Latham & Watkins

Drawing upon ‘an excellent understanding of current market conditions’, as well as conversant with the latest technologies, Latham & Watkins is well-positioned to provide a ’commercial and balanced view’ to its impressive roster of funders (banks and credit funds) and borrowers (sponsors and corporates) on the completion of cross-border deals across geographies. Recognised as ‘titans of the leveraged finance market.’ Dominic Newcomb is also ’a leader in the field’, with extensive experience in advising financial sponsors on utilising debt throughout the capital structure to facilitate cross-border M&A transactions. Of the more junior partners, the ‘impressive’ Charles Armstrong also has a strong reputation among funds, including portfolio companies, for handling the financing to facilitate bolt-on acquisitions, as well as for general refinancing purposes. On the lender side, Dan Maze has strong ties with leading investment banks, which he and Manoj Bhundia advise on bank and bond facilities among other products. Maze also handles work for private credit funds, an area of the practice which was substantially enhanced by the arrival of Fergus Wheeler and Paul Yin from Akin in November 2023. Tania Bedi heads up the team alongside Maze and is noted for her debtor and creditor expertise, while veteran banking lawyer Stephen Kensell continues to handle some fee-earning work alongside his broader management duties. The team was further strengthened in July 2024 by the arrival of a trio of acclaimed lender-side leveraged finance partners from Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP, namely Jonathan Brownson , Joydeep Choudhuri, and Prue Criddle. Joseph Kimberling, Sam Hamilton and Jayanthi Sadanandan have left the firm to join Sidley Austin.