2023
Susan Rohol Joins Willkie
Susan Rohol, previously the Chief Privacy Officer from Warner Bros. Discovery has joined Willkie Farr in their privacy, cybersecurity and data strategy group and its AI and emerging technologies group. Susan’s practice is focused on advising clients on legal issues, and regulations spanning technology, privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, intellectual property, and global government affairs. Susan is a powerhouse in the media and entertainment industry who brings world class privacy experience to Willkie’s Los Angeles platform. Susan was previously the global director of intellectual property and public policy of Nike.
Luke Bagley Joins Goodwin Procter in Boston
Luke Bagley has joined Goodwin Procter in Boston as partner, specializing in the formation and representation of private investment funds, including venture capital funds, private equity funds, and funds of funds both in the US and internationally. His clients include early stage venture capital funds and international private investment funds. His clients are primarily sponsor side but he also represents investor clients. Most recently, Luke led the team that advised Plymouth Growth n raising 125 million in capital. Luke joins Goodwin from Cooley LLP where he was a partner for 5 years. Prior to that, he was at Fried Frank in the funds group.
Nicole Peppe Joins Goodwin Procter in Boston
Nicole Peppe has joined Goodwin Procter in Boston as a leading venture funds partner. She specializes in venture capital, private equity, and growth equity funds, both domestic and international. Nicole primarily represents sponsor side clients range from large multibillion-dollar investment firms to smaller seed and early-stage venture capital funds. As fund counsel, she advises clients on various aspects of the fundraising process, including marketing strategies, partnership agreements, fundraising documents, investor negotiations, and regulatory compliance. Her representative institutional investor clients have included private and public pension funds and leading funds of funds. Nicole joins from Cooley LLP where she was a funds partner for the last 15 years.
Andrew Kramer has joined Willkie Farr from Loeb & Loeb in Entertainment Finance
Andrew will serve as Chair of Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Finance Practice. His broad experience includes international management and exploitation of numerous successful film and television projects, including providing counsel on legal issues, business affairs, project corporate and library financing, domestic and international productions and distribution in all media and platforms. Andrew had previously served as COO International Distribution at Lionsgate where he was responsible for all aspects of Lionsgate international motion picture distribution operations and expanded Lionsgate’s International distribution, finance, and operational structure.
2022
Rob Emerson has joined Goodwin's New York office from Kirkland & Ellis as a partner in the Private Investment Funds practice *
Rob brings with him extensive experience in advising private equity firms and their senior management on legal, compliance, and business matters. Rob's practice focuses on fund transactional projects, including leading numerous secondaries and strategic transactions on both the buy-side and sell-side, in connection with portfolio companies, co-investments, and sponsor level transactions. He also has significant experience in advising sponsors on fundraising efforts for domestic and foreign-based products, ranging from smaller emerging managers to well-established sponsors with offerings over $15 billion, which will further strengthen Goodwin's secondaries bench.
Willkie Farr welcomes Real Estate Group from Munger Tolles *
Misty Sanford, Karen Lorang, and Aimee Contreras-Camua, join Willkie in their real estate department in Los Angeles. Misty Sanford will be leading the West Coast real estate practice. Misty specializes in real estate and land use transactions, with a focus on purchase and sale, financing, leasing, and environmental issues. Karen Lorang’s practice also involves real estate and land use transactions, including purchase and sale, financing, leasing, and environmental issues. Together, they represent a diverse range of clients such as developers, institutional investors, REITs, nonprofits, public entities, multinational corporations, and individual entrepreneurs. Additionally, Misty and Karen will be joined by their team, who will also be based in Los Angeles.
Davis Wright Tremaine has welcomed former King & Spalding Healthcare partners, Leslie Murphy, and John Barnes, as partners in their Healthcare practice group in Sacramento *
Leslie's practice focuses on representing healthcare entities in managed care and healthcare-related disputes. She has extensive experience serving as lead counsel on behalf of hospital systems and healthcare providers in managed care disputes with health plans. Additionally, Leslie advises clients on complex medical billing, coding, and reimbursement matters. John's practice specializes in managed healthcare arrangements, including the structuring of risk-based managed care contracts, such as capitation and shared savings arrangements, and traditional fee-for-service arrangements. He also counsels clients on contract terminations, network access disputes, and revenue cycle practices. John has particular expertise in working with healthcare providers and provider combinations in managed-care risk arrangements, helping them to develop efficient, legally compliant business, and operational structures.
