety of competition issues, working closely with regulatory authorities around the world to achieve favorable outcomes for clients. Mr. Little has advised on competition issues relating to some of the largest and highest-profile transactions in recent years. He handles a range of multi-faceted, cross-border matters, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, investigations, sector inquiries, and foreign investment control reviews. He also has experience handling standalone and follow-on litigation claims on behalf of both claimants and defendants. His practice spans industry sectors, with a particular focus on media, technology, financial services, and life sciences. Mr. Little offers clients sophisticated insight into navigating various regulatory reviews. Mr. Little has worked at the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and has appeared before many of the major global antitrust enforcement agencies. He has also appeared before the European Courts in Luxembourg, and the High Court and Court of Appeal in England & Wales. He frequently writes on a broad range of topics related to competition and commercial law, including merger control, restrictive agreements, abuse of dominance, state aid, impact investment, and sustainable finance. Mr. Little served on the firm’s global Diversity Leadership Committee from 2020 to 2022

David Walker

David Walker is an M&A lawyer with more than 30 years of experience focusing on UK and international private equity transactions. He was Global Vice Chair of the Corporate Department and the former Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins' Private Equity Practice, and is recognized as a leader in his field in numerous publications. He commented and written extensively on private equity, including contributing chapters to Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis and was the editor of another specialist book entitled Private Equity Exits: A Practical Analysis.

Dean Naumowicz

Dean Naumowicz is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department, Financial Institutions Group, and the Capital Markets, Derivatives, and Structured Finance Practices. He has extensive experience advising on a wide range of derivatives and structured products including credit, equity, and commodity transactions. Dean advises banks on hedging, acquisition, and financing strategies relating to equity positions, including: Funded and unfunded collars (and variable prepaid forwards), including where used for accelerated purchases (friendly and hostile) Structured put option financing transactions and stock loan transactions Margin loans over listed and unlisted shares, including in the context of IPOs, rights issues and tender offers Related regulatory and corporate matters, such as market abuse, disclosure and transparency rules, exchange and clearing house rules, margin rules, and Companies Act and Takeovers Code matters He also has particularly well-developed expertise advising on Sharia-compliant derivatives transactions and he has advised on innovative financial structures in emerging markets covering all asset classes. Dean’s broad practice combines both transactional and advisory expertise. He represents global financial institutions and other clients on derivatives and collateral issues. An industry leader, he is a contributor to various International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc. (ISDA) publications. He is currently advising the International Securities Lending Association in relation to securities lending and borrowing practices across the Middle East, including regulation and drafting new forms of master documents.

Delyth Hughes

Delyth Hughes is a member of the Corporate Department and the Derivatives and Structured Finance Practices. Delyth primarily handles complex, cross-border OTC derivative, and structured financing transactions where she advises both buy-side and sell-side clients Delyth advises across the following range of asset classes: Fixed income derivatives, including rates, FX, deal contingent derivative transactions, and structuring hedging solutions in respect of a wide variety of financing transactions Structured equity transactions, including put option financing transactions, funded and unfunded collars, and margin loans over listed and unlisted equities Commodities and credit derivatives Repo and stock-lending transactions Sharia-compliant derivative transactions and Islamic structured products Delyth's practice combines both transactional and advisory expertise and she has experience advising clients on regulatory matters relating to derivatives and structured finance transactions. Prior to joining Latham, Delyth trained and qualified at a Magic Circle law firm and, during her career, has also undertaken two secondments at large international banks.

Dominic Newcomb

Dominic Newcomb is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member and former Vice Chair of the firm’s global Finance Department. Dominic practices in the field of international bank finance representing sponsors and borrowers in a wide range of domestic and cross-border financing and restructuring transactions. He has extensive experience in senior, mezzanine, and bridge debt finance for leveraged cross-border acquisitions. He also has experience in insolvency and restructuring matters, representing sponsors and debtors throughout the capital structure in numerous complex transactions.

Douglas Abernethy

Douglas Abernethy represents clients in a range of complex corporate finance and M&A matters, with a particular focus on public takeovers and take-private transactions. He delivers pragmatic and commercially driven advice on M&A matters to multinational private equity firms, financial institutions, and UK-listed companies. He represents clients in connection with significant acquisitions and divestitures involving assets in a diverse range of industries. He also advises financial institutions serving as lenders and advisors to parties on M&A transactions. Douglas’ practice encompasses: Public to private transactions Listed company board advice in takeover situations Takeover Code aspects of acquisition financings Cross-border transactions Private equity and leveraged buyouts He brings a sophisticated understanding of the regulatory environment for takeovers of UK-listed companies garnered from his experience on secondment with the UK Takeover Panel from July 2018 to July 2020. In this role, he assisted in the regulation of some of the highest-profile takeovers in the UK market and developed an in-depth knowledge of the Takeover Code and how it is applied by the Takeover Panel.

Edward Barnett

Ed Barnett is Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' London office. Ed advises clients on a variety of cross-border M&A and corporate finance transactions, including public takeovers, takeover defense, joint ventures, and private company and business acquisitions and divestments, with a particular focus in consumer, technology, pharmaceuticals, and entertainment, media, and sports sectors. He also represents clients on company representation work, including advising on a range of corporate governance matters. He is a former Global Co-Chair of the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions Practice.

Emily Cridland

Emily Cridland is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the firm’s Corporate Department. She trained in Latham's London and Singapore offices and spent time as an associate working in-house on secondment to Markit Group Limited (now part of S&P). Her practice focuses on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, venture capital, reorganisations, and general corporate matters for clients across a variety of industries. In addition to her legal practice, Emily has previously held the role of Vice Chair on the firm's Recruiting Committee and has also served on the Associates Committee.

Evelyne Girio

Dual-qualified in England and France, Evelyne Girio advises clients on energy and natural resources transactions governed by English and French law. Evelyne counsels key participants in the energy sector on a range of matters, with a particular focus on M&A transactions in the upstream and midstream oil and gas sectors. She regularly represents private equity firms, strategic clients and investors, commodity traders, independent exploration and production (E&P) companies, international oil companies (IOCs), and national oil companies (NOCs). Drawing on her broad industry experience, Evelyne advises on: M&A transactions Project developments Day-to-day petroleum operations All forms of upstream oil and gas contracts, including production sharing contracts, joint operating agreements, offtake agreements, gas sale and purchase agreements, transportation agreements, and capacity agreements Evelyne brings particular experience handling complex, cross-border matters, including within the African Franco-phone and Lusophone region. She is multi-lingual and negotiates confidently in French, English, and Portuguese. In addition to her commercial practice, Evelyne regularly advises clients on a pro bono basis. Her work includes advising Eden Reforestation Projects, a nonprofit organization that rebuilds natural landscapes destroyed by deforestation in developing countries with a view to reducing carbon emissions and generating carbon credits for sale on international markets.

Farah O'Brien

Farah O’Brien has over 15 years’ experience in cross-border M&A, private equity, and corporate restructurings, primarily for sponsors and their portfolio companies. She is Vice Chair of the firm's Associates Committee and the former Co-Chair of the London Corporate Department. She has co-authored a chapter in the book Carve-out M&A Transactions: A Practical Guide.

Fergus Wheeler

Fergus Wheeler is a partner in the Finance Department of Latham & Watkins’ London office and a member of the Banking Practice. He focuses on private credit and other debt finance transactions, with experience in leveraged finance spanning more than 15 years. He works with many of the most active private credit investors and has been at the forefront of legal developments in that asset class for more than a decade. He advises international private credit funds and a range of alternative capital providers investing across the capital structure in both performing and stressed or distressed situations. Fergus operates across both the large-cap and mid-market. He leverages deep knowledge of the syndicated bank lending market and private credit markets to find creative and commercial solutions for clients in all parts of the capital structure. He is widely recognized in the market as one of the leading holdco financing lawyers, having advised on multiple holdco PIK and complex back leverage transactions over the past decade. He also works closely with the firm’s financial restructuring team on the covenant and structuring analysis of stressed and distressed credits, and on the financing aspects of liquidity solutions, liability management exercises, and full work-out situations.

Fiona Maclean

Partner

Francesco Lione

Francesco Lione, a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins, represents clients in acquisition financings, high yield offerings, hybrid capital raisings, liability management, and restructuring matters under both US law and English law. He has advised entrepreneurs, sponsors, and companies on transformative, strategic financings, such as the largest sterling corporate bond sale on record, the third largest LBO financing in the UK, the largest private debt financing of an Italian LBO, debut capital markets transactions, and inaugural green bond issuances. He has also counselled investment banks on complex, groundbreaking deals, such as the first European LBO financing featuring pari passu bonds and loans, the first instance of a European business funding its supply chain finance program through the high yield bond market, the second largest offshore bond offering by a Japanese issuer, and the second largest LBO financing in the UK. Francesco has assisted direct lenders and investment firms with a wide array of bespoke capital raisings, spanning Holdo PIK issuances, convertible debt placements, and pre-IPO financings. Lastly, he has represented creditors and borrowers in several balance sheet restructurings of cross-border businesses. Working closely with issuers and borrowers through the ups and downs of business cycles, Francesco has extended his practice to cover a broader range of transactional finance assignments — advising companies on preferred equity issuances, working capital facilities, securitization structures, club loan deals, and, more recently during the COVID-19 pandemic, emergency injections of capital and negotiated amendments of financing terms. He also regularly counsels founders, boards of directors, and senior management teams on reporting and disclosure matters, access to capital markets, financing risk management, and corporate governance. He is recognized for his expertise in financing matters by Chambers UK in Capital Markets: High-Yield Products, by IFLR1000 in Banking and Finance and in Capital Markets: Debt, and by The Legal 500 UK in High Yield. He is a frequent speaker on trends and developments in leveraged finance and has published various articles on innovative transaction templates in private equity finance.

Frank Saviano

Frank Saviano advises on complex and business-critical corporate matters in the sports and media industry. Mr. Saviano counsels leading participants in the sports and media industry ranging from major sports leagues, professional sports teams, and team owners to private equity firms, financial institutions, sports media networks, and sports-adjacent companies. He regularly advises clients in a wide array of corporate matters, including media rights, team acquisitions and sales, strategic investments, joint ventures, arena and stadium development, sponsorships, and other significant commercial transactions.

Gabriel Lakeman

Gabriel Lakeman advises clients at the intersection of financial services, technology, and regulation. He draws on a deep understanding of the financial regulatory landscape to advise C-suite executives, senior leadership, and founders across the fintech ecosystem on: Super-apps and innovative securities platforms, including MiFID II and AIFMD Digital assets and Web3, including cryptoasset registration, VASP regimes, and MiCA Payment services and systems, including PSD2/3 Financial services and Big Data, Big Tech, and AI Gabriel collaborates with leading global financial services firms to develop new products and platforms, focusing on creating solutions to help clients structure their businesses and develop new services that comply with rapidly evolving global requirements. His clients include broker-dealers, investment and retail banks, technology startups, central banks, market infrastructure providers, investment managers, hedge funds, and private equity funds. A recognized thought leader, Gabriel regularly presents on trends in fintech and Web3. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, he practiced in the London office of another global law firm. During that time, he completed secondments at two leading global investment banks.

