Meredith Abrams is a leading regulatory lawyer in the funds industry and has advised on matters involving innovative registered funds products, Advisers Act compliance, broker-dealer regulatory compliance and SEC and FINRA examination and enforcement matters. She advises asset management clients including registered funds and private funds on a broad range of transactional, regulatory and compliance matters. She has significant experience advising on mergers and acquisitions involving broker-dealers and asset managers. She regularly advises broker-dealers on regulatory and compliance matters, initial registrations and expanding their securities business to include investment banking and capital markets activities. She advises private equity firms, real estate fund managers, other private fund managers and broker-dealers on various complex regulatory matters, including compliance with the Advisers Act, Exchange Act, FINRA Rules and other securities laws.

Jennifer Albrecht advises direct lenders, investment banks and corporate borrowers across several sectors on a wide array of financing matters, including direct loans, syndicated credit facilities and leveraged acquisition financings, as well as financings related to restructurings, liability management transactions, and recapitalizations. Previously, she was in-house counsel for several major financial institutions where she advised on private credit investments, leveraged acquisition financings, strategic fund formation, fund financing arrangements, and governance and regulatory matters.

A trusted adviser for companies, private equity sponsors and financial institutions, Andy Alin represents clients on a variety of their most complex transactions. He has extensive experience advising on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, carve outs and spinoffs as well as on corporate governance matters. His work on high-profile deals spans several sectors, including technology, life sciences, FinTech and financial institutions and he is consistently recognized by IFLR 1000 in M&A and Private Equity Transactions. 

Named a 2021 “Rising Star” for Private Equity by Law360 and a 2021 “Top Rising Star” by The Deal, William Allen’s diverse practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. He regularly represents strategic clients and private equity sponsors on a broad range of domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, carve-outs, recapitalizations, dispositions, joint ventures and minority investments across a wide variety of industries, including technology and financial services.

Lou Argentieri is a Partner in the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions and Financial Institutions Practices. He advises public and private companies, financial institutions and private equity sponsors on a wide range of corporate transactions, including domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, carve-outs, strategic investments and corporate governance matters. Lou’s practice spans a wide range of industries and includes significant experience in financial services transactions.

Based in New York and Los Angeles, Javad’s practice focuses on major energy and infrastructure projects in the Americas and around the globe.

His practice has a particular focus on (i) mergers and acquisitions of E&I projects and (ii) project development, including advising on joint venture, governance and commercial (including concession, EPC and offtake) agreements with respect to the development of renewable and conventional power generation; transmission and distribution projects; upstream, midstream and downstream petroleum and renewable hydrocarbon projects; LNG projects; data centers; and electrical vehicle infrastructure developments.

His clients include developers and private equity funds involved in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Javad currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Recruiting Committee. He is also serving on the Energy Editorial Advisory Board for Law360.

Gabriela Astolphi is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice, with a particular focus on digital infrastructure transactions. Based in both New York and São Paulo, she advises clients on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. Gabriela has deep experience on transactions in the data center, towers and fiber sectors worldwide. She has worked on over 30 landmark digital infrastructure transactions in the last three years alone. Her clients include market-leading financial sponsors and operators.

David Azarkh is a Capital Markets Partner and Co-Head of the Firm’s Global Investment Banking practice, where he advises underwriters and corporate clients in securities offerings ranging from high yield and investment grade debt offerings, IPOs, pre-IPO financings, primary and secondary offerings to leveraged buyouts, liability management transactions and other types of capital markets transactions. He also has deep market knowledge of covenant terms and disclosure matters, and regularly advises on corporate governance and other general corporate finance matters.

Dave is recognized in Chambers USA for Capital Markets: Debt & Equity, is lauded as “incredibly commercial and responsive,” “very creative and thoughtful when dealing with very complex issues” and “a bright star of Simpson Thacher’s future,” and is recognized by IFLR1000 as a “Highly Regarded Lawyer.” He regularly writes for industry publications such as Law360 and Lexis Practice Advisor^®, including, “Market Trends: High Yield Debt Offerings”, “Market Trends: Block Trades”, “How to Draft Risk Factors for a Registration Statement” and “Responding to SEC Comment Letters”. Dave is also part of the L Suite network and regularly presents at L Suite’s conferences, webinars and other events on capital markets topics.

Demetrius Baefsky is a Partner in the Private Funds Practice at Simpson Thacher, based in the Firm’s New York office. Demetrius advises private equity sponsors on the formation, structuring and operation of private equity funds across asset classes, including buyout funds, real estate funds, continuation vehicles and co-investment funds. His experience includes representing some of the world’s most prominent private fund sponsors such as Blackstone, Silver Lake and Stonepeak, among others.

Linda Barrett advises private equity funds, public companies and other clients on a broad array of executive compensation and employee benefits issues arising in complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, take-privates, sales, spin-offs, IPOs and other deals. Linda’s clients include KKR, New Mountain Capital, Stonepeak, Centerbridge, DigitalBridge and JPMorgan, among others. She also designs and implements employee compensation and benefit programs, including the negotiation of executive employment and separation arrangements for both companies and executives.

Martin S. Bell is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department, a member of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice, and one of the leaders of Simpson Thacher’s Anti-Discrimination Litigation and Advisory Practice. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Martin represents companies, boards and executives in government and internal investigations and high-profile disputes. Recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in the White Collar and Government Investigations field and by Lawdragon as among the “500 Leading Litigators in America,” Martin has also represented clients in connection with anti-discrimination and congressional inquiries. A seasoned trial lawyer, Martin has been appointed to the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Southern District of New York, where he represents indigent criminal defendants charged with federal criminal offenses. He has also been appointed to the Attorney Grievance Committee of the First Judicial Department, which investigates complaints filed against lawyers in Manhattan and the Bronx. 