Baker McKenzie has expanded its team by hiring Matt Jacobson as a partner in their Palo Alto office *
Matt previously with Ropes & Gray, where he co-headed the technology, media, and telecommunications practice. Matt specializes in buy-side M&A, working with large strategic and private equity-backed companies. Some of his notable clients include HP Inc., Thermo Fisher, and Silver Lake Partners. Matt has provided counsel to HP Inc. on several significant deals, including its $3.3 billion acquisition of Poly and the $25 billion acquisition of Compaq. His wealth of experience and expertise in tech M&A makes him a valuable addition to Baker McKenzie's team.
Sheppard Mullin welcomes Rick Rifenbark as partner in their Healthcare industry team, joining from Polsinelli *
Rick's practice involves a combination of healthcare regulatory compliance and transactional work. He regularly advises clients on regulatory issues related to healthcare fraud and abuse laws, including the federal anti-kickback statute, Stark physician self-referral law, false claims act, state licensing issues, corporate practice of medicine doctrines, and state fraud and abuse laws. Additionally, Rick negotiates and drafts transactional agreements such as merger and acquisition, affiliation, professional services, and management agreements.
Willkie Farr has expanded its team by adding Caleb Vesey as a partner in Los Angeles *
Formerly with Kirkland & Ellis, Caleb specializes in mergers & acquisitions, private equity, and corporate finance. He represents a wide range of clients, including buyers, sellers, private equity funds and their portfolio companies, and financial institutions in various corporate transactions such as leveraged buyouts, and public and private mergers and acquisitions. Caleb's expertise in these areas makes him a valuable addition to Willkie Farr's team.
Sidley Austin has welcomed Cynthia Bai as a new partner to their Global Finance group *
Formerly with Cooley in Palo Alto, Cynthia brings a wealth of expertise in debt financing transactions, specializing in the technology, life science, healthcare, and other high growth industries. Her focus lies in emerging growth debt facilities, venture debt, and fund finance. Cynthia's clientele includes debt funds, banks, lenders, investment fund borrowers, and operating companies. Kevin Blauch, the leader of Sidley's Global Finance practice and a member of the firm's Executive Committee, expressed excitement for Cynthia's arrival, noting her extensive knowledge of the structures commonly used by early-stage and high-growth borrowers and venture funds.
Willkie Farr has added Steve Hurdle to its Los Angeles office *
Steve was previously a partner and deputy chair of the Capital Markets & Corporate Department at Loeb & Loeb, where he specialized in the media, entertainment, and technology industries. He was also featured in Variety's 2022 Legal Impact Report for his advisory role in SuperDraft's common stock investment from Caesars Entertainment and his M&A guidance in Element Partners' acquisition of poker-related business and assets from Allied Esports Entertainment.
Manatt Hires Lynn Cadwalader as Real Estate and Hospitality Partner in San Francisco *
Lynn was previously at DLA Piper, where she advised clients on investments in acquiring, developing, and operating hotels and mixed-use projects in the United States and internationally. She has a wealth of experience representing private equity firms, developers, owners, and operators in all facets of hospitality and mixed-use real estate investment and development. Lynn’s practice also includes advising foreign investors seeking to invest in hospitality and real estate assets in the United States.
Orrick Expands Technology Litigation Practice with Addition of Partner Ben Au *
Ben Au has joined Orrick in Los Angeles as a partner from Durie Tangri. He is a seasoned technology litigator who represents a diverse range of clients including startups, venture funds, and Fortune 50 tech companies. Ben's practice focuses on business-critical issues such as trade secrets disputes, breach of contract claims, founder and corporate control disputes, venture capital and portfolio company defense, and government investigations and enforcement actions. He has a wealth of experience in complex civil litigation and has represented clients in both plaintiff and defense roles in areas such as trade secret misappropriation, breach of contract, and founder/funder disputes. Additionally, Ben has conducted internal investigations on behalf of corporate clients and has extensive experience in SEC enforcement actions and federal criminal matters including fraud, FCPA, and export controls.