Gaëtan Gianasso

Gaëtan Gianasso is a partner in the London and Paris offices of Latham & Watkins. He specializes in mergers and acquisitions and private equity, with particular expertise in leveraged acquisitions (LBO). He has considerable experience representing private equity institutions in connection with acquisitions, dispositions, and transaction financing.

Gail Crawford

Gail Crawford, Global Chair of Latham’s Data & Technology Transactions Practice and Co-Chair of Latham's Privacy & Cyber Practice, helps clients navigate complex data privacy and security matters, as well as to license, develop, and exploit disruptive technology. She advises many of the world’s leading global technology companies on multifaceted and precedent-defining data privacy and security matters. Her work in the data privacy and security space encompasses advising on compliance programs, product counseling, responding to data breaches and regulatory inquiries, advising on optimal organizational structures, and supporting large, strategic alliances and M&A transactions. She also helps clients navigate a myriad of issues in technology law, including commercial contracts, collaborations, and intellectual property. Gail draws on her experience handling some of the most complicated and sensitive data privacy matters in the global market to provide pragmatic and commercially driven counsel. She brings a deep understanding of the innate value of data and the complex, ever-changing global regulatory framework to help clients achieve their business objectives. Gail regularly writes and speaks on topics related to data privacy and disruptive technology, and serves as an editor of the Latham & Watkins Global Privacy & Security Compliance Law Blog.

Greg Bonné

Greg Bonné advises clients on a wide range of cross-border antitrust and competition matters, particularly those involving merger control investigations. Greg guides international private equity firms, their portfolio companies, and other private and public companies on a wide range of UK and EU competition issues, including: Mergers and acquisitions UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) initial enforcement orders Market studies and investigations Antitrust investigations Foreign investment control Competition litigation and judicial review He leverages a comprehensive understanding of the UK merger control regime and extensive experience navigating cross-jurisdictional parallel reviews involving the US Department of Justice / US Federal Trade Commission, the European Commission, and the CMA to help clients identify and mitigate intervention risk. Before joining Latham, Greg worked for more than five years at the CMA as an Assistant Director of Mergers and Phase 2 Project Director, where he coordinated over 100 UK merger control investigations and served on the Mergers Intelligence Committee. He has appeared before the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal in England and Wales.

Harj Rai

Harj Rai, Co-Chair of the firm’s Saudi Arabia Practice, represents government and government-related entities, sponsors, and financial institutions in a range of complex corporate and finance transactions, both within the GCC region and internationally. Drawing on more than 20 years of on-the-ground experience working and living in the Middle East, Harj helps clients navigate highly strategic and intricate matters spanning project finance, Islamic finance, and bank finance. His work in Islamic finance includes complex Shari’ah-compliant agreements across a spectrum of Islamic structures. Harj develops long-lasting relationships with clients to help them navigate every stage of their lifecycle. He brings particular experience in first-of-their-kind, precedent-setting transactions in the Middle East involving diverse industries, including oil and gas, technology, real estate, and telecommunications. Harj previously served as Dubai Office Managing Partner and Local Chair of the Finance Department.

Hayden Teo

Hayden Teo advises private equity investment firms, their portfolio companies, and corporate borrowers on debt financing transactions, with particular expertise in executing complex, multijurisdictional debt capital structures. Hayden combines his extensive transactional experience across each stage of a debt financing life cycle with a deep understanding of current market trends to help sponsors and borrowers navigate: Acquisition and leveraged buyout financings, including public-to-private transactions Bridge-to-bond and super senior revolving credit facilities for high-yield bond offerings Post-IPO and public company financings Syndicated term loan facilities Private credit financings Working in close collaboration with our global private equity and capital markets teams, he provides cross-border financing solutions that address each client’s unique commercial objectives and risk profile. Hayden is an active member of the firm’s LGBTQ+ affinity group and is an advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion across the legal profession. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a judicial associate to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Hayley Pizzey

Hayley Pizzey advises clients on a wide range of multi-jurisdictional litigation and regulatory matters, with an emphasis on commercial litigation, contentious data protection matters, and regulatory investigations. Specifically, she helps clients navigate: Irish Data Protection Commission inquiries GDPR compliance Alleged data breaches and regulatory notifications Regulatory inquiries and sanctions, and related litigation She brings particular experience in claims in the High Court, the Court of Appeal, and the Competition Appeal Tribunal, as well as matters involving the Competition and Markets Authority, the European Commission, the Irish Data Protection Commission, and other data protection authorities around the world. Hayley maintains an active pro bono practice and primarily represents the Royal Courts of Justice Advice Bureau and Malaria No More UK.

Hector Sants

Hector Sants advises clients on strategic cross-border M&A and joint ventures, particularly within the technology, sports, and energy industries. He has extensive experience supporting public and private companies, with a particular focus on complex cross-border matters involving the UK, Europe, and the US, on: Mergers and acquisitions Joint ventures Public takeovers Public and private financings Corporate governance Before joining Latham, Hector worked at another international law firm, where he completed a secondment on the M&A team at a FTSE 100 company. He regularly writes on topics at the intersection of company M&A and private equity, including public and private investments and the application of technology to dealmaking.

Helen Lethaby

Helen Lethaby covers a broad spectrum of tax transactional matters for corporates, global financial investors, and asset managers. Her work includes public and private M&A, joint ventures, IPOs, restructuring, and financings, and spans a number of sectors, including telecommunications, energy and infrastructure, insurance, healthcare, tech, fintech, and consumer- and retail-based businesses. Helen also has extensive experience advising on partnership taxation matters and management incentivization. While much of her work in this area is sponsor-side, she has acted for a number of founders and management teams on exit and rollover tax considerations. She has advised numerous financial institutions on structured and asset finance deals during the course of her career.

Hendrik Smit

Hendrik Smit advises banks and financial institutions on a broad range of finance matters, with a particular emphasis on leveraged finance transactions and cross-border acquisition financings. Hendrik helps a full range of leading global investment banks, commercial banks, direct lenders, financial institutions, top-tier private equity firms, and corporate borrowers on banking and financing transactions at every level of the capital structure, including: Syndicated term loans Bank/bond and bridge financings Unitranche and mezzanine facilities Holdco PIK financings Asset-based loans Investment grade facilities He draws on significant experience, including two secondments with Goldman Sachs, to provide clients with market insight and commercial advice on their transactions.

Hugo Bowkett

Hugo Bowkett advises a full range of stakeholders on complex, multijurisdictional restructurings, special situations, and financings across the capital structure. Hugo leverages his keen commercial judgment and extensive experience to represent asset managers, hedge funds, alternative capital providers, financial institutions, private equity sponsors, and corporates on high-stakes transactions that often entail negotiating and managing differing stakeholders’ interests, including: Investments with multilayered capital structures Schemes of arrangement and restructuring plans Security enforcements UK administrations and Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs) In- and out-of-court proceedings in multiple jurisdictions He drives process efficiency in every transaction and facilitates relationships across Latham’s multidisciplinary platform — including close collaboration with the Finance, Corporate, Benefits, and Tax Practices — to devise bespoke solutions for the client. Hugo also guides clients on restructuring matters involving securitization, whether full-business, RMBS, CMBS, or trade receivables, as well as on special situations financing. He completed a six-month secondment in Alcentra’s special situations practice, where he advised funds on their underlying investments, including on various restructurings. Hugo is a member of the Turnaround Managers Association. Prior to joining Latham, he practiced at another international law firm in London.

Huw Thomas

Huw Thomas, Co-Chair of the London Corporate Department, is an M&A lawyer with more than a decade of experience advising on UK and international private equity and M&A transactions, joint ventures, and restructurings. He has previously spent time on secondment to BP and Deutsche Bank and regularly contributes to a number of leading industry publications including: Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis; Global Investment Funds: A Practical Guide to Structuring, Raising and Managing Funds; and Carve-out M&A Transactions: A Practical Guide.

Ian Felstead

Ian Felstead, Global Vice Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Complex Commercial Litigation Practice, advises clients on a variety of commercial litigation and regulatory disputes, with a particular focus on the media, technology, and sports industries. He draws on more than two decades of experience navigating complex and high-profile disputes to achieve clients’ business objectives. He regularly advises many of the world’s leading companies in the media, technology, and sports industries on high-value, multijurisdictional issues. Combining sophisticated industry knowledge and practical problem solving, Ian handles a diverse range of commercial disputes — from breach of contract claims to a variety of regulatory investigations and inquiries. His practice encompasses proceedings brought before a variety of venues, including the UK High Court and domestic and international tribunals, as well as regulatory processes around the world. Additionally, Ian has particular experience in relation to data protection, defamation, and breach of confidence/privacy. He regularly advises individuals and companies on data protection and reputation management issues.

J David Stewart

David Stewart, Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ London Corporate department, has a diversified cross-border debt and equity capital markets practice, including complex transactions involving publicly traded securities, both in the United States and internationally. He handles the full spectrum of capital markets matters on behalf of issuers, sponsors, strategic investors, and major investment banks with a particular focus on: Public and private offerings of debt and equity Exchange offers Tender offers and debt consent solicitations Restructurings of public debt securities Public M&A transactions David also represents companies with respect to general corporate and securities matters and is a trusted advisor in the board room.

James McCrory

James McCrory delivers comprehensive solutions to asset managers worldwide across the spectrum of private fund-related matters. James draws on extensive transactional experience and his sophisticated understanding of the asset management landscape to guide clients on: Raising private funds across a range of strategies, including: Buyout Venture capital Real estate Infrastructure Debt Control asset management M&A acquisitions and GP stakes deals Fund restructurings and GP-led secondaries Establishing strategic partnerships, JVs, co-investment platforms, and SMAs He also advises some of the largest institutional and sovereign wealth investors globally on their private investment portfolios.

James Leslie

James Leslie advises clients on a wide range of UK and cross-border tax matters, including in connection with complex M&A and financing transactions. James delivers commercially focused tax advice to a variety of clients based in the UK and internationally, including private equity funds, financial institutions, and corporates. He regularly handles complex transactions across industries involving innovative and cutting-edge structures. James' work includes advising on the tax aspects of: M&A transactions Private equity deals Acquisition financings Debt and equity capital markets transactions Restructurings Drawing on his broad range of private practice and in-house experience, James brings a firsthand understanding of client needs and delivers complex tax advice in a practical and client-friendly manner. In addition to his commercial work, James regularly provides tax advice to nonprofit organizations and charities on a pro bono basis.

James Lloyd

James Lloyd helps clients navigate a wide range of cybersecurity and privacy-related matters. He is an experienced litigator and investigations lawyer who represents and advises clients on cybersecurity and privacy-related matters, including: Regulatory and internal investigations Incident response and cybersecurity resiliency Commercial disputes James leads responses to significant enforcement investigations by international and domestic regulators, including the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, law enforcement agencies, and Parliamentary Select Committees. He draws on extensive litigation experience to defend clients when data privacy issues lead to disputes. Understanding what matters to regulators and the courts is at the heart of James’s approach to helping clients understand the privacy and enforcement implications of innovative data use-cases.