As a federal prosecutor, Martin served as a senior member of the Securities and Commodities Task Force and the Public Corruption Unit in the SDNY, and previously served as a member of the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit. He served as lead counsel on behalf of the United States in fourteen jury trials and argued before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on nine occasions. While at the SDNY, Martin investigated and prosecuted a variety of financial and corruption-related crimes, including securities, accounting, and other financial fraud, bribery, obstruction of justice, money laundering, sanctions violations, and various offenses giving rise to civil and criminal asset forfeiture. In addition, he worked on cases involving criminal civil rights violations. Martin was honored with several awards for his service, including the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation Prosecutor of the Year Award in 2018 and the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award in 2016. Martin was also recently named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal and profiled among Savoy Magazine’s “2024 Most Influential Lawyers,” City & State New York’s “The 2024 Power of Diversity: Black 100” list and Crain’s New York Business’ “Notable Black Leaders.”

Prior to joining the SDNY, Martin practiced at another international law firm and was a law clerk to the Hon. Eric N. Vitaliano of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

John Bennett is a Partner in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice and is Head of the Group’s Endowment Advisory Practice. John advises endowed universities, foundations, hospitals, cultural institutions and other institutional investors, such as family offices, in connection with a broad range of investment activities, including the review and negotiation of documentation relating to investments in private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, energy and other natural resources funds, hedge funds, managed accounts, funds-of-one and similar investment vehicles, as well as in secondary market transactions involving the purchase and sale of interests in such investment vehicles. As a key piece of his investment-related practice, John represents public charities and private foundations in connection with impact investments and mission- and program-related investments in areas including education, conservation, climate change mitigation and remediation, affordable housing, and support of small businesses. A significant part of John’s practice also includes advising public charities and private foundations on structural and operating issues, including formation, governance, mergers, reorganizations, complex issues around domestic and international grantmaking and taxation, including, in particular, compliance with the portions of the tax rules applicable to tax-exempt organizations.

Recognized by Chambers USA as an “Up and Coming” attorney in Impact Investing, John’s clients describe him as an “all-star,” “deeply knowledgeable” and understanding of “key business points.”

John is a regular speaker on topics of interest to tax-exempt organizations and institutional investors and has spoken at the American Bar Association Business Law Section’s Institutional Investors Committee, the International Grantmaking Symposium and the annual Georgetown conference on Representing & Managing Tax Exempt Organizations. He has also presented at events hosted by the Practising Law Institute, Allocator Collective, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants, Nonprofit New York and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. John is the co-author of chapters entitled “Tools for Direct International Grantmaking: Expenditure Responsibility” and “Tools for Direct International Grantmaking: Equivalency Determination” in Cross-Border Giving: A Legal and Practical Guide, published in 2018 by Charity Channel Press.

A Partner in the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice, Andrew Blau focuses his practice on compensation and benefit-related issues that arise in connection with mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, new and joint ventures and other corporate transactions. He has extensive experience in structuring employment agreements, equity compensation, performance incentives, deferred compensation, change in control protections, and management participation in buyouts and new ventures. His experience includes domestic and international M&A across a variety of sectors. Andrew also advises on the applicability of securities and tax laws to executives and employers, disclosure obligations in respect of employee benefits and executive compensation arrangements, corporate governance issues and general employment-related matters.

A Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice, Bissie K. Bonner represents registered investment companies, including closed-end funds, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds, their investment advisers and their boards in connection with disclosure issues, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, policy changes, reorganizations and restructurings, tender offers, liquidations and other operational matters. Bissie also has significant experience in the organization and offering of registered funds, including open-end and closed-end fund IPOs.

Nadia Bonnet has more than 17 years of experience in guiding U.S. and international sponsors on the structuring and formation of funds and other investment vehicles in Luxembourg, as well as in related distribution and other activities. Her practice focuses on the development and regulation of alternative investment funds, vehicles and managers (AIFMs) across a wide range of asset classes, for both regulated and non-regulated investment structures.

Formerly Vice President of the National Advertising Division of BBB National Programs, Laura Brett leads Simpson Thacher’s Advertising Advisory and Litigation Practice. Laura is an accomplished authority in advertising law with decades of industry leadership. She focuses her practice on litigation matters that intersect with consumer-related concerns and advertising, data privacy, trademark and other IP issues. She has an extensive understanding of the legal and business dimensions of advertising disputes and routinely advises consumer-facing clients across the pharmaceutical, life sciences, retail, technology and other industries.

Mark Brod is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department, where he concentrates on capital markets transactions involving U.S. and foreign companies. Mark regularly represents sponsors, companies and investment banks in connection with private wealth vehicles, equity offerings, debt offerings and other capital-raising transactions. In addition, he regularly advises clients with respect to SEC matters, corporate governance, U.S. securities laws and general corporate matters.

Chris Brown concentrates his practice on banking and finance. He has represented private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as public and private companies, in a wide variety of secured lending and other financing transactions. In addition, Chris has worked for many clients on matters involving general secured finance issues, liability management transactions, debt restructurings and related corporate issues. His clients have included AEA Investors, Alterra Mountain Company, AMG, Angeles Equity Partners, Best Buy, BlackRock, Blackstone, Cimpress, Evercore Partners, Cohen & Steers, Frontdoor, Hershey, Ingersoll Rand, JLL Partners, KKR, KSL Capital Partners, Microsoft, New Mountain Capital, Primavera Capital Partners, Riverstone, Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, Twitter and ZoomInfo.