Aaron Schlaphoff has joined Paul Weiss in their Private Funds Group as partner in New York *
Aaron Schlaphoff specializes in advising large, sophisticated global asset management firms on the structuring, offering, and ongoing operations of alternative funds, including private equity and private credit funds, hedge funds, business development companies (BDCs), and registered alternative investment funds. Aaron focuses on regulation under the Investment Advisers Act, Investment Company Act, Commodity Exchange Act, and related securities and banking laws and regulations. A significant part of his practice also involves advising on regulatory and compliance matters in connection with asset management M&A and capital markets transactions. Prior to joining Paul Weiss, Aaron was with Kirkland and previously served as a Securities Exchange Commission attorney fellow.
Sheppard Mullin has expanded its team in Los Angeles by adding a healthcare real estate team led by Tim Reimers *
Tim was previously a partner at Polsinelli LLP, where he helped open the Los Angeles office and served as the Healthcare Real Estate Practice Team Lead. He advises some of the largest healthcare systems in the country, as well as impact investors on real estate and real estate finance matters. Tim is also a trusted securities counsel, providing essential disclosure and due diligence advice to issuers, borrowers, and underwriters to help them meet their securities obligations. His experience includes working with airports, ports, utility districts, cities, counties, schools, high-speed rail, the State of California, and various other agencies to acquire, manage and develop their real estate assets, raise capital, and finance projects. Scott Timpe will also be joining the team as a partner, along with special counsel Kendra Leghart and two associates.
Paul Weiss has added Megan Spelman to their team as a partner in New York *
Spelman joins from Kirkland & Ellis and brings with her a wealth of experience in advising private equity sponsors, private companies, and public companies in a broad range of transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, financings, investments, restructurings, and general corporate matters. Her practice is centered on providing legal counsel to clients across various industries, and her expertise will be invaluable in helping Paul Weiss meet the needs of their diverse clientele.
Sheppard Mullin has welcomed Levi Pinsky to its Real Estate and Land Use practice group*
Pinsky brings with him a wealth of experience in representing institutional investors, leading banks, sophisticated family offices, and smaller entrepreneurial owners across California and the United States. His practice covers all aspects of real estate property ownership, and he frequently handles negotiations and closings of acquisitions, dispositions, and financings across various real estate asset classes. Some of his notable clients include Decron Properties and Western Avenue Capital. Prior to joining Sheppard Mullin, Pinsky was with Elkins Kalt Weintraub Reuben Gartside, LLP.
Jared Bartie, former co-chair of O'Melveny's sports industry group, has joined Willkie Farr in New York City as the Chair of their sports practice *
With over 25 years of experience in the entertainment and sports sector, Bartie advises clients on various transactions, including investments in professional sports teams, stadium and arena deals, and media rights arrangements. His esteemed clientele has included the likes of the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Under Armour, Legends, Pac-12 Conference, USA Track & Field, USA Volleyball, Washington Convention and Sports Authority, and City of Atlanta and Fulton County Recreation Authority. Widely regarded as one of the top sports and entertainment lawyers in the country, Bartie brings a wealth of experience and expertise to Willkie Farr.
2021
Orrick Welcomes Leah Recht from Kirkland & Ellis*
Leah Recht, previously a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, has joined Orrick's San Francisco office as a partner. Her practice primarily revolves around advising private equity funds and their portfolio companies on various aspects of their businesses. This includes handling strategic and leveraged acquisitions of public and private targets, divestitures, mergers and acquisitions, equity financings, minority investments, restructurings, executive compensation matters, corporate governance, and general corporate issues. Leah brings extensive expertise in private equity, with a specific focus on the technology sector. Notably, she was part of a Kirkland team involved in representing HGGC in its investment, alongside Bain Capital, in Buildertrend, a cloud-based construction project software provider.
Sidley Austin adds Idan Netser and Andrew Harper to its team in Palo Alto*
Idan joins as a partner, specializing in the Emerging Companies and Venture Capital as well as Tax practices. He offers comprehensive guidance to emerging and large international companies, covering cross-border transactions, funding and investments, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, international tax, tax planning, tax controversy, and transfer pricing. Idan also provides valuable counsel to emerging companies on technology investments and M&A, particularly in the software, security, and life sciences sectors. His expertise extends to being a leading international tax advisor for renowned technology brands, with a strong focus on relationships with Israeli technology companies. On the other hand, Andrew joins as a member of the Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice, delivering strategic counseling to emerging and high-growth companies across diverse sectors. He brings extensive experience in handling intricate business and financing matters, including equity and debt financings, M&A, and corporate governance.
