Africa-focused firm hires SNR Denton partner

Hugh Naylor, a funds advisor with a particular focus on emerging markets, has been made head of Trinity International’s private equity practice. Trinity, a London-based law firm specialising in Africa-based transactions, lured Naylor from SNR Denton where he was made partner in 2007. 

Naylor has advised “many of the leading private equity funds investing in Africa”, Trinity said in a statement. The law firm declined to name specifics.

The leap to Trinity is a “fantastic opportunity to develop its unique brand” in emerging markets, said Naylor in an interview with PEM. The niche firm “has eschewed the leverage model of many other law firms, providing senior level experience throughout the transaction and adopting highly innovative fee arrangements,” he added.

The departure from SNR Denton is not a result of any staff restructuring, said Naylor. Late last year US-based law firm Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal and UK-based law firm Denton Wilde Sapte merged, creating one of the top 25 law firms worldwide by size.

The firm is currently in the process of cutting costs and as a result the private equity practice is no longer being seen as a major priority, said one market insider. Instead the global law firm will focus advising bank clients and other debt providers.

A spokesperson for SNR Denton denied the claim, saying the firm was not moving away from private equity.