Quelling weeks of market speculation, former Kirkland & Ellis deal star Roger Johnson has finally landed at Paul Weiss, along with three other Kirkland partners and a partner from Linklaters.
The move sees Johnson, who was asked to leave the partnership of Kirkland in early August, reunited with debt superstar Neel Sachdev to co-lead Paul Weiss’ London office. Continue reading “Deal star Johnson lands at Paul Weiss amid fresh round of hires from Kirkland and Linklaters”
‘There is still fundamentally an issue with how women are perceived in the legal market and how well they can traverse the seniority ranks. It says a lot more about our profession than it does about women.’ So argues Tamara Box, Reed Smith’s former Europe and Middle East managing partner and now head of structured finance.
The outlook now, while not exactly bleak, is not as bullish as it should be. Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Women deal stars five years on”
Legal Business first named Freshfields’ Victoria Sigeti a rising star in 2016 while only a year into partnership. Judging by the sheer volume of plaudits she receives for her work in the most competitive product line in City law, she has now well and truly, well… risen. Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Private equity stars”
Herbert Smith Freehills’ Caroline Rae is something of a torchbearer for female success in M&A. Last year, she led the £7.8bn acquisition of Western Power Distribution for National Grid. ‘Take your most exciting M&A deal and times it by ten,’ she says of the transaction. Continue reading “Alphas revisited: M&A stars”
Showcasing a striking client list that includes the likes of KKR, Viridian, JPMorgan, First Reserve, Silver Lake, BlackRock and Blackstone, Simpson Thacher’s Sinead O’Shea is at the top of her game. Having qualified in Ireland, O’Shea has worked in the firm’s New York and Hong Kong offices. ‘Moving to Hong Kong was a huge challenge as I went there right after becoming a partner and having my second child,’ she admits. ‘I knew nothing whatsoever about the Asian market and the cultural setup there.’ Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Finance stars”
While horror stories have become increasingly rare in recent years, RPC’s head of corporate Karen Hendy recounts an awkward story from early in her career when she was the only woman present in a meeting room. ‘One of the partners looked at me and asked me where my corporate partner was. The room went silent.’ Continue reading “Alphas revisited: Mid-tier stars”
We ask three of DLA Piper’s female M&A stars some of the most pressing questions currently facing women in the sector. Partners Tracey Renshaw, Laura Marcelli, and Victoria Rhodes answer below
In your opinion, what specific factors contribute to the under-representation of senior women in M&A, and what steps can be taken to address this imbalance? Continue reading “Sponsored briefing: Addressing the gender imbalance”
Why did you decide to become an M&A lawyer?
It was law or medicine, and halfway through my science A-Levels I realised that reasoning and debate was where my passion lay. I’ve never regretted it. I was initially drawn to M&A by the buzz of the deals, but what has kept me there is the complex and strategic nature of what we do. You really have to know the clients, understand their business and the issues they face, and appreciate what they are trying to achieve if you want to be a successful
M&A lawyer. Continue reading “Dealmakers – the veterans edit”