Nicholas Brown focuses his practice on the structuring, organization and operation of private investment funds. Nick regularly advises some of the largest and most well-known private fund sponsors across a broad range of asset classes, including buyout, infrastructure, real estate and debt funds, among others. He also has deep experience advising on co-investment funds, investment management accounts, separately managed accounts and other similar arrangements.

Kelsey advises a wide variety of clients, including banks, insurance companies, credit funds, private equity firms and other institutional lenders in a wide variety of commercial real estate financing transactions, including mortgage and mezzanine loan originations, preferred equity structures, A/B notes, participation interests, note-on-note and repo financing facilities, acquisition facilities, co-lender and intercreditor arrangements, loan purchases and dispositions (including through syndication, sales and securitizations), and multi-tranche workouts and restructurings. Her experience spans CMBS, balance sheet, bridge and construction loans across all major asset classes.

Co-Head of the Firm’s Latin America Practice and Head of the São Paulo office, Grenfel Calheiros advises clients on capital markets and M&A transactions, with a primary focus on Latin America and especially Brazil. His clients have included a range of leading companies, private equity sponsors and investment banks in IPOs and other securities offerings, cross-border acquisitions, and other complex corporate matters. Recently, he has been involved in the SEC-Registered IPOs of VTEX, Zenvia, Patria Investments, Vasta Platform, MercadoLibre, Linx’s ADS, and the re-IPO of CPFL Energia; Braskem, BRF and Unigel in numerous bond offers; Technology Crossover Ventures’ investment in Nubank; several investments by Softbank in Latin America; Netshoes’ merger with Magazine Luiza; multiple IPOs and follow-on offerings on the São Paulo Stock Exchange; several transactions by Blackstone Real Estate Partners, including the R$1.4 billion acquisition of Alphaville; the $4.8 billion acquisition of Sadia by Perdigão and the related $2.4 billion SEC-registered equity offering by BRF S.A.; and bond offers by BTG Pactual, Embraer, Stoneco, Tupy, Iochpe-Maxion and FS Bioenergia as counsel to the initial purchasers. Grenfel spent the first nine years of his career in Simpson Thacher’s New York office. He is fluent in Portuguese.

Jonathan’s area of focus is federal income tax with a particular emphasis on complex capital markets transactions, including high yield and investment grade debt offerings, note programs, initial public offerings, liability management transactions (i.e., tender offers, exchange offers and consent solicitations), stock repurchases and asset securitizations. Jonathan also regularly provides tax advice with respect to regulated investment companies in connection with securities offerings, investment activities and fund combinations.

Hailed as a “Trailblazer” by The American Lawyer for his legal contributions to the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments, Rajib is the Firm’s Global Head of Asset Management and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. He also leads the Firm’s Registered Funds practice and is Co-Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. office. Rajib has helped asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products that have been publicly referred to as “revolutionary,” “category-killing” and “the fund innovation of the year.” Rajib regularly represents the leading asset management firms in the world, including recent representations of Apollo, Artisan Partners, BC Partners, Benefit Street, BlackRock, Blackstone, Blue Owl, Carlyle, Cohen & Steers, Coller Capital, Diameter Capital, EQT, Golub, HarbourVest, HPS, Irradiant Partners, JPMorgan Asset Management, KKR, Lexington Partners, Morgan Stanley, New Mountain, Onex Credit, Principal, Sixth Street Partners, SkyBridge Capital, Starwood Capital Group, Stonepeak, TPG, TPG Angelo Gordon and Vista, among many others.

Recognized as a “Rising Star” for Private Equity by Law360, Michael Chao advises private equity sponsors and public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, investments, dispositions, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions across a wide range of industries. Michael’s clients have included, among others, Blackstone, Integrum, Mars, Johnson Controls, Genesee & Wyoming and Avalara.

Sunny Cheong is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Capital Markets Practice. She represents issuers and private equity sponsors on a wide range of securities transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on and secondary offerings, preferred equity issuances, high yield debt offerings, acquisition financings, liability management and other complex structuring matters. Sunny also has extensive experience in convertible securities transactions and private investments in public equity (PIPEs). She represents clients in a variety of industries, including healthcare, retail and technology. Sunny’s client representations have included KKR, Silver Lake, CSG, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Avantor, National Vision and PTC.

With an M&A practice focused on the energy and infrastructure industry, including related regulatory and other corporate matters, Brian Chisling advises infrastructure investors, including electric and gas utilities, independent power producers, pipeline companies, fiber-optic and other telecommunications companies, data center developers and providers, private equity funds and financing parties with respect to mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, securities issuances, financings and related federal and state regulatory issues.

In the power industry, Brian has regularly advised American Electric Power, NextEra Energy, Ohio Valley Electric Corp., and various private equity clients. He has represented utility and power clients in numerous high-profile mergers, including several acquisitions of large renewable energy portfolios (including Madison Energy Investments, Cypress Creek Renewables and Clearway Energy) by private equity firms, ITC Holdings’ sale to Fortis, JPMorgan's sale of its physical commodities trading businesses, American Electric Power’s acquisition of Central and South West Corp., and the acquisition of TXU by a group of private equity firms. 

Brian is recognized as a leading regulatory lawyer in the energy and infrastructure sectors by Chambers and Legal 500. He is also recognized as a "Notable Practitioner" by IFLR1000. Energy clients have recently lauded Brian as “very smart” and “incredibly responsive,” highlighting his capabilities for “distilling information and explaining it clearly.”

A Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice, Catherine Ciriello advises prominent public and private companies, private equity sponsors and investment banks in a broad range of corporate finance transactions including equity and debt offerings, initial public offerings and restructurings as well as corporate governance issues and other complex corporate matters. Her clients have included Cooper-Standard, SiriusXM, Finance of America, JPMorgan, Taylor Morrison, WeightWatchers, Scripps, Ashton Woods, Dell Technologies, Silver Lake Partners, ZoomInfo and Macquarie Asset Management.

Jackie Clinton advises on the tax aspects of a broad range of corporate matters, such as the formation and structuring of private investment funds, mergers and acquisitions, secondaries transactions, GP-led restructurings, as well as minority stakes deals. Jackie regularly represents prominent private equity sponsors on transactions across several industries, including infrastructure, technology, and real estate, among others. 

A Partner in the Firm’s New York office, Davis Coen is a member of the Real Estate Practice. Davis represents private equity firms and portfolio companies in a wide range of domestic and international commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures, public-to-private transactions and securitized and mezzanine financings. Before returning to New York in 2016, Davis spent two years in the Firm’s London office.

As Simpson Thacher’s Global Head of Private Equity, Elizabeth Cooper is one of the world’s most respected and prolific dealmakers. Her work on transformative and multifaceted transactions has reshaped the global private equity market. Named The American Lawyer’s 2024 “Corporate Attorney of the Year: Private Equity and M&A,” Elizabeth has guided numerous landmark and first-of-kind transactions for the world’s most iconic private equity sponsors and asset managers.  

Elizabeth’s clients include Blackstone, Brookfield, EQT, GTCR, New Mountain, Oaktree, Silver Lake and Stone Point, as well as a broad array of blue-chip corporations and financial institutions. She regularly advises on complex private equity M&A transactions, investments, joint ventures and other business combinations. Her deal experience spans a wide range of industries, including financial services, insurance, business and professional services, healthcare and life sciences and technology.

Lauded by clients as a “rockstar and heavy hitter” who is “brilliant” and a “force of nature,” Elizabeth has received numerous industry awards and honors, and was recently ranked among the top three dealmakers advising on deals globally based on U.S. deal value in 2024 (Mergerlinks). She is a two-time American Lawyer “Dealmaker of the Year,” two-time “Private Equity Lawyer of the Year” (The Deal Awards) and Law360 “Private Equity MVP.” She has been honored as “Best in M&A” by Euromoney’s Women in Business Law Americas Awards, twice featured as a “Notable Woman in Law” by Crain’s and included on The Deal’s inaugural “Women in M&A: The Powerhouse 20” list.

Longtime Executive Committee member and a former Administrative Partner, Elizabeth has extensive leadership experience and brings the collective resources of the Firm to bear to service clients.

Barrie Covit is a partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, where he is Co-Head of the Investment Funds Practice, Chair of the Firm’s Investment and Pension Committee and a member of the Firm’s Compensation Committee. Concentrating on alternative asset management, Barrie represents some of the largest, best-known sponsors of private equity funds, including Carlyle, KKR, Lexington Partners, BlackRock, J.C. Flowers, Corsair Capital and EQT. He has represented sponsors of funds that focus on investments in specific asset classes—including energy, financial services and the secondary market—throughout the world, including in Western Europe, South Africa and Brazil. In addition, Barrie represented the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with the $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions. Barrie is ranked in the top tier of U.S. private funds practitioners by Chambers & Partners. Chambers has noted Barrie’s “deep experience across the private equity fund formation industry.” Additionally, Chambers has cited him as a "brilliant lawyer" and noted that "he is incredibly smart and he has a great commercial sense about him." Recently, Barrie was named by Law360 as an “MVP” for 2024. Barrie has also been named to the “Hall of Fame” and as a leading lawyer by The Legal 500 United States. In addition, he is referred to as a market leader by IFLR1000 and noted as a “Thought Leader” in the Lexology Index.

Summer Craig is a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department. Summer represents clients in a variety of complex commercial litigations, with particular emphasis in the areas of insurance and reinsurance. A Fellow of the American College of Coverage Counsel, she has extensive experience advising clients in connection with insurance coverage matters involving environmental and asbestos-related claims, business interruption, cyberattacks, consumer class actions, acquisitions, and product liability, among others. Summer has successfully litigated cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the United States.

Jordan Cross’s practice focuses on the organization, structuring and operation of private investment funds across a range of strategies. Jordan represents some of the largest and most prominent sponsors of private equity funds, including Silver Lake, Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR and Greyhound Capital Partners. He advises on a variety of related matters, including separate accounts, funds-of-one and similar custom arrangements, as well as carried interest and similar internal GP arrangements and strategic initiatives involving private fund sponsors. Jordan was recently recognized as a 2025 “Rising Star” in fund formation by Law360.

Sean Dougherty is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department, focusing his practice on capital markets transactions. He represents clients in numerous industries, including fintech, infrastructure, information technology, healthcare, retail and others. Sean regularly represents issuers, private equity sponsors, portfolio companies and underwriters on various financings, IPOs, preferred equity issuances, restructurings, follow-on offerings, and other securities transactions.

Jacqueline S. Edwards is a Partner in the Firm’s Registered Funds Practice, where she counsels investment companies and their directors on a wide array of investment management and securities law matters, including governance structures and practices, regulatory compliance issues, material service contracts, mergers, acquisitions and other control transactions and disclosure. She has a broad background representing open and closed-end funds, as well as interval funds, exchange-traded funds, variable annuity funds and business development companies. Her experience also includes advising clients regarding the regulation and registration of investment advisers, broker-dealers and other financial institutions.