James Chesterman

James Chesterman is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and has more than 25 years’ experience in European restructuring and workouts, structured and special situations lending, and leveraged finance. His clients include both borrowers and lenders across the restructuring, special situations/opportunities, and leveraged finance sectors. He has represented banks for many years in transactional and advisory matters and also represents private equity funds, credit funds, distressed funds, and corporates.

James Inness

James Inness is a corporate partner and co-head of Latham's UK equity capital markets practice. He has approximately 20 years’ experience representing issuers, underwriters, and major shareholders on primary and secondary equity capital markets transactions. James is a leading adviser to a wide range of clients listed on the London Stock Exchange in relation to securities offerings, major transactions, and corporate governance. James also has extensive experience advising on securities offerings on other international markets.

James Burnett

James Burnett, a partner in the Corporate Department of Latham & Watkins' London office, advises on equity and debt capital markets, bridge financing, and other aspects of corporate finance. He represents investment banks, private equity firms, and corporations in public and private equity and debt offerings, bridge loans, acquisition financing, and liability management transactions, with a particular emphasis on issuances of high yield debt securities, leveraged transactions, and initial public offerings. James was previously based in the firm's Los Angeles office and was the Corporate Department Chair of the Hong Kong office. James is Vice Chairman of the firm’s Finance Committee. He contributed to the Review and Outlook of European Direct Lending report 2021, published by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

Jeffrey Lawlis

Jeff Lawlis, Global Vice Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Capital Markets Practice, advises companies, sponsors, and investment banks on cross-border corporate finance transactions involving complex structuring issues. Mr. Lawlis serves as a go-to advisor to many clients on their full range of financing needs. He brings particular experience in leveraged finance and high yield bridge and bond transactions, as well as other debt and equity capital markets offerings, including private placements, and liability management transactions. Mr. Lawlis regularly advises on the financing aspects of M&A transactions, while also providing advice on general corporate and securities law matters. Drawing on more than two decades of on-the-ground experience in Europe, Mr. Lawlis delivers sophisticated and business-driven counsel with a focus on the Italian, Spanish, and Greek markets.

Jennifer Brennan

Jennifer Brennan is Global Vice Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Finance Department and a partner in the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice. She has extensive experience advising the full range of stakeholders across the capital structure, including asset managers, hedge funds, alternative capital providers, banks, private equity sponsors and corporates, on restructuring, special situations, and finance transactions. Jennifer is particularly focused on managing large-scale, multi-jurisdictional transactions and matters requiring the navigation of diverse stakeholder interests to achieve commercial solutions. The implementation of such transactions has been through a variety of means and processes, including UK schemes of arrangement, UK company voluntary arrangements, US Chapter 15, Spanish homologation, Canadian CCAA process, pre-packaged administration, security enforcement, and French mandat ad hoc and conciliation, and have at times involved the injection of new financing to both bridge liquidity and to support the new capital structure. She has experience in a range of sectors including retail, automotive, chemicals, energy and renewables, financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, logistics, gaming, and telecommunications.

Jennifer M. Engelhardt

Jennifer Engelhardt, Global Vice Chair of Latham’s Corporate Department, represents companies, investment banks, and private equity firms in public and private debt and equity offerings and acquisition financing.

Jennifer M. Gascoyne

Jenna Gascoyne represents issuers, including foreign private issuers, and underwriters on the full spectrum of equity capital markets transactions. She advises clients across a wide range of industries on capital markets transactions and ongoing representation, including: Initial public offerings (IPOs) Secondary and follow-on offerings Private placements Public company representation, including ongoing Exchange Act reporting Corporate governance matters Drawing on her experience practicing in both the United States and Europe, Jenna devises pragmatic solutions for issuers who seek access to the US markets. She regularly helps clients navigate the complex, cross-border issues that arise for non-US entities in US-registered offerings. Jenna previously practiced in the firm’s Chicago office. In law school, she was a member of the Texas International Law Journal.

Jeremiah Wagner

Jeremiah Wagner, Co-Chair of the Global Fund Finance Group, is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Structured Finance & Securitization Practice. He has extensive experience across a range of structured finance, securitization (cash flow and synthetic), derivative, and asset-based lending transactions involving a wide array of asset classes, including secured and unsecured consumer loans, corporate loans (including SME and middle-market), residential mortgage loans, commercial mortgage loans, credit card receivables, small and big ticket equipment leases, auto loans and leases, dealer floorplan loans, insurance products, trade receivables, and many different types of inventory. Jeremiah represents clients (sponsors, originators, issuers, lenders, underwriters, and arrangers) in international capital markets transactions, including securitizations and other asset-backed US-registered public offerings, cross-border offerings, commercial paper programs, and private placements. He has also been involved in a number of tender offers for asset-backed securities in the United States and Europe. He also represents financial institutions and companies in asset-based lending transactions and other similar financings. His experience in this area targets inventory and receivables financing across a number of jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe. Jeremiah also advises clients on a number of regulatory matters affecting the banking and securitizations industries. He is frequently involved with various association responses to regulatory matters, including capital requirements, accounting, rating agencies, liquidity requirements, and other similar matters.

Jeremy Trinder

Jeremy Trinder, former Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins' Real Estate Practice, represents clients in the full spectrum of complex real estate investment and financing transactions in the UK and across Europe. He draws on more than 25 years of real estate experience and deep knowledge of lending across the capital stack to advise private equity funds, banks, and corporate borrowers on: Commercial mortgage loans, including origination and restructuring of senior, mezzanine and holdco financings Loan-on-loan, repo, and loan warehousing transactions Mortgage backed securities Commercial mortgage debt acquisitions and syndication Sale and leaseback, ground rent, and opco/propco transactions Distressed debt acquisitions/dispositions and NPL and special situations financings He forges long-term relationships with clients to serve as a trusted advisor and delivers creative debt solutions with technical precision.

Jeremy Green

Jeremy Green is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the firm’s Corporate Department, Financial Institutions Group, and the Capital Markets, Derivatives, and Structured Finance Practices. His practice focuses on complex OTC derivative and structured financing transactions across all asset classes, with a particular focus on strategic corporate equity derivatives and structured equity financing. Having joined the firm after a number of years working as a senior in-house lawyer at Goldman Sachs in London, advising both investment banking and trading divisions, Jeremy has significant experience structuring and executing the most complex derivative and structured financing transactions and a unique insight into the issues that matter most to international investment banks and their clients. He advises buy-side and sell-side clients on hedging, acquisition, and financing strategies relating to equity positions and on balance sheet restructuring transactions, including: Funded and unfunded collars (and variable prepaid forwards), including where used for accelerated purchases (friendly and hostile) Structured put option financing transactions, stock loans, and equity repos Structured issuer share buy-back transactions Margin loans over listed and unlisted equity, including in the context of IPOs, rights issues and tender offers Non-dilutive convertible and exchangeable bonds and associated investor stock borrow facilities Related regulatory and corporate matters, such as market abuse, disclosure and transparency rules, exchange and clearing house rules, margin rules, and Companies Act and Takeovers Code matters He also regularly advises companies and market participants on issues arising from the use of credit derivatives, particularly in the context of corporate debt restructuring.

Jessica Walker

Jessica Walker advises clients on all aspects of complex, cross-border restructurings, insolvencies, and special situations. Jessica combines 20 years’ experience with creativity and compassion to optimize outcomes and help debtors, creditors, directors, insolvency practitioners, and other stakeholders navigate: Distressed transactions Operational and financial restructuring Formal insolvency processes Restructuring plans, schemes of arrangement, and company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) Pensions restructuring Contingency planning Jessica’s experience spans a broad range of industries, including fintech and financial institutions, energy and infrastructure, retail and automotive. A recognized leader both in and outside the firm, Jessica serves on Latham’s Ethics Committee and Women Enriching Business (WEB) Committee. She is also an active member of INSOL International, International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), and the Insolvency Lawyers Association. Jessica maintains an active pro-bono practice, including representing survivors of domestic abuse in the UK through the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance (DARA).

Jocelyn Seitzman

Jocelyn Seitzman is a partner in Latham & Watkins’ London office. She focuses on capital markets transactions, LBO financings, and securities regulation, advising private equity firms, companies, and investment banks in debt financings, with a particular emphasis on acquisition financing. She has represented a broad range of clients including BC Partners, CVC Capital Partners, Hellman & Friedman, and Permira, and investment banks such as Citi, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, and J. P. Morgan. Jocelyn has practiced law at Latham since 1996 and has practiced law in the London office since 1998.

John Colahan

John Colahan is a partner in Latham & Watkins’ London office. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, Mr Colahan was the International Antitrust Counsel, based in London, for The Coca-Cola Company where his responsibilities included advising all operating groups on strategic planning and implementation of a wide variety of international joint ventures and acquisitions as well as the conduct of international antitrust litigation and investigations. Mr Colahan has also served as a legal adviser on European law to the European secretariat of the UK Cabinet Office and has represented the UK in numerous cases. He represents clients before the European Commission, national authorities in Europe and internationally, as well as conducting litigation in the European courts and numerous national courts. He has advised on a wide variety of international antitrust matters, including structuring and implementation of international mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, cartel enforcement, single firm conduct and compliance counselling.

John Balsdon

John Balsdon is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and part of the Project Development & Finance Practice. John primarily advises on energy finance with an emphasis on the oil and gas sector, advising clients on matters ranging from project financing to structured trade finance, prepayments, and reserve-based lending. John has more than 25 years' experience, working in both emerging and mature markets, advising on some of the major pan-European and West African energy project financings taking place within the sector, as well as on all major financing needs across the energy value chain. A recent career highlight includes advising on the project finance aspects of a US$7 billion oil and gas project in Ghana with ENI supplying gas for power generation, reportedly the largest single project Foreign Direct Investment inflow to Ghana since Independence.

John-Patrick Sweny

John-Patrick (JP) Sweny is a partner in Latham & Watkins' London office and a member of its Project Finance and Development Practice. He represents energy companies, governments, financial institutions, and private equity investors on a wide range of project finance and development transactions focused on the energy transition. JP is a member of the Regulation and Policy Working Group of the Carbon Capture & Storage Association, covering the regulation of CCS and blue hydrogen sectors, and a participant in the Green Hydrogen Organisation’s contracting standards initiative. JP also is a member of a specialist working group participating in the EU-funded LNGnet project on the future transition of the LNG market.

Jonathan Brownson

Jonathan Brownson is a finance partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins. He has a wide range of experience representing creditors in syndicated and private credit leveraged financings, investment grade acquisition facilities, restructurings and emerging markets loans. His clients include banks, credit providers and other financial institutions.

Jonathan Parker

Jonathan Parker is a partner in the Antitrust & Competition Practice in Latham & Watkins’ London office focusing on European and UK competition law. He advises clients on a wide range of EU and UK competition issues, including mergers and acquisitions, market studies, cartels/restrictive agreements, and abuse of dominance cases. Prior to joining Latham, Jonathan worked as a Legal Director and Director of Mergers at the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). He is renowned in the market for deploying his considerable experience and institutionalized thinking on UK merger control matters. He is a member of the Competition Law Committee of the City of London Law Society.

