Legal View

THE AMERICAS

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has appointed David Blass as a partner in the firm’s investment funds practice. Blass joins from the Investment Company Institute, where he was general counsel. He formerly held numerous positions at the US Securities and Exchange Commission, including chief counsel of the division of trading and markets and associate general counsel.

Kirkland & Ellis hired Erica Williams and Marian Fowler as partners in its Washington, DC office. They have both previously served at the SEC. Williams joins the government, regulatory and internal investigations practice group, having most recently served as special assistant and associate counsel to President Barack Obama after 11 years at the SEC, where she was deputy chief of staff under Mary Jo White. Fowler, who was senior special counsel to the director of the division of investment management at the SEC, joins the investment funds group.

Thomas Twedt joins Shulman Rogers Gandal, Pordy & Ecker, a Washington, DC-based firm, as a fund formation, capital markets and SEC compliance lawyer in Maryland. He takes the role of counsel. He was previously counsel at Cooley in Washington, DC.

Adam Summers has joined Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson in New York. Summers joins from Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where he made partner earlier this year. He is a finance partner and has worked on subscription credit lines for private equity firms, as well as structuring debt funds.

Dechert has appointed Gareth Clark as a partner in New York. He advises on private equity and M&A matters, and was previously counsel at Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison.

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher has appointed Aaron Beim as a real estate capital partner in New York. He was previously a partner at Haynes & Boone, an international law firm. He advises private equity firms and banks on facilitation of debt and equity deals, bridge and subordinate lending for institutional real estate investors.

Roger Cohen has joined the life sciences and private equity practices as a partner in Goodwin’s New York office. He will advise private equity firms on health care investments and exits. He joins from Proskauer Rose.

EUROPE

Morrison & Foerster has appointed Rob Mailer as a partner in its corporate group in London. His practice specializes in fund formation and fund management, representing private fund firms and investors. He joins from King & Wood Mallesons, where he was a partner in the international funds practice for over 11 years.

In London, Linklaters has appointed James Douglas as a partner in its restructuring team. He joins from Ropes & Gray. His clients include KKR Credit, Hutchinson Investors, Goldman Sachs European Special Situations Group, TPG Special Situations Partners and Golden Tree Asset Management.

Giovanni Meschia has joined K&L Gates as a partner in its investment practice in Milan. He previously worked at international firm Jones Day. Meschia specializes in advising alternative asset managers across private equity, debt, real estate and venture capital. He also has fund structuring experience, and advising on investments in secondaries markets.

Kirkland & Ellis appointed Sean Lacey as a restructuring partner in London. He advises on financial restructurings and specialized lending transactions. His clients have included The Carlyle Group. He joins from global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

Skadden, Arps, Meagher & Flom added two partners to its private equity team in London. Richard Youle and Katja Butler join from White & Case, where Youle was co-head of private equity in the Europe, Middle East and Asia region. Butler made partner there in October. ?