Erica Egenes advises private equity sponsors and public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, investments, dispositions, joint ventures and other corporate transactions across a wide range of industries. Erica’s clients have included, among others, Blackstone, Chamberlain Group, EQT, Karuna Therapeutics, KKR, TD Bank and TPG Rise Climate.

Gillian Emmett Moldowan advises companies, boards of directors, executives, investors and family offices across a spectrum of transaction-related compensation and benefits matters, with emphasis on issues arising in mergers and acquisitions for public companies and private equity firms, as well as initial public offerings and other capital markets transactions. She also advises on governance, securities laws and disclosure related to public company compensation matters.

John represents underwriters and issuers in a wide variety of capital markets offerings. His extensive corporate finance experience includes high yield and investment grade debt offerings, IPOs and secondary offerings, acquisition finance and restructurings. John’s transactional work spans several industries, including the healthcare, consumer/retail, industrials/manufacturing, hospitality, auto and tech sectors. John is ranked by Chambers among U.S. and global capital markets attorneys for debt and equity, and he has been recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” in U.S. high yield by The Legal 500.

Chris Evans focuses on a broad range of GP-level transactions involving prominent alternative asset managers. Previously a Managing Director on the GP Stakes team at Blackstone, Chris counsels asset managers on cutting-edge minority stake investments, control sale, joint ventures and other transactions. He also advises private fund sponsors on the organization and management of private investment funds across asset classes, succession planning and strategic initiatives.

Richard Fenyes is a Partner who has advised clients for more than twenty years on equity and debt capital markets transactions as well as general corporate and securities law matters. He regularly advises the Firm’s clients, including private equity sponsors such as KKR, Blackstone and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners, and their portfolio companies, in connection with IPOs, acquisition financing, refinancings, debt restructuring and other registered and private offerings of equity and debt securities. Richard has been recognized by clients as “extremely client-focused, solving legal issues with a business-minded approach.” 

Jeannette Figg is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. She advises a range of private equity fund sponsors on fund formation, fund operations and separately managed account formations. She has experience representing private fund sponsors that are active across a broad range of geographies and asset classes, including Blackstone, Carlyle, Centerbridge and Rockpoint.

Moshe A. Fink is a Partner in the Firm’s Liability Management and Special Situations group and the Restructuring Practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Based in the New York office, Moshe’s practice focuses on advising a wide variety of constituents in complex in-court chapter 11 restructurings and out-of-court restructuring transactions, including companies, creditors, and sponsors. Moshe also advises clients in connection with corporate governance and litigation risks associated with liability management transactions.

Bryce L. Friedman, Head of Simpson Thacher’s Insurance Litigation Practice and Co-Head of the Firm’s Business Litigation Practice, represents clients in complex disputes, trials and arbitrations. He devotes a significant part of his practice to representing clients subject to allegations of fraud and False Claims Act violations and to counseling C-suite executives concerning strategic concerns, disputes and employee matters. He is regularly retained by governments and quasi-governmental entities to prosecute commercial disputes. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Bryce is recognized by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a national “Litigation Star,” where sources say: “He is the complete package.” Chambers USA ranks Bryce in Band 1 for Insurance Disputes, where sources describe him as “truly an exceptional” and “stand-out lawyer,” a “notable practitioner in the field,” “a great strategist who’s also great in court,” “outstanding,” and as someone who is “very strategic, smart in his approach and a very good writer.” He is also recognized in The Legal 500 U.S. as a “Leading Lawyer” in General Commercial Disputes and “Hall of Fame” in Insurance. Bryce has served as chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono and Legal Personnel Committees and is a member of the boards of trustees of Playwrights Horizons (an off-Broadway theater company).

Matt Gabbard advises alternative asset managers in a variety of complex transactions, such as mergers and acquisitions and other business combinations, fund secondaries transactions (including GP-led restructurings), co-investments, joint ventures and internal economic and governance matters. 

In addition to his fund transactions work, Matt brings extensive experience representing public company corporate clients, leading private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a variety of complex domestic and cross-border transactions.

Matt has represented a broad range of clients, including alternative asset managers such as KKR, Blackstone, EQT, Baring Private Equity Asia, Macquarie Asset Management, Stonepeak, Bridgepoint, Raven Capital Management, Angelo Gordon, Grosvenor Capital Management and Blackstone Strategic Partners. Matt has also represented corporate clients such as Ingersoll Rand, L3Harris Technologies, Avantor, Hilton Grand Vacations, American Electric Power, Ziff Davis, Microsoft and Sirius XM. 

Tim Gaffney is a Partner in the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice. He focuses on mergers and acquisitions and other significant transactions and corporate governance matters. Tim regularly advises financial institutions, fintech companies, private equity sponsors, public companies and specialty lenders on mergers and acquisitions, buyouts, spin-offs, divestitures, recapitalizations, investments, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions and corporate governance matters. He has guided various clients through cross-border transactions in numerous jurisdictions. In 2023, Tim was named a “Rising Star” in Banking by Law360.

Jonathan Gaines advises registered funds, their boards and investment advisers on a wide range of regulatory and corporate governance matters. In particular, Jon counsels clients on the launch and operation of alternative strategy investment funds such as BDCs, interval funds and registered funds launched by private equity sponsors, as well as in related portfolio transactions, M&A deals, IPOs and other capital raising transactions.