Jose Antonio Sánchez-Dafos

José Antonio Sánchez-Dafos, a partner in the Corporate Department, focuses his practice on private equity transactions and venture capital investments in Spain and Portugal as well as cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures.Mr. Sánchez-Dafos regularly advises major global and local private equity funds on transactions in the Spanish and Portuguese markets, with experience acting for both sponsors and management teams.

Joshua Kiernan

Joshua Kiernan is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins, focusing on international capital markets transactions, securities regulation, and cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Joshua has extensive experience advising companies on SEC-registered IPOs, follow-on and secondary offerings, block trades, private placements, and Rule 144A offerings. In addition, he advises on a variety of debt offerings (including high-yield and convertible bonds) and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and leveraged buyouts. Joshua assists many clients with SEC reporting and corporate governance matters and has particular experience in the technology and life sciences sectors.

Joydeep Choudhuri

Joydeep Choudhuri advises clients on a wide range of European and cross-border leveraged financing matters. He leverages broad experience to represent banks and private credit funds in their most sophisticated financing transactions. Before joining Latham, he was a partner at another global law firm.

Julia Stapelfeld

Julia Stapelfeld is a counsel in the firm’s Finance Department and a member of the Banking Practice of Latham & Watkins’ London office. Her experience spans more than 10 years advising on all aspects of high-profile, large-scale leveraged finance transactions, including advising on public-to-private takeovers, refinancings, and add-on financings. More recently, Julia focuses on advising sponsor-owned portfolio companies and corporate borrowers on a wide range of matters relating to their financings.

Karl Mah

Karl Mah is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is Chair of the London Tax Department. He represents a broad range of clients on international tax matters. He has particular experience advising on the tax aspects of M&A and private equity deals, capital markets offerings, and finance transactions. Karl received the prestigious Institute Medal and LexisNexis Prize from the Chartered Institute of Taxation for achieving the highest score in the country in the May 2008 Institute examinations, which are considered to be the ‘gold standard’ among tax professionals in the United Kingdom. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation. He is also actively involved in the firm’s diversity initiatives and has previously served on the firm’s Mentoring, Knowledge Management, and Training and Career Enhancement Committees and as part of the London office’s Asian Lawyer and First Generation Professionals Affinity Groups.

Katie Peek

Katie Peek advises private equity funds and their portfolio companies on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Katie draws on extensive transactional experience and comprehensive knowledge of private equity market practice to guide clients on: Acquisitions Disposals Restructurings and fund-to-fund transactions Consortium and joint venture arrangements Growth investments Management incentive schemes and other ongoing corporate advice She leads transactions efficiently and pragmatically to achieve clients’ commercial objectives, and maintains strong relationships with deal teams and portfolio companies throughout the life cycle of their investment. A recognized leader at the firm, she has served on the Associates Committee and Recruiting Committee.

Kem Ihenacho

Kem Ihenacho, a member of the firm’s Executive Committee, is an M&A lawyer with more than 25 years of experience focusing on private equity, infrastructure, and M&A transactions. He is recognized as a leader in his field by numerous publications. He is the Global Vice Co-Chair of the firm’s Africa Practice and the former Global Vice Chair of the firm's Private Equity & Investment Funds Practice.

Kendall Burnett

Kendall Burnett advises public and private companies’ on all aspects of employment, remuneration, and incentives matters, particularly in the context of corporate transactions. She counsels clients on the full spectrum of global employment and incentives matters, including those related to: Cross-border mergers and acquisitions Share-based incentivization, including plan design and administration Public company representation and corporate governance Recruitment and severance Kendall draws on substantial experience helping a wide range of global clients — from emerging companies to publicly listed companies — to recruit, retain, and incentivize dynamic workforces. She regularly advises on complex cross-border transactions, resolving legal and tax considerations across different jurisdictions. Kendall maintains an active pro bono practice, advising UK charities on employment law issues. She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association and Share Plan Lawyers Group.

Kendall Johnson

Kendall Johnson works at the intersection of sports and entertainment, drawing on her unique level of crossover experience to handle transactions spanning the industry. She delivers creative and commercially focused advice in connection with the licensing, acquisition, production, financing, and exploitation of broadcast and sponsorship rights, film and television content, and other media-related assets.

Linzi Thomas

Linzi Thomas advises clients on complex cross-border private equity and M&A transactions. She draws on a decade of experience acting for large private equity houses on their most significant deals. Linzi is ranked as a Next Generation Partner for Private Equity in The Legal 500 UK 2020, 2022 and has been recognized by Legal Week’s 40 Under 40: The Rising Stars in Private Equity 2019, listed in The Lawyer Hot 100 2020, and in Black Women in Asset Management’s 40 Under 40 list of Black Women Shaping the Future of Asset Management.

Lisbeth Savill

Partner

Ludmilla Le Grand

Ludmilla Le Grand advises clients on a wide range of antitrust and competition matters. She assists clients with EU and UK competition law and regulatory issues, including multi-jurisdictional merger control, cartel investigations, abuse of dominance, as well as foreign direct investment. Her practice spans multiple industry sectors, including energy, life sciences, telecoms, transport, and financial services. Prior to joining Latham, Ludmilla worked as a managing associate in the antitrust & competition practice of other international law firms.

Maarten Overmars

Maarten Overmars advises private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a full spectrum of transactions in Europe, particularly those with a Dutch or Benelux nexus. Dual-qualified in English and Dutch law, he helps clients navigate private equity matters involving: Acquisitions Disposals Continuation fund and other fund-to-fund transactions Management equity plans Restructurings Ongoing corporate advice Maarten leverages trusted relationships with key industry participants across the London and Dutch markets, as well as a comprehensive understanding of both geographies’ culture and market practice, to guide clients across a portfolio company’s entire life cycle. He co-authored the chapters “Private equity investment in the oil and gas industry” in Oil & Gas M&A: A Practical Handbook and “Partial Exits” in Private Equity Exits: A Practical Analysis.

Manoj Bhundia

Manoj Bhundia is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the Banking Practice. His experience includes advising banks, credit funds, and other financial institutions in relation to a wide range of banking and finance transactions, including cross-border acquisition finance, refinancings, and recurring revenue transactions. He has also been seconded to J.P. Morgan's leveraged credit team.

Manoj Tulsiani

Manoj Tulsiani is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Debt Capital Markets Practice. He regularly advises corporates, governments, and financial institutions across the full range of debt and equity-linked capital markets products in a significant number of jurisdictions, including with respect to bank regulatory capital, corporate hybrid, and convertible/exchangeable bond offerings. He also has extensive experience advising issuers with respect to corporate treasury and balance sheet management-related activities.

Mark Austin

Mark Austin advises clients on a full range of public and private securities offerings as well as M&A and general corporate matters across multiple sectors. He leverages extensive experience to guide market-leading companies and investment banks on: Initial public offerings (IPOs) Rights issues and open offers Placings Mergers and acquisitions General corporate work A recognized industry leader, Mark is a member and former Chair of the Listing Authority Advisory Panel, the practitioner panel that advises the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) on primary markets policy and regulation issues. He also serves on the FCA’s Markets Practitioner Panel and The London Stock Exchange’s Primary Markets Group. He is a member of the UK’s Capital Markets Industry Taskforce (CMIT), which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in July 2022, and which is tasked with reforming the UK’s capital markets, as well as HM Treasury’s Digitization Taskforce. The Chancellor of the Exchequer appointed Mark in October 2021 as the independent chair of the UK Secondary Capital Raising Review, which proposed reforms to the capital raising process for listed companies. He delivered the Review to the Chancellor in July 2022. He also advised Lord Hill on the UK Listing Review in 2021. He received a CBE in the King’s 2024 New Year Honours List for services to the economy.

Martin Davies

Martin Davies, Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Litigation & Trial Department, advises clients on a range of complex commercial disputes often centering on novel legal issues, including class actions, corporate and shareholder disputes, banking and financial litigation, and competition litigation. An internationally renowned trial lawyer, he draws on more than three decades of experience advising many of the world’s leading corporations and financial institutions on their most significant and intricate disputes. He represents diverse clients from across industries, including corporations, banks, private equity firms, portfolio companies, and high net-worth individuals. Martin can provide a unique insight into class actions having acted on both the claimant side (for the major shareholders in the seminal RBS Rights Issue litigation, the first securities class action to proceed by way of Group Litigation Order), and on numerous defense side class actions. This unique insight in to the dynamics of claimants in class actions has led to Martin being instructed as settlement counsel to help resolve mass claims and be the interface between the claimant and defendant mindset. His successful track record in entertainment litigation includes breach of contract disputes involving major TV and radio broadcasters, sports clubs and agencies, and film production companies. Martin also advises on public law issues, conducting judicial reviews for both applicants and regulators. He runs sensitive and high-stakes internal investigations on behalf of clients, including appearing before regulators.

Matthew B. Schneider

Matthew Schneider is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins with a focus on international capital markets transactions and securities regulation. He represents investment banks and private equity firms in public and private offerings of debt and equity securities, acquisition financings, and liability management transactions, with a particular emphasis on issuances of high yield debt securities. In addition to Matthew’s practice experience, he serves as a member of the firm’s Global Pro Bono Committee.

Mchaela Schmiederova

Misa Schmiederova represents both lenders and borrowers on a wide range of complex cross-border banking and finance transactions, including leveraged finance, infrastructure finance, trade finance, secured lending, and restructuring across a number of industry sectors, jurisdictions, and products. She has also undertaken a secondment with the Goldman Sachs leveraged finance execution team.

Melanie Howard

Melanie Howard advises clients on complex European and cross-border transactions. Melanie draws on her broad experience to help companies, private equity funds, and investment banks navigate: Cross-border public and private M&A Takeover code issues Securities law and listing rules Corporate and acquisition financing structures Highly regulated global carve-outs Strategic M&A Before joining Latham, she was a partner at another international law firm.

Michael Green

Michael Green is a counsel and member of Latham’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practice and Environment, Land & Resources Practice. He advises clients on a range of ESG and Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) matters, in the context of transactional work, the management of risks and opportunities, and litigation matters.

Michael Beanland

Michael Beanland is counsel in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Real Estate Practice. Michael has extensive experience advising on real estate finance in the UK and across Europe and on real estate matters in the UK, with particular expertise in large-scale development projects. With a training background in architecture as well as law and having been seconded to Australian developer Lendlease for three years, Michael brings unique expertise to his role in the Real Estate Practice in London. Prior to joining Latham, Michael worked at an international law firm.

Michael Bond

Mike Bond advises public and private companies and institutional equity investors on private equity and other M&A transactions including takeover offers, strategic investments, and joint ventures, often with an international dimension.

