Latham & Watkins is known for ‘best-in-class lawyers and unparalleled commitment to clients, especially in complex financing situations’. In 2022, the firm acted on 59% of all European high yield issuances, and that figure rose to 74% in 2023, showing how dominant a force it is in the market. With 17 partners in London it has a wealth of talented lawyers to choose from, among them practice head Brett Cassidy and standout partner Matthew Schneider, who handles billion-dollar private placements combining Euro- and dollar-denominated bonds; Jennifer Engelhardt, who is a prominent adviser on deals in the oil and gas market; Jocelyn Seitzman, who advises the world’s biggest investment banks on LBO transactions and securities regulation; and highly regarded acquisition finance and high yield specialist Francesco Lione. Scott Colwell and Pat Kwak left the firm in October 2024.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Best-in-class lawyers, unparalleled commitment to clients, especially in complex financing situations. Law firm of choice for us.’

  • ‘Simply the best: smart, practical, efficient, deep knowledge, gets to know you well, keeps you updated.’

  • ‘The best team on the street.'

Lawyers

Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Brett Cassidy

Other key lawyers

Jocelyn Seitzman, Jennifer Engelhardt, Matthew Schneider, Francesco Lione