Mike Garvey, Co-Head of Simpson Thacher’s Business Litigation Practice, has over 25 years of experience representing the Firm’s institutional clients in a wide range of high stakes commercial disputes and international arbitrations, including shareholder litigation, antitrust litigation, M&A litigation, cross-border litigation, trademark infringement matters, insurance/reinsurance matters and internal investigations. His clients include KKR, Apax, BC Partners, L3Harris, Berkshire Hathaway, Gardaworld, PAAMCO Prisma, and Amneal Pharmaceuticals. Mike is consistently recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. and has been recognized as a national “Litigation Star” by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. He has an active pro bono practice, including advising the Natural Resources Defense Council and advocating for prisoners’ rights, and serves on the Board of Legal Services NYC.

Caroline P. Geiger is a Partner in the Intellectual Property Practice and Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, based in the New York office. She advises on all intellectual property and technology aspects of complex corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, investments, carve-outs and financings. She regularly structures and negotiates standalone intellectual property transactions and commercial arrangements, including agreements for services, supply and distribution, and collaboration and development agreements.

Co-Head of the Firm’s Tax Practice, Marcy Geller advises clients on tax aspects of a wide range of matters, including private investment fund formation, mergers and acquisitions, REITs and real estate transactions, joint ventures and corporate restructurings and bankruptcies. She advises private equity clients on tax matters related to formation of funds, including real estate opportunity and credit funds, and the structuring of investments by those funds, including closed-end, open-end, retail and semi-liquid funds in all asset classes, including real estate, infrastructure and credit.

Marcy is recognized as a leading tax lawyer by The Legal 500 and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, which noted that she handles her clients’ “most complicated issues” and praised her for being “always ten steps ahead” and “really extraordinary.”

Peter is widely recognized as one of the leading private fund lawyers in the United States. His practice focuses on the sponsoring and management of private investment funds, investment management M&A and other aspects of private investing in alternative asset classes, with a focus on innovative, high-value private fund arrangements of size and import.

Peter has been named one of the “Top 30 under 40” in private equity by Private Funds Management, a “Rising Star” by Law360, a “Superstar Lawyer of Tomorrow” by Private Equity International, and as a leading investment funds lawyer by IFLR 1000 and Who’s Who Legal for each of 2019 to 2025. Peter has represented many of the world’s leading private equity firms, including Blackstone, BC Partners, Centerbridge, General Atlantic, Lexington Partners, Millennium Partners, Morgan Stanley, Silver Lake, and Stonepeak.

Peter is considered a pioneer for his work on innovative “funds of one” and separately managed accounts, having established the unique $35 billion Blackstone Tactical Opportunities investment program for which Simpson Thacher was highly commended in the Financial Times’ U.S. Innovative Lawyers Report and which is generally regarded as the industry bellwether for customized fund arrangements, as well as for his work relating to GP “minority stake” arrangements. Peter also regularly advises private equity clients on a wide range of high-profile private equity fundraisings across all types of asset classes, internal economic and house/team arrangements, founder succession planning and other strategic initiatives and special projects.

Peter has been at the forefront of the GP-led structured secondaries market in recent years, having completed a number of the largest structured secondary PE transactions and dedicated fundraisings in recent years on behalf of Blackstone. During the COVID-19 economic crisis, Peter counseled a wide range of alternative investment funds with respect to “rescue” financings and preferred equity/debt investments involving other hedge funds and private equity funds.

Peter’s published work includes a variety of articles in Getting the Deal Through and The Guide to the World’s Leading Private Equity Lawyers (among others). Peter has also spoken on a wide range of topics relating to alternative investment funds and asset management, including at the IBA Conference on Private Investment Funds in London, the Maples Private Funds Investment Forum in the Cayman Islands, and the Global Fund Finance Symposium in New York.

Peter is a Trustee of Grace Church School, a member of the Board of Directors of the GO Project and a member of the Vestry of Grace Church in New York. Peter is also a member of the American Investment Council’s Young Professionals Network (a peer selected network of “rising stars” in the private equity industry), the Private Investment Funds Committee of the New York City Bar Association, and the Rotunda Society of the University of Virginia.

Peter is a guest lecturer on Private Equity at the University of Virginia School of Law and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is also a member of the Dean’s Council of the University of Virginia School of Law and an advisor to the University of Pennsylvania’s Intercollegiate Athletic Program.

Peter is a Hiring Partner of the Firm and is a member of the Firm’s Finance, Business Development, Recruiting, Knowledge Management and Attorney Development Committees.

Brian Gluck is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s New York office and a member of the Firm’s Corporate Department. Brian’s primary area of concentration is banking and credit matters. Brian regularly advises leading private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in a variety of corporate finance transactions, including acquisition financings, bank and bridge loan financings, real estate financings, fund level financings, REIT financings, refinancing transactions, as well as liability management and restructuring transactions. His clients have included Blackstone, Stonepeak Partners, DigitalBridge, GTCR, Thomson Reuters, Gates Corporation, Medline Industries, Hilton, True Wind Capital, Change Healthcare and Technology Crossover Ventures. According to Chambers, clients have praised Brian for having “excellent judgement” and being “fantastic to work with.”

Named a “New Face of Finance” in 2023 by Private Funds CFO and a “Rising Star” in 2020 by the Fund Finance Association, Ashley Belton Gold is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Banking and Credit and Fund Finance Practices. Ashley’s practice is focused on crafting tailored financing solutions for investment funds with complex structures across a variety of asset classes, including private equity, real estate, credit, secondaries and infrastructure. She regularly advises financial sponsors on a wide range of fund-level financings, such as subscription facilities, NAV-based facilities and unsecured demand lines, among other bespoke arrangements. Ashley’s practice provides clients with flexible liquidity solutions that are increasingly essential for investment funds to competitively manage their businesses from fundraising through dissolution. 