Mike Turner

Mike Turner is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Corporate Department and Emerging Companies Practice. He primarily handles venture capital, growth equity, and M&A transactions. He represents clients who operate across the TMT sector, with a particular focus on software, consumer internet, video games and e-sports, fintech, digital health, and e-commerce. Mike’s TMT sector experience owes much to his time as a general partner in a technology-focused venture capital fund from 2005-2008.

Mikhail Turetsky

Mikhail Turetsky focuses his practice on finance and capital markets, and he has extensive experience advising banks and corporate clients on all aspects of transactions across Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Mikhail's primary areas of expertise include debt and equity capital markets as well as a broad range of finance transactions, including project finance, structured finance and financial restructuring.

Nathan H. Seltzer

Nathan Seltzer, former Global Vice Chair of the firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice, is a US lawyer based in London who advises individuals and leading corporations on internal and government investigations. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience, he helps clients successfully navigate a range of investigations, with a focus on cross-border matters. A member of the firm’s London office, Nathan is uniquely positioned to advise multinational corporations on investigations with US law implications. Nathan’s work includes internal investigations, civil and criminal government investigations, and complex litigation involving a variety of highly regulated industries, such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, energy, and defense. He brings particular experience in complex accounting and corruption cases, including matters involving the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other regulators worldwide. He also frequently designs practical corporate compliance programs, including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance programs, and provides real-time compliance counsel. Nathan is the former Co-Chair of the firm’s Washington, D.C. Litigation & Trial Department. Prior to joining Latham, Nathan clerked for Judge Boyce F. Martin, Jr., of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Neil Campbell

Neil Campbell advises clients on complex cross-border private equity and M&A transactions. He draws on over 10 years of experience acting for large private equity houses on their most significant deals. He co-authored the chapter “Due Diligence” in Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis and co-authored the chapter “Partial Exits” in Private Equity Exits: A Practical Analysis.

Neil Ferguson

Neil Ferguson advises European and international clients on complex real estate transactions, with a particular focus on public and private M&A and joint ventures. Drawing on more than two decades of real estate private equity experience and his sophisticated understanding of the private capital landscape, he delivers commercially driven counsel to key market participants, including real estate funds, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and financial institutions. Neil guides clients through every stage of the real estate investment lifecycle, including in matters involving: Joint ventures Single-asset and portfolio M&A transactions Preferred and structured equity Co-investments Financings, refinancings, and disposals Restructuring He helps clients navigate transactions involving a multitude of asset classes, including data centers, student housing, film studios, retail shopping centers, hotels, offices, logistics facilities, and long-term care homes. He brings particular experience in complex joint ventures and platform joint ventures, as well as cross-border transactions across nearly every European jurisdiction. Neil leverages his deep insight into how global real estate funds operate to develop strategic solutions for clients. In addition to his vast experience in private practice, he served on secondment in Morgan Stanley’s London-based real estate division during the take-private of Canary Wharf Group. A recognized leader at the firm, he serves on the Associates Committee. Neil maintains an active pro bono practice, including advising on real estate matters for local nonprofit organizations.

Nell Perks

Nell Perks represents leading financial institutions in a wide range of disputes and contentious regulatory investigations, frequently with an international element. She leverages her comprehensive understanding of the challenges that financial institutions face and extensive experience across the spectrum of financial services litigation — including complex and structured products disputes — to: Manage investigations and disputes, from their earliest stages through to settlement Advise clients on regulatory enforcement and risk management in relation to disputes Identify and craft solutions that take account of regulatory implications and potential follow-on litigation Advise on global regulatory compliance, including anti-money laundering and anti-bribery obligations Nell helps financial services clients navigate complex regulatory and criminal investigations, including in some of the most significant US and UK investigations in recent years, involving the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO), US Department of Justice (DOJ), and US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), as well as regulators in other jurisdictions. She forges trusted relationships across the UK financial services industry to advise banks on how to improve their culture within the context of global regulatory frameworks and in related investigations. Nell has spent time seconded to the commercial and retail litigation team and the compliance team of a major bank client. She has also spent three months on secondment as a judicial assistant at the Royal Courts of Justice. She maintains an active pro bono practice, including coordinating the firm’s participation in the Domestic Abuse Response Alliance, an organization that represents London-based individuals who are not eligible for legal aid but cannot afford to pay for private representation to seek orders of protection in domestic violence cases. Nell also serves as a global leader of Latham’s Parent Lawyers Group. She has higher rights of audience in the courts of England and Wales.

Nick Cline

Nick Cline is an M&A lawyer with more than 25 years of experience focusing on UK and international company board advisory work and cross-border M&A, investment, recapitalization and joint venture transactions. He is a former member of the firm’s Executive Committee. Nick has represented, among others, Vodafone, VEON, Virgin Media, Qatar Investment Authority, Taylor Wimpey, Thomas Cook Group, Aon, Warner Bros., Mattel, Yildirim Holdings, Emerson Electric, and Human Rights Watch.

Nicola Higgs

Nicola Higgs is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and Global Co-Chair of the firm's Financial Institutions Industry Group. She specializes in financial services regulatory advice and has vast experience advising financial institutions and market infrastructure providers on a wide range of complex domestic and cross-border regulatory issues. Nicola advises global investment banks, corporate finance houses, fund managers, insurers, stockbrokers, market infrastructure, and data services providers on a variety of legal and regulatory risk management matters, with particular expertise in the FCA’s Conduct of Business Rules, European regulatory developments, such as MiFID II, PRIIPs KID Regulation, and the EU Benchmark Regulation, and contested enforcement actions. She has developed a formidable reputation advising global investment firms on the sale of complex derivative products to professional and retail investors, including cross-border issues. Nicola also has a strong track record in advising private banks and wealth managers on their regulatory obligations.

Nicole McNeil

Nicole McNeil advises public company clients on general securities, corporate governance, and public reporting matters, including compliance with Exchange Act disclosure requirements, proxy rules, insider reporting and trading restrictions, stock exchange governance rules, and the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and related regulations. Her clients include both US and foreign New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq-listed companies across a broad range of industries, with a particular focus on life sciences, technology, and retail. Prior to law school, Nicole worked as a paralegal in the dedicated Health Care Fraud Unit of the United States Attorney's Office. Nicole received a BA in Biology from Williams College and a JD from Cornell Law School.

Olga Ponomarenko

Olga Ponomarenko is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins. Olga primarily advises clients on mergers and acquisitions. She counsels clients from various industries on a range of complex M&A transactions and general corporate matters. Olga also has significant experience in equity capital markets, and represents issuers and underwriters in offerings of shares and depositary receipts outside the US under Regulation S and within the US in exempt and registered offerings.

Oliver Middleton

Oliver Middleton, Chair of the London Litigation & Trial Department, acts for clients in all manner of commercial disputes, with a particular focus on complex, high-profile commercial litigation including financial, corporate, and shareholder claims. He draws on successful experience with some of the most significant class actions in the UK. Oliver has experience across a wide range of commercial litigation matters and regulatory investigations, including: Financial litigation Complex contractual claims Shareholder actions (including s.90/s.90A FSMA and unfair prejudice claims) Bondholder disputes Trust litigation Economic tort claims Insurance disputes Data privacy Breaches of confidence Defamation claims Intellectual property litigation He represents clients in the banking and financial services, insurance, private equity, media, and technology industries. Oliver is uniquely positioned to understand significant claims from both claimant and defendant perspectives, as he was previously at a well-known claimant litigation firm. He leverages a sophisticated understanding of claimants’ goals, tactics, and issues — such as book building, working with litigation funders, shareholder class action trends, and settlement strategies. In particular, he draws on insights from his work acting in the RBS Rights Issue Litigation, one of the largest cases before the English Courts and the seminal s.90 FSMA case.

Otto Von Gruben

Otto von Gruben advises German and international clients on complex M&A and real estate transactions, often in a cross-border context. Drawing on his breadth of experience across a full spectrum of transactional matters, Mr. von Gruben serves a variety of public and private companies, including strategic investors, private equity, and sovereign wealth funds. His work covers a range of industries, with a particular focus on the real estate, automotive, and healthcare sectors. Mr. von Gruben's practice includes: Corporate real estate and real estate private equity transactions Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity transactions Joint ventures Distressed transactions Mr. von Gruben combines a results-driven sensibility and a knowledge of the key market players to complete both German and cross-border deals efficiently. In particular, he frequently navigates clients’ most intricate transactions involving novel structures and complex international considerations.

Pamela Reddy

Patrick Mitchell

Patrick Mitchell is a partner in Latham’s London office and a member of the Entertainment, Sports & Media Industry Group. He works exclusively in the sports and entertainment space, advising a wide variety of corporates, investors, financiers, sports governing bodies, broadcasters, and other media companies on their premium commercial transactions and regulatory issues. Patrick advises on sophisticated sponsorship and media rights arrangements, the launch and expansion of media and digital services, sports technology, and all other areas involved in establishing, commercialising, and investing in leagues, teams, and events.

Patrick Leftley

Patrick Leftley represents clients in public and private securitization and structured finance transactions. He is a partner in the Finance Department of the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Structured Finance Practice. Patrick represents banks, asset managers, and corporates on a wide range of public and private securitization and asset-backed financing structures. He handles transactions across a full spectrum of asset classes, including: Residential and commercial mortgages Consumer loans SME finance Student loans Auto finance Trade receivables Credit card receivables Lease receivables He draws on extensive experience, regularly advising on novel structures as well as some of the market’s largest securitization transactions. Patrick brings complementary knowledge of market practice and the shifting regulatory landscape affecting the securitization and structured finance industry to help clients protect their investments and scale their businesses. Prior to joining Latham, Patrick was seconded to the treasury function of a captive auto-finance company and the structured derivatives desk at a major UK bank. He is ranked by the leading industry publication Chambers UK.

Patrick Kwak

Patrick Kwak advises clients on international corporate finance transactions and securities regulation. He draws on a sophisticated understanding of the market to represent companies, private equity firms, and investment banks in: Public and private debt and equity securities offerings, including Rule 144A offerings, with an emphasis on high-yield debt products Leveraged and acquisition financing, including bridge financing Restructurings and liability management transactions, including tender offers, consent solicitations, and exchange offers Patrick guides a broad range of stakeholders through a company’s full financing life cycle, including distilling complex concepts into commercially actionable advice that allows clients to achieve their business objectives. He unites expertise across the firm’s finance, M&A, regulatory, and restructuring practices to support complex private and public acquisition financings and capital structure realignments. A recognized leader at the firm, Patrick served on the Associates Committee.

Paul Yin

Paul Yin is a partner in the Finance Department of Latham & Watkins’ London office and a member of the Banking Practice. He advises direct lenders and private credit funds, commercial and investment banks, private equity sponsors, and corporate borrowers on a wide range of cross-border and domestic transactions with a particular focus on acquisition, rescue/special situations, real estate, and general corporate financings.