Sidley Austin welcomes Asher Rubin and Adriana Tibbitts to their Washington, D.C. office*
Asher Rubin, the former co-leader of Hogan Lovells' life sciences practice, has joined Sidley Austin along with Adriana Tibbitts. Asher and Adriana work with private and publicly traded businesses, academic medical centers, inventors, and venture capital and private equity funds on a wide range of transactions. Asher brings extensive knowledge of the life sciences sector, having worked with clients in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, medical devices, medical technology, digital health, and health services. He has experience working with some of the most cutting-edge technologies in the industry, including CAR-T therapies, checkpoint inhibitors, co-stimulatory proteins, companion diagnostics, digital health technologies, ultra-orphan drugs, and gene therapies.
Sidley has welcomed Nick Schwartz and Kristen Smith to their team, joining from Kirkland & Ellis*
Nick, based in New York, and Kristen, based in San Francisco, specialize in debt financing. They have represented private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and strategic borrowers in various acquisition and non-acquisition matters. Nick's expertise also extends to the financing and strategic aspects of restructurings, including complex liability management and capital transactions. Notable clients he has worked with include Apax Partners, Clearlake Capital, 3G Capital, Advent International, and The Blackstone Group. Prior to Kirkland, Nick was at Simpson Thacher. Kristen, who previously worked at Uber, has extensive experience representing private equity sponsors, portfolio companies, and public and private companies in a wide range of debt financing transactions for both borrowers and lenders.
Carlton Fleming has joined Sidley Austin in San Francisco*
Sidley Austin has announced that Carlton Fleming has joined their San Francisco office as a partner in the Corporate and Capital Markets practices. Prior to joining Sidley Austin, Carlton was with Cooley, where he built a corporate practice with a focus on public companies. His clientele includes high-growth private and public companies, as well as investment banks and venture capital firms, whom he advises on various matters including public offerings and private placements. Carlton has an impressive track record, having successfully completed over 60 IPOs since 2012 and facilitating capital raises of over $8 billion. He specializes in industries such as biotech, life sciences, and emerging markets. With Carlton's addition, Sidley Austin aims to further enhance their market-leading life sciences and technology transactional practices, while significantly strengthening their capital markets and public company expertise in Northern California.
Orrick welcomes Alice Hsu in New York*
Alice brings her expertise as a capital markets partner specializing in SPACs to Orrick. Alice’s practice primarily focuses on capital markets and corporate governance matters, with a specific emphasis on the energy and financial services industries. Notably, Alice recently provided advisory services for significant mergers such as Starboard Value Acquisition Corp's 3.4-billion-dollar merger with Cytera Technologies and CIIG Merger Corp.'s 5.4 billion dollar merger with Arrival. She represents various stakeholders, including boards of directors, issuers, underwriters, and investors, in a wide range of transactions encompassing public offerings, private equity and debt placements, as well as mergers and acquisitions. In recognition of her achievements, Alice was honored as one of The Deal's Top Women Dealmakers in the field of private equity in 2021.
Alan Epstein, Michele Mulrooney, and Alex Weingarten Lead Launch of Willkie Farr & Gallagher's New Los Angeles Office *
Willkie Farr & Gallagher has opened a new office in Los Angeles with the addition of partners Alan Epstein, Michele Mulrooney, and Alex Weingarten, who join from Venable LLP. Epstein is an esteemed transactions attorney in the entertainment and media sector, while Mulrooney is a leading estate planning partner, and Weingarten is a nationally recognized litigator in entertainment and business. The trio will be accompanied by other lawyers who will also be based in Los Angeles.
Together, they bring extensive experience in representing major corporations, investors, individual clients, and more in corporate and M&A transactions, private wealth, trusts and estates, and litigation. Epstein has an impressive track record of representing clients in entertainment and media, including production companies, studios, talent, technology companies, and more, on both domestic and international matters. Mulrooney specializes in estate planning for high-net-worth individuals, companies, and non-profits, and has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading Trusts & Estates practitioners. Weingarten has a broad commercial litigation practice covering entertainment, probate, restructuring, and business litigation, and has been named one of the top 50 trial lawyers in Los Angeles and one of the nation’s top entertainment litigators by multiple publications.
*Indicates a placement made while serving as a partner at a prior firm.