Combining his extensive experience in private practice and as a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, Nick Goldin is a Litigation Partner, Global Co-Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice, and Head of the Firm's Crisis Management and Strategic Response Practice. He represents public and private companies, private equity and financial services firms, board committees, and executives in a broad range of high stakes and otherwise sensitive situations often involving intersecting investigations, litigation, and public scrutiny. These matters include white collar criminal, regulatory, and Congressional inquiries, internal investigations, consequential litigation and disputes, cybersecurity incidents, and other critical situations that present significant legal and reputational risk. Nick also regularly provides strategic counsel to corporate leadership on crisis, compliance, and governance matters.

Nick has handled matters across virtually every industry—including asset management and financial services, technology, social media, AI, data science, real estate, outsourcing, insurance, aerospace and defense, leisure, entertainment and sports, travel, hospitality and gaming, food services, industrial manufacturing, utilities and infrastructure, oil and gas, retail and direct sales, transportation and automotive, health care and life sciences, apparel and cosmetics, traditional media, and cultural and nonprofit.

Consistently recognized in leading legal industry surveys, Nick has been ranked in Chambers as among the top 15 crisis and risk management lawyers in the United States. Clients and other market participants have described Nick to Chambers and Benchmark Litigation as a “brilliant and creative strategist” with “tremendous judgment and outstanding adversarial skills,” a “first-class legal and strategic mind,” an “excellent counselor” and “go-to lawyer for any type of crisis situation,” a “trusted adviser” and “terrific advocate and leader” who is “really extraordinary,” “incredibly insightful,” “well connected” and “knows what is going on in the market,” “able to connect the dots probably better than any other attorney I’ve worked with,” and the “complete package” who “fearlessly . . . defends his clients’ interests.” Sources also report to Chambers that Nick “knows how to see around the corners,” has “an unusual blend of understanding both the law and the business angles very well,” is “incredibly practical and easy to understand” and is “a pleasure to deal with.” In addition, sources have told Chambers that Nick “takes the time . . . to understand our pressure points,” “manages his team to effectively get us from point A to point B,” has “the ability and desire to understand the details and nuances of complicated situations,” “manages stressful situations with poise, clarity and calmness,” and provides “excellent leadership and counsel on sensitive matters requiring timely and thoughtful execution.” A client told Chambers that “I sleep well at night knowing that Nick Goldin is advising us.”

In addition to recognition as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA for White Collar Crime/Government Investigations and in Chambers Crisis & Risk Management, Nick has been recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Thought Leaders in Business Crime Defense for Corporates, The Legal 500, and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. Nick has been named as a BTI Client Service All-Star nominated by in-house counsel for “the absolute best client service,” as a recipient of Lexology’s Client Choice Award for Business Crime Defense nominated by corporate counsel for excellent client care and service above and beyond the other players in the market, and as a Distinguished Adviser in Investigations and White Collar Crime on Financier Worldwide’s Power Players list.

Nick has served as Co-Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Finance Committee and as a Hiring Partner. Nick was Editor-in-Chief of the Cornell Law Review in law school.

A Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice, Ari Goldman regularly represents private equity firms and portfolio companies on a broad range of commercial real estate financing transactions (including CMBS, balance sheet, mezzanine, agency and construction financings) across a variety of asset classes (including industrial, life science, data center, office, studio, hospitality, self-storage and retail).

Jonathan Goldstein advises clients on private investment fund formation, the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions (including tax-free spin-offs), tax matters regarding financial institutions, renewable energy transactions, financing transactions, corporate restructurings and bankruptcies, cross-border tax matters and partnerships and other joint ventures. At the NYU School of Law, where he earned his LL.M. in taxation, Jonathan won the Harry J. Rudick Memorial Award for “demonstrated excellence in taxation throughout” the program. Jonathan is recognized in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business and in The Legal 500 U.S. as a Leading Lawyer. In addition, he was named one of Mergerlinks’ Top Tax Lawyers in North America in each of the past four years, with a #1 ranking in 2021. Earlier in his career, Jonathan was named a “Rising Star” in tax by Law360.

Elisha Graff is a Co-Head of the Firm’s Liability Management and Special Situations group and a Partner in the Firm’s Restructuring Department at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. He regularly represents clients in connection with out-of-court restructurings and Chapter 11 cases. His work has focused primarily on advising companies in connection with their in-court or out-of-court restructurings, equity sponsors in connection with the restructuring of their portfolio companies, and financial institutions with their loans to distressed companies. In addition, Elisha is often called on by Simpson Thacher’s investment banking and private equity clients for advice on how to restructure the debt profiles of their portfolio companies. Elisha is a member of the Firm’s Opinion Committee and Pro Bono Committee. Elisha is a member of the board of trustees of the Beth Din of America and a founding member of his synagogue.

Edward Grais advises clients on tax matters in connection with their most complex transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs, REIT and other real estate transactions, private fund formation and securities offerings. His experience spans transactions across many high-growth industries, including real estate, infrastructure, healthcare and life sciences, financial services and insurance. He advises both private equity sponsors and strategic clients, including Blackstone, KKR, Integrum, Rockpoint, Centerbridge Partners, Stone Point Capital, SiriusXM and GardaWorld.

