Latham & Watkins has hired three partners from A&O Shearman, including two real estate finance partners and one structured finance partner, the firm announced today (6 January).
David Oppenheimer, global head of A&O Shearman’s real estate finance practice, is set to join Latham alongside David Varne, who has been a partner at A&O Shearman since 2021.
Both partners are key members of the firm’s real estate finance practice, which is ranked in tier 1 in Legal 500.
Also making the move is Lucy Oddy, a leading partner in Legal 500’s London securitisation ranking, who rejoins Latham after a decade at A&O Shearman.
Between them they bring decades of experience advising lenders, private equity firms, companies, and other financial investors on complex, cross-border real estate finance and structured finance transactions.
Oppenheimer has spent more than two decades at A&O Shearman, where he has developed a highly-regarded practice acting for private equity funds and other real estate lenders across the UK and Europe. Varne brings experience advising banks and debt funds on a range of traditional and non-traditional finance banking products.
Oddy advises funds, PE houses and financial institutions across a range of structured finance transactions, with a particular focus on real estate.
Latham chair and managing partner Rich Trobman said: ‘We are delighted to welcome David and David to our team and to have Lucy rejoin us. Each partner is exceptionally talented in their field, and their track record and deep sector knowledge have earned them a reputation as being among the best.’
‘Adding both Davids and Lucy is another significant development for our London practice,’ added London office managing partner Ed Barnett. ‘With years of leadership under their belts, they are exceptional additions to our team in the City.’
He continued: ‘We are uniquely positioned to guide private equity firms, investment banks, investors, growth companies, and PLCs through their most complex, high-value transactions, and adding this group to our platform adds even more heft to our capabilities.’
The moves follow the departure of structured finance duo Franz Ranero and James Smallwood, who left A&O Shearman for Latham in London last spring.
They also come after Mark Manson-Bahr, former global head of real estate debt finance at legacy A&O, left the firm last year – moving to Gibson Dunn in June.
Legal Business previously reported that there had been more than 170 partner exits from A&O Shearman since the Allen & Overy-Shearman & Sterling merger was announced in May 2023.
A&O Shearman has also made a number of hires globally. In December it announced the addition of Fried Frank partner Jan Sysel to lead its US fund finance practice in New York.
Earlier last month, it also announced the London hire of Skadden executive compensation lawyer Louise Batty as a partner. In November it hired Weil capital markets counsel Pierre Brulé, who splits his time between London and Paris, as a partner.
For its part, Latham hired real estate PE partner Jeremy Kenley, who joined from Gibson Dunn in November, as part of its real estate play.
Yen Sum, the global chair of Latham’s private capital practice, previously told LB that the firm’s long-term, global strategy for its private capital business is built around attracting ‘the best talent operating in key financial and capital markets, products, and asset classes.’
John Coburn will now lead A&O Shearman’s real estate finance practice which contains at least two other partners: Peter Mailer and Anneliese Foster. Chris Woolf and Lisa Brill will continue to lead the global real estate practice, the firm added.
‘We thank David, Lucy and David for the contribution they have made to the firm and wish them all the best for the future,’ a spokesperson for A&O Shearman said.