Paul Davies

Paul Davies is Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Practice and a member of Latham & Watkins’ Sustainability Committee. He advises clients on a range of ESG and environmental, health & safety (EHS) matters, in the context of transactional work, the management of risks and opportunities, and regulatory and litigation matters. Paul is a member of the Board of Directors of Environmental Law Institute (ELI). He is “internationally regarded” for his “outstanding” work, which has “played a pivotal role in the industry” – Who’s Who Legal 2016, Environment. In 2024, The Legal 500 recognized Paul with the ESG Lifetime Achievement Award: Sustainability at its inaugural UK ESG Awards. In 2023, he was recognized in Financial News’ Fifty Most Influential in Sustainable Finance list and the only lawyer to be recognized two years running. Paul was also recognized in Real Deals ’ Future 40 ESG 2023 listing. He was shortlisted for ESG Due Diligence and ESG Lawyer at the Real Deals ESG Awards 2022. The awards recognize and celebrate authentic ESG change in private equity. Further, Paul was named among Europe’s Top 10 Innovative Individuals for being “at the forefront for environmental law in Europe and Asia” and actively collaborating with environmental consultancies to “promote knowledge sharing” and to develop innovative products – FT Innovative Lawyers Report 2019.

Paul Dolman

Paul Dolman is an M&A lawyer with more than 20 years of experience focusing on UK and international private equity transactions. He has extensive experience advising institutional investors on investments and divestments, as well as private equity-backed companies on M&A and other corporate matters. Paul has commented and written extensively on private equity, including contributing the chapter entitled “Acquisition Documentation” to Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis.

Pedro Rufino Carvhalo

Pedro Rufino Carvalho advises clients on high-profile financing and corporate transactions, particularly involving Brazil’s energy, infrastructure and alternative asset management sectors, as well as in a wide range of other emerging markets. Pedro draws on extensive experience both in private practice and in-house in several jurisdictions and a sophisticated understanding of local economic trends to guide clients on: Financings Project development M&A Joint ventures Energy and infrastructure investments Private investment fund-related matters Prior to joining Latham, he was managing director and global general counsel for a NASDAQ-listed international alternative investment firm. Before that, he was a partner in the London office of another global law firm.

Philip Clifford KC

A leading international arbitration King’s Counsel, Philip Clifford KC helps clients from around the world to navigate their most complex disputes. Drawing on more than three decades of experience, he helps clients resolve disputes effectively and efficiently. His successful track record representing a broad range of clients (from private and public corporations and shareholders to government-owned entities and states), spans a number of sectors, including oil and gas, construction, energy, and telecommunications. Philip offers clients the dual perspectives of a leading counsel and an arbitrator at the heart of the international arbitration community. He is a long-term Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a UK representative on the ICC Commission on Arbitration, a co-author of a leading book on the LCIA Arbitration Rules, and a Consulting Editor for LexisNexis. He has served as Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ International Arbitration Practice, Chair of the London Litigation & Trial Department, London Anti-Money Laundering Reporting Officer, Compliance Officer for Legal Practice, and Compliance Officer for Finance and Administration.

Prue Criddle

Prue Criddle advises clients on sophisticated European and cross-border leveraged finance transactions. She draws on extensive experience to guide leading financial institutions on a broad range of leveraged finance matters, both in the syndicated market and in the direct lending space. Before joining Latham, she was a partner at another international law firm.

Quentin Gwyer

Quentin Gwyer is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Real Estate Practice. Her has extensive experience advising on real estate finance in the UK and across Europe and on real estate matters in the UK. Quentin has experience advising on: Real estate finance transactions – both UK and pan-European – and in respect of a wide variety of real estate asset classes Real estate debt-on-debt transactions in multiple European jurisdictions Intercreditor arrangements (both mezzanine and A/B) Restructuring of distressed real estate loans The syndication and distribution of real estate debt including sale and purchase of debt, tranching and multi-jurisdictional sub-participations Acquisitions and disposals of real estate backed loan portfolios Real estate sale and leaseback transactions Acquisitions and disposals of commercial real estate He has also advised on the workout of distressed debt across Europe and general finance and real estate matters, including landlord and tenant matters. Prior to joining Latham, Quentin was executive counsel at GE Capital Real Estate and also worked in the London office of an international law firm based in New York.

Rachael Astin

Rachael Astin represents clients in transactional and regulatory work relating to the Entertainment, Sports & Media (ESM) sectors, with a particular focus on digital media and content distribution. Rachael has more than a decade of experience guiding entertainment, sports, and media clients including film studios, production companies, broadcasters, other content owners and distributors, digital platforms, sports organizations, and investors of all sizes on: Complex rights licensing deals, including distribution arrangements, media rights agreements, content commissioning and production, sponsorship and brand management, and other core ESM commercial agreements New media sector digital ventures and strategic joint ventures Commercial aspects of media sector mergers and acquisitions, investments, and private equity Media and platform regulatory advice relating to digital, broadcast, and advertising General copyright advice relevant to the ESM sector She leverages extensive knowledge of a broad range of media sub-sectors— including TV, film, sports, publishing, advertising, video games, and music— to help clients keep up with rapidly-evolving market trends, and futureproof their businesses. Rachael has broad and deep knowledge of rights ownership, distribution, and content monetization that allows her to effectively advise clients on complex transactions across the spectrum of ESM. Prior to joining the firm, Rachael worked in a leading international media and technology practice. She has previously worked in the Middle East, having spent 18 months in Dubai, working with the technology, media, and telecommunications team of the largest law firm in the region. Rachael maintains an active pro bono practice, leveraging her sector expertise, focused on content commissioning, production, and the structuring and launch of new ventures, such as advising Global Citizen on the licensing of its live music concert during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Rachael is a member of the UK Royal Television Society and Women in Film & Television UK.

Rebecca Crowley

Rebecca Crowley is a member of the Finance Department who focuses on the infrastructure and core-plus infrastructure sector, with particular experience in cross-border acquisition financing. Rebecca acts for sponsors, corporate borrowers, and lenders (infrastructure funds, bank lenders, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and pension funds) on a broad range of capital structures, including loans and notes structures. She has significant experience handling digital infrastructure and energy transactions.

Richard Trobman

Richard Trobman serves as the Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins and a member of its Executive Committee. His practice includes representing investment banking firms, private equity firms, and companies in public and private offerings of securities, restructurings, bridge loans, and merger and acquisition transactions, with a particular emphasis on issuances of debt securities and leveraged transactions. Rich has represented a broad range of clients, including LBO companies, such as Advent, BC Partners, The Carlyle Group, Cinven, EQT, PAI Partners, and Nordic Capital, and investment banks such as JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs.

Richard Butterwick

Richard Butterwick is a partner and Co-Chair of the Corporate Department of Latham & Watkins’ London office. He is a former Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Public Company Representation Practice. Richard’s practice encompasses a wide variety of domestic and cross-border corporate finance and merger and acquisition work, including public takeovers, private M&A, joint ventures, activism defense, and capital markets transactions. In 2011, he returned to the firm from a two-year secondment as an executive member of the UK Takeover Panel.

Rob Moulton

Rob Moulton is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins. He specializes in financial services regulatory advice and has vast experience advising investment banks, governments, corporate finance houses, clearing houses, fund managers, insurers, stockbrokers, and online trading business on a variety of legal and regulatory risk management matters. Rob has particular expertise in the FCA’s Conduct of Business Rules, European regulatory developments such as MiFID and MAR, and contested enforcement actions. He is recognized in the Hall of Fame in The Legal 500 for financial services non-contentious regulatory. He is the former Chair of the firm's Financial Institutions Industry Group.

Robbie McLaren

Robbie McLaren’s practice includes cross-border mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and emerging companies. He represents clients who principally operate in the life sciences, healthcare, and technology industries. Robbie is Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Group and former Co-Chair of the London Corporate Department.

Robert Price

Robert Price advises clients on commercial arbitration, investment treaty arbitration, and complex litigation in the courts of England and Wales and global jurisdictions. He also advises on various aspects of international trade sanctions. Robert advises clients on a full spectrum of dispute resolution, public international law, and international trade issues. He regularly helps clients navigate disputes related to: International commercial arbitration (and particularly in disputes relating to the construction, infrastructure, and energy sectors) Litigation in the English courts including arbitration-related litigation Investment treaty arbitrations under bilateral and multilateral investment treaties including the Energy Charter Treaty Free trade agreements State immunity issues International trade sanctions and export control laws An experienced advocate, particularly in construction-law related disputes, Robert has successfully represented clients in cases under all the major rules of arbitration. He has a specialist M.Sc. in Construction Law and Dispute Resolution from King's College London. Robert regularly speaks at conferences and writes on various topical issues of international arbitration and trade sanctions. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb), a Committee Member of the Ciarb London Branch, a Co-ordinator of the Ciarb London Branch Young Members Group, a member of the City of London Law Society’s specialist Arbitration Committee, and a member of the Society of Construction Law. Robert is also a contributor to the International Bar Association Task Force for review of the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts. He maintains an active pro bono practice, representing vulnerable individuals and groups in need of assistance.

Ross Pooley

Ross Pooley, Vice Chair of the Global Asset Based Lending Group, is a finance partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins. He has more than 25 years of experience representing a wide range of banks, private credit providers, and other financial institutions and corporates in: Senior and subordinated leveraged finance Cross-border acquisitions Asset based financings Preferred equity and margin lending Restructurings

Ryan Benedict

Ryan Benedict, a US securities and capital markets lawyer, advises public and private company issuers and underwriters on a range of equity and debt capital markets transactions in the US, EMEA, and beyond. Ryan is Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Retail & Consumer Products Industry Group. Drawing on his extensive product knowledge and on-the-ground experience working in London, Continental Europe, and New York, Ryan regularly counsels clients on their most complex and significant capital markets transactions. His work spans a variety of key industries, including technology and life sciences. Ryan's practice work includes: Initial public offerings and follow-on offerings, including US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)-registered offerings and Rule 144A/Reg S transactions Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) transactions High yield and investment grade debt offerings Bank capital and financial regulatory matters Tender offers and liability management transactions Public company representation Ryan frequently advises on innovative transactions involving bespoke deal structures. He brings particular experience handling cross-border offerings, including US-registered transactions and listings on securities exchanges throughout Europe. Outside of his commercial work, Ryan takes a proactive role in helping industry participants successfully navigate the capital markets — including by organizing thought leadership initiatives and industry roundtables.

Samir Deger-Sen

Samir Deger-Sen is an experienced appellate lawyer, who represents clients in their most complex litigation matters. Samir focuses his practice on Supreme Court and appellate litigation and is widely recognized as one of the leading appellate lawyers of his generation. He has argued over 15 times in appellate courts across the country, including the US Supreme Court, and has successfully represented clients in the technology, media, and financial sectors in their highest-stakes appeals. In the last year alone, he was named three times in The American Lawyer’s Litigator of the Week feature for his successful arguments on behalf of Meta Platforms, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and Brigade Capital Management. He has been recognized by Law360, Bloomberg Law, and Lawdragon as one of the top appellate attorneys nationwide under the age of 40. Samir has been a primary author of more than one hundred briefs involving a wide range of constitutional, statutory, and administrative law issues. In the Supreme Court, he has been a lead brief writer in multiple merits cases, has successfully persuaded the Court to grant certiorari on several occasions, and has been lead counsel to national organizations filing amicus briefs before the Court. He also has significant trial-level experience, including first chairing depositions, drafting and arguing dispositive motions, and authoring critical briefs in numerous international arbitrations. Samir is resident in both the firm’s New York and London offices and is available to help UK-based clients navigate novel, complex, and challenging questions of US law. Samir has particular experience in class actions and is proficient in substantive Rule 23 law. He has been the primary author of briefs involving some of the largest putative classes in the country, including defending clients against multi-billion dollar class actions in the Second and Ninth Circuits. Notably, Samir has, on multiple occasions, successfully secured interlocutory appellate review of class certification decisions, which is granted in only a small fraction of cases. He also regularly advises on complex class action issues in district court litigation. In addition, Samir has significant experience in securities appeals. Over the past two years, he has successfully obtained complete dismissal of claims in several securities class actions on appeal in the Second and Ninth Circuits. Samir has an extensive pro bono practice, where he has acted as lead counsel in high-profile constitutional litigation, including multiple precedent-setting victories in the Ninth Circuit. Before entering private practice, Samir was a law clerk at all three levels of the federal judiciary. He clerked for Justice Anthony Kennedy of the US Supreme Court, on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and on the District Court for the District of Hawaii. Before law school, Samir was a lecturer in International Politics at Oxford University, where he taught several undergraduate level courses. Samir has substantial public speaking experience. He is the winner of numerous national debating competitions and a former World University Debating Champion.

Samuel Pape

Samuel Pape represents clients in a broad range of high-stakes international disputes. He is a strategic advisor and trial advocate in international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. He also acts in complex commercial litigation in England and overseas. Drawing on over a decade of experience, he represents multinational companies, financial institutions, private equity firms and sovereign States in disputes across a range of sectors including energy, mining, banking, technology, manufacturing and aviation. His experience includes acting in financial, corporate and shareholder disputes, as well as in transnational tort class actions. Samuel's cases often involve novel and complex issues, including ESG issues. Samuel is bilingual in English and French and also speaks Spanish and Portuguese. He frequently handles disputes involving these languages. Samuel is an active member of the international arbitration community. He is the Representative for the United Kingdom on the ICC Young Arbitration & ADR Forum. He is also managing editor of the European Investment Law and Arbitration Review and has authored a number of publications. He is frequently invited to lecture and to speak on panels on subjects relating to international arbitration.

Samuel Newhouse

Sam Newhouse, Global Vice Chair of the firm’s M&A Practice, advises clients on a broad mixture of high-value public and private M&A transactions and joint ventures, across a range of sectors. He has extensive experience handling complex cross-border transactions, regularly working across Europe, the US, Africa, and India. Sam has spent time seconded to ExxonMobil Corporation’s M&A Legal Team in London and to Hewlett Packard’s M&A Legal Team in Geneva.

Sanjev Warna-kula-suriya

Sanjev Warna-kula-suriya is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Finance Practice. He is also Chair of the Global Structured Finance and Securitization Practice. Sanjev advises private equity sponsors, hedge funds, commercial and investment banks, and corporates on a broad range of innovative capital raising, monetization, structured disposal, and investment transactions, often involving complex cross-border special situations and structured techniques. He is a visiting Fellow at The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London in relation to the Law and Practice of International Finance Master’s Degree. Sanjev advises clients across a wide range of asset classes and structures, including public and private debt, equity-linked and hybrid capital markets issues, securitizations, and cross-border structured finance. He also has significant expertise in the sale and purchase of financial asset portfolios, distressed investments and restructurings, and the establishment of alternative lending platforms and direct lending.

Sarah Gadd

Sarah Gadd, partner in Latham & Watkins' London office, is part of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice. She advises a wide range of clients on all aspects of employment law, human resource (HR) issues, benefits, and incentives, including share-based incentives. Sarah primarily handles employment and share-based incentives law matters and the HR and benefits aspects of corporate deals, particularly deals with an international reach. She has also acted for the client and the supplier on a number of outsourcing matters. Sarah advises on matters including recruitment and severance, downsizing, transfers of undertakings, employee consultation, day to day employment law issues, benefits, and incentives. She also advises extensively on stock options and other forms of share-based compensation. Sarah also advises on employee-related aspects of the UK corporate governance and financial regulatory regimes including the application of the FCA Remuneration Code, Prospectus and Listing Rules, the Takeover Code, and the UK Corporate Governance Code to employees and incentives. She is a member of Employment Lawyers Association and the Share Plan Lawyers group.

Sean Finn

Sean Finn is a partner in Latham & Watkins' London office and advises a wide range of clients on all aspects of corporate, finance, and business taxation. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and serves as a Vice Chair of Latham's Finance Committee. Sean has particular expertise in advising on tax aspects of: Private equity transactions Mergers and acquisitions Reconstructions Joint ventures Reorganizations Financings Refinancings Restructurings and workouts

Seonaid Todisco

Seonaid Todisco is a partner in the Finance Department of the London office of Latham & Watkins. She specializes in all aspects of core and hybrid infrastructure, acting for a wide range of infrastructure funds, bank lenders, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and pension funds.

Shaun Thompson

Shaun Thompson advises private equity funds, companies, investors, lenders, and insurance providers on UK employment law and pensions law in the context of corporate transactions, financings, outsourcings, restructurings, and pension insurance transactions. Shaun advises on the full spectrum of employment and pensions law issues related to transactional structuring and implementation, risk, and potential regulatory sanctions, including: The employment and pensions aspects of corporate transactions Transactional due diligence Recruitment and severance Employee relations and consultation Labor relations and trade union issues Employee transfers Workforce classification issues and restructuring Issues related to the UK Pensions Regulator’s statutory “moral hazard” powers and the powers of UK pension trustees Amendment and restructuring of UK pension arrangements Pension plan de-risking and insurance transactions He draws on long experience advising on the full life cycle of transactions, and has a keen understanding of the dynamic regulatory landscape in which businesses operate. Pro Bono Shaun maintains an active pro bono practice, with particular focus on advising UK charities on employment law issues.

Shawn Anderson

Shawn Anderson is a corporate partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins. He has significant experience representing private equity sponsors, issuers, and investment banks in complex and multi-jurisdictional transactions, including debt and equity offerings, acquisition financings, and liability management transactions, with a particular emphasis on issuances of high-yield debt securities. Shawn also regularly advises companies, including foreign private issuers, on securities law compliance and corporate governance issues, and in restructurings and private financings. Prior to attending law school, Shawn was a newspaper reporter and editor in Upstate New York.

Shing Yuin Lo

Shing Lo is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Emerging Companies & Growth Practice. An accomplished emerging companies lawyer, she has advised a number of iconic venture capital funds and tech companies in venture capital financings and M&A transactions. Shing’s practice encompasses series financing rounds (covering early stage, growth and pre-IPO rounds), bridge/convertible rounds, venture and growth debt, and M&A transactions. She has a hands-on approach and regularly counsels founders and investors on a wide range of issues, including early stage company formation, venture and growth financing strategy, global expansion, and general corporate counselling.

Simon Pritchard

Simon Pritchard advises clients on their highest stakes UK, EU, and international competition law matters. He draws upon more than 25 years’ experience, having served in government on the Office of Fair Trading’s Senior Executive Team and as the UK’s first Senior Director of Mergers, and in private practice in Brussels, London, and Washington, D.C. Simon now guides market-leading companies on: Complex Phase 1 and 2 merger control including parallel EU/UK, US/UK, and other multi-jurisdictional inquiries Challenging agency decisions and precedent-setting merger litigation before the Competition Appeal Tribunal Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) market investigations UK cartel inquiries including leniency applications A recognized thought leader, he has regularly acted as a competition expert to various UK Parliamentary and Whitehall committees, and served as nongovernmental adviser to the Office of Fair Trading and the US Federal Trade Commission. Having helped shape certain foundational aspects of modern UK merger enforcement, he also remains an active participant in periodic efforts to adapt and improve competition policy and procedure in the UK.

Simon Skinner

Simon Skinner advises clients on the UK tax aspects of complex corporate transactions, including in the private equity sector and for listed clients. Simon draws on his sophisticated understanding of the global tax landscape to serves as a trusted advisor to listed companies, institutional investors, founders, and management teams in a wide array of tax-related matters, including: M&A and joint ventures Restructurings and reorganizations UK and international tax advisory projects Initial public offerings (IPOs) Tax disputes A recognized leader of the tax bar, he is actively involved with the Law Society's Tax Law Committee, through which he contributes to the development and refinement of tax legislation and policy. Before joining the Latham, Simon was a partner at a UK-based law firm, where he had served as head of its tax department.

Simon Tysoe

Simon Tysoe is a partner in the Corporate Department of the London office and served as former Co-Chair of the firm’s Oil & Gas Industry Group. Simon specializes in transactions in the energy sector, and has extensive experience advising clients on a range of cross-border energy and natural resources transactions, including upstream, midstream, and downstream oil and gas M&A, joint ventures, restructuring, and project development. Mergers & Acquisitions Oil & Gas Transactions Project Development & Finance Africa Practice Latin America Practice

Sophie Lamb

Sophie Lamb KC is an internationally renowned leading counsel who provides strategic leadership and powerful advocacy on a range of multidisciplinary, reputational risk-management, and bet-the-company international arbitration and litigation matters. A trusted advisor to boards of public companies, sovereign nations, private equity houses, and participants in the energy and technology sectors, she is consistently recognized among industry’s global elite for her work in some of the most significant and topical cases of the moment. Her mandates have featured in The Lawyer’s top 20 cases of the year and she has featured on their list of the UK’s most influential and inspirational lawyers for her successes “in billion dollar, high profile, politically sensitive and often market-shaping arbitration cases and related court trials.” Sophie is a “go-to-advocate” who draws on an exceptionally diverse international case load and more than 25 years of international tribunal and trial experience including in the UK Supreme Court. Her experience extends across the full range of significant corporate and commercial arrangements, international investment law, public law, and climate litigation. Leveraging strong expertise in class action litigation targeting multinational groups, she is increasingly engaged on sensitive and strategic mandates which engage the ESG agenda, covering such issues as directors’ duties, reporting risks, climate change and public interest litigation, global supply chain integrity, human rights-related exposure, and OECD National Contact Point processes. Sophie is a Bencher of Gray’s Inn and a Governor of the London Academy of Excellence, a school focused on eliminating educational disadvantage which has achieved particular success helping students from less-advantaged backgrounds win places at the best universities around the world. She has previously served as Global Co-Chair of Latham’s International Arbitration Practice and was the UK’s representative on the ICC Court of Arbitration until 2022.

Stephen Kensell

Stephen Kensell is the former Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ London office and former Global Vice Chair of the firm’s Banking Practice. He is one of the market’s foremost banking practitioners, with more than 20 years’ experience advising top financial institutions on a broad range of complex financing matters. Stephen has an outstanding reputation as one of the leading creditor-side lawyers in the London bank finance market. He has vast experience advising clients on a variety of event-driven financings, with particular expertise in leveraged, investment grade M&A, and IPO-related finance. Over the years, his work on many international and landmark transactions has placed him at the forefront of developments in the banking community.

Steve Curtis

Steve Curtis is a partner in the Finance Department of the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Structured Finance Practice. He specialises in structured debt/securitization financings across all major asset classes, focusing in particular on infrastructure, regulated utilities, commercial real estate, and operating assets. Prior to joining Latham, Steve was a partner at a leading magic circle law firm.

Stuart Davis

Stuart Davis counsels clients on the domestic and cross-border regulatory aspects of cutting-edge fintech initiatives, including technology innovations in legislation, market infrastructure, tokenization, trading, clearing and settlement, lending (including crowdfunding), payments, and regulatory surveillance. Stuart is Co-Chair of the Fintech Industry Group and Co-Chair of the Global Digital Assets & Web3 Practice. He advises financial institutions on the impact of regulatory change on their businesses, including MiCA, MAR and MiFID II, CASS, CSDR, PSD2, AIFMD, and regulatory divergence, as well as strategically advising on their FX remediation projects, market conduct issues, best execution compliance, systems and controls, and governance. Stuart has a wide range of experience advising broker-dealers; investment, retail, and private banks; technology companies; market infrastructure providers; investment managers; hedge funds; and private equity funds on complex regulatory challenges.

Suneel Basson-Bhatoa

Suneel Basson-Bhatoa advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on complex cross-border private equity and M&A transactions. He leverages more than a decade’s experience (including experience gained while on secondment at CVC Capital Partners) to guide clients on their most complex mandates, including transactions involving consortium equity arrangements, management equity arrangements, P2P arrangements, corporate reorganizations, and general corporate matters. A recognized leader at the firm, Suneel has previously served on the firm’s Global Recruiting Committee.

Tania Bedi

Tania Bedi is a finance partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins and Co-Chair of the London Finance Department. She is a member of our market-leading Banking Practice and has extensive experience primarily advising sponsors, companies, and borrowers on complex financing arrangements. In addition, Tania also has advised financial institutions, private credit funds, and other lenders on a wide range of transactions. She has depth and breadth of experience in structuring and executing some of the most complex and high-value finance transactions in the London and European markets, particularly leveraged buyouts, acquisition finance, telecom finance, bridge-to-bond financing, general banking, and restructuring transactions. Tania has been involved in structuring debt packages, drafting, and negotiating facilities agreements, bridge-to-bond facility documentation, inter-creditor deeds, and security documents.

Thomas Cochran

Tom Cochran is a Partner in the Finance Department of the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Structured Finance Practice. He is also a member of the firm’s Opinions & Confirmations Committee. Tom’s experience across asset classes includes advising on transactions collateralized by trade receivables, NPLs, residential mortgage loans, unsecured personal loans, auto loans, credit card receivables, FinTech-related financial assets, corporate loans (CLOs and direct lending), and other esoteric asset classes. The transactions have arisen in the context of portfolio acquisitions, corporate restructurings, broader M&A transactions, as well as ongoing treasury management, each of which have demanded bespoke financing solutions. He has advised on the full breadth of securitization structures from traditional public securitizations to private conduit-funded warehouse financings. Tom has also advised on a number of structured trade and energy related finance transactions, including gas and power financings, commodity receivables securitizations for large energy traders, freight receivables securitizations, inventory and commodity backed structured finance transactions, and structured supply chain finance solutions. Prior to joining Latham & Watkins, he was an executive director at Goldman Sachs supporting its securitization and structured finance businesses.

Tim Scott

Tim Scott is a counsel in the London office of Latham & Watkins. With over 20 years’ experience in the insurance sector, Tim has played a leading role in shaping the insurance regulatory landscape in the UK. Prior to joining Latham, Tim was a Senior Legal Counsel at the Bank of England where he led the Bank’s work on insurer insolvency and resolution. From 2016, he played a leading role covering all major aspects of Brexit as it affected financial services, including equivalence, onshoring, and supporting trade negotiations as part of the Bank’s EU withdrawal unit. Tim also holds a unique perspective on the Solvency II regime in the UK and Europe from his time at the Prudential Regulation Authority, and the former Financial Services Authority. There he gained insight into the approach taken by the regulator when determining key applications made by the industry during that period, particularly in relation to restructured matching adjustment assets. Prior to his significant regulatory positions, Tim worked in private practice where he specialized in insurance M&A transactions, longevity trades, reinsurance arrangements, ISPVs, insurance financing, and complex regulatory matters affecting insurers.

Tom Bartlett

Tom Bartlett is a partner in the Project Development & Finance Practice of Latham & Watkins' London office. Tom has advised on energy and infrastructure projects across the globe for over 20 years. Project finance and development Energy, power, and renewables Mining and metals Infrastructure Space/Telecommunications M&A Debt restructuring

Tom D. Evans

Tom D. Evans, Global Vice Chair of the firm's Private Equity & Investment Funds Practice, is an M&A lawyer with almost two decades of experience advising funds and other financial investors on complex cross border mergers and acquisitions and corporate financing arrangements, including public and private acquisitions, carve-outs, take privates, consortium arrangements, minority investments, and disposals. He is a thought leader in the private equity industry. He co-edits PE Views, the Latham & Watkins quarterly publication addressing significant legal, regulatory, and market developments relevant to the private equity industry in Europe, co-edits Latham & Watkins’ annual European private equity M&A market study, edits the text Private Equity Exits: A Practical Analysis, and has published chapters in Private Equity: A Transactional Analysis and Global Investment Funds: A Practical Guide to Structuring, Raising and Managing Funds.

Tracy Liu

Tracy Liu draws on a wide range of experience to advise clients on complex cross-border finance transactions, with a particular focus on leveraged and acquisition financings. Tracy takes a results-oriented approach to guide banks and other financial institutions, sponsors, and corporate borrowers in financings across the capital structure, including: Syndicated loans Private credit financings Bank/bond and bridge financings Liability management transactions General bank lending Second lien, mezzanine, and PIK financings Restructurings Investment grade financings Emerging market financings Drawing on her secondment to J.P. Morgan’s leveraged credit team, she provides clients with keen market insight and commercial advice on their transactions. A recognized leader at the firm, Tracy has served on the Security Committee.

Victoria Sander

Victoria Sander is a partner in the London office of Latham & Watkins. She has focused on the insurance sector for over 25 years and has been involved in some of the largest and most complex transactions in the insurance industry. Victoria specializes in all types of corporate insurance transactional work including public and private M&A, portfolio transfers, complex reinsurance arrangements, and distribution arrangements. She advises insurance companies and pension schemes in relation to a full range of buy-in, buy-out, and longevity risk transactions and provides technical insurance regulatory advice with respect to structured products, including credit risk reinsurance. Victoria is a member of the insurance committee of the City of London Law Society and the insurance sub-committee of the Financial Market Law Reform Committee, both of which aim to identify areas of law that are uncertain and need clarification.

Vladimir Mikhailovsky

Vladimir Mikhailovsky advises issuers and underwriters in capital markets and finance transactions across the full spectrum of the capital structure. Vladimir regularly advises both global and local clients — companies and banks — on a variety of capital markets and finance transactions, including: Debt and equity offerings Subordinated debt Bilateral and syndicated loans Liability management Debt restructurings Derivatives He draws on extensive experience with a full complement of debt and financing products in multiple jurisdictions, as well as the familiarity with the relevant regulatory regimes, to execute complex, cross-border transactions.

William Lam

William Lam is a counsel in the Finance Department at Latham & Watkins. His experience includes advising sponsors, corporate borrowers, banks, and other financial institutions across a broad range of banking and finance transactions, with a particular focus on leveraged and acquisition financings.

Witold Balaban

Witold Balaban is recognized by leading global financial institution clients for his knowledge of the equity markets and the various financial products developed over the last couple of decades to enable corporate clients to restructure their balance sheets and to finance, monetize, and/or hedge large concentrated equity positions. Witold's market knowledge and his technical product experience makes him the go-to person for structuring complex and first-of-its-kind equity-linked transactions spanning a number of jurisdictions. Witold advises clients on financing strategies relating to concentrated equity positions and on balance sheet restructuring transactions, including: Convertible and exchangeable bond offerings (both optional and mandatory, including trust-issued mandatory exchangeables) and related call spread overlays Convertible bond exchanges and related call spread unwinds Structured margin loans Various other equity-based financing, hedging, and monetization transactions, such as funded collars, variable prepaid forwards, covered calls, and combinations of the foregoing Fixed and variable share forward sales and related equity offerings, including registered and Rule 144 exempt block sales and at-the-market (ATM) offerings Structured issuer share repurchase transactions Witold has held a number of leadership roles at the firm, including as former Global Co-Chair of Latham & Watkins’ Financial Institutions Industry Group. He is also the former Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Capital Markets Practice. In this role, Witold focused on building and marketing Latham’s unique global capital markets offering that provides the firm’s global financial institution clients with integrated, top-tier financial regulatory coverage spanning the US, the UK, the EU, and Asia.

Yana Nastyushenko

Yana Nastyushenko is a counsel in the London office of Latham & Watkins and a member of the Corporate Department and Derivatives and Structured Finance Practices. Yana advises clients on structured products and OTC derivatives transactions, typically cross-border and involving equity derivatives, margin loans, repos, and stock-lending trades, including in emerging markets. She also advises on structuring hedging solutions for a wide variety of financing and provides regulatory advice relating to derivatives.

Yen Sum

Yen Sum, Global Chair of the Private Capital Practice, is a member of the firm’s Direct Lending & Private Credit and Restructuring & Special Situations Practices. She has over 20 years of experience advising on financings, buyouts, reorganizations, and restructurings. Yen has considerable experience advising senior management, private equity sponsors, credit funds, and hedge funds on financial and operational restructurings, special situations, and alternative investments across the capital structure. She also advises on associated M&A and buyouts, acquisition finance, and fund investments. Yen is particularly focused on cross-border structures or those requiring new or innovative thinking and multifaceted solutions across corporate balance sheets as well as managing divergent stakeholder interests. She has led or has been involved in a number of notable and prominent transactions including investments within multi-layered capital structures, public and private securities, schemes of arrangement and restructuring plans, security enforcements, UK administrations and Company Voluntary Arrangements (CVAs), US chapter 11, and in and out of court proceedings in France, Germany, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and equivalent processes in other jurisdictions. Yen also spent several years as an investment professional in Barclays Capital’s Leveraged Finance business, where she was involved in numerous buyouts, refinancings, and recapitalizations.

Yoseph Choi

Yoseph Choi is a member of the corporate finance team focusing on capital market transactions, with particular experience in US securities law. Yoseph has extensive experience representing companies in a variety of industries, investment banks, and other market participants on a wide range of public and private cross-border transactions, both with and without a US nexus, including initial public offerings, rights offerings, private placements, bond offerings, and tender and exchange offerings. Yoseph has also advised numerous international companies on US securities law matters on an ongoing basis. Prior to joining the firm as counsel in 2020, Yoseph was an associate at major US and German law firms. Yoseph is a member of the Frankfurt Bar Association.

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