Olga Gutman focuses on hedge funds, private equity funds and investment management matters. She regularly represents sponsors of such private equity and hedge funds as Apollo Global Management, Citigroup Alternative Investments, Coatue Management, CVC Credit Partners, Deep Track Capital, Grosvenor Capital Management, Intermediate Capital Group, Islet Management, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, New Holland Capital, Palladium Equity Partners, Pomona Capital, Portfolio Advisors, Tiger Management and Westbrook Partners. She additionally advises clients on strategic investments (including secondary transactions) and M&A transactions executed by asset management firms. Olga is a frequent lecturer before professional groups on private investment funds and is on the faculty of Cornell Law School. Chambers has cited her as a “super commercial, highly responsive and incredibly intelligent” and includes a quote from Olga’s client stating that she is "a wonderful attorney: incredibly hard-working, responsive, and she has true expertise. I hold her in the highest regard."

Manny Halberstam provides investment management regulatory advice to private fund sponsors and other asset management firms, including private equity firms, venture capital firms, hedge funds and fund managers that invest in real estate, infrastructure, private credit, secondaries and digital assets. Manny has significant experience analyzing the applicability of U.S. investment adviser registration requirements to U.S. and non-U.S. businesses, guiding clients through the SEC registration process, assisting clients with SEC examinations, mock SEC audits and compliance policies and procedures, and helping clients navigate the ever-changing and increasingly complex landscape of Advisers Act regulation.

Drew Harmon is a Partner in the Corporate department at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Drew’s practice focuses primarily on advising asset managers on some of their most complex transactions, including high-profile fund formation projects, mergers & acquisitions, secondaries transactions and founder transitions. In addition, his practice frequently includes matters relating to regulatory compliance and internal economic arrangements.

Sophie Hasse is a Partner in the Private Funds group at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. Sophie specializes in the formation and operation of private equity funds, including real estate funds, infrastructure funds, buyout funds, distressed and other debt funds and co-investment funds, as well as separate accounts, funds-of-one and similar custom arrangements. She has experience representing some of the largest and most well-known private fund sponsors, including KKR, Blackstone, Carlyle, BlackRock and Silver Lake.

Jason Herman is a Corporate Partner focusing on the organization, structuring and operation of a wide range of private credit funds as well as advising sponsors across a range of strategies on other aspects of asset management. Jason’s fund formation experience includes, credit funds (including direct lending, distressed, mezzanine, asset based finance, structured credit and other credit opportunity funds); investment vehicles and accounts tailored for insurance solutions strategies; real estate funds (including opportunistic and core+ funds); infrastructure and climate solutions funds; and buyout funds. In addition to traditional private equity fundraising initiatives, Jason regularly advises sponsors with respect to customized fund arrangements, co-investment vehicles, and carry plans and other internal arrangements. He routinely represents leading domestic and international sponsors in diverse fund formation matters, including KKR, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, BGO, J.P. Morgan, CBRE, Affinius Capital, a16z, ACORE Capital, Jefferies Credit Partners, Hercules Capital, Lord Abbett and Sagard. Chambers has cited him as “an incredibly strong service provider,” with a gift for approaching issues “with a great sense of practicality.”

Nathalie Herrand is a Partner in the Private Funds practice at Simpson Thacher, based in the Firm’s New York office. Nathalie’s practice focuses on the organization, structuring and operation of a broad range of closed-end and open-end private investment funds across multiple asset classes, including buyout funds, growth equity funds, real estate funds and co-investment funds.

A Mergers & Acquisitions Partner in the Firm’s New York office, Mike Holick regularly advises private equity firms and public and private companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, investments, carve-outs, joint ventures, recapitalizations and other corporate transactions. He has experience representing clients across a variety of sectors including healthcare, infrastructure, waste management, consumer products, technology, financial services, and industrials and manufacturing and guiding sponsors and their portfolio companies throughout the entirety of the private equity lifecycle and beyond. His clients have included private equity firms such as Apax Partners, Blackstone, Corsair, EQT, First Reserve, KKR, Patricia Industries, Providence Equity Partners and TPG as well as large corporations, such as Certara, First Data, First Student, Gerdau, ITC, Waystar and Yageo. Mike has served on the Private Equity Advisory Board for Law360 and has been recognized as a Notable Practitioner by IFLR1000 and Rising Star by Super Lawyers. He has served a member of the Firm’s Personnel Committee and currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Finance Committee.

Evan Hudson advises real estate investment sponsors, investment advisers and independent directors on the formation and structuring of real estate investment vehicles, including perpetual-life NAV REITs, lifecycle REITs and Regulation D products, as well as on disclosure issues and corporate governance. He develops innovative structures that open private market opportunities to individual investors, with a focus on real estate and hard assets, including infrastructure.

Eli Hunt is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department and Co-Head of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Eli represents public and private companies, including infrastructure and private equity funds, in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, reorganizations and other transactional and corporate matters. With a focus on energy and infrastructure, he has represented U.S. and non-U.S. companies in a wide range of industries and sectors, including power and electricity, renewables, energy transition, digital infrastructure, oil and gas, transportation, logistics, manufacturing, technology, healthcare, retail and services.

Highly ranked in Chambers for his transactional work in Energy, Eli is also recognized as a notable practitioner by IFLR1000 and was named among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” for 2024, 2025 and 2026, among Crain’s New York Business “Notable M&A Dealmakers” for 2025, a 2021 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer and an “MVP” in Energy for 2020 by Law360.

Jana Hymowitz advises companies, boards of directors, executives and investors across a spectrum of transaction-related compensation and benefits matters, with an emphasis on issues arising in mergers and acquisitions, as well as initial public offerings and other capital markets transactions. She advises clients on the structuring, negotiation and implementation of executive employment and incentive compensation arrangements, as well as in related public company disclosures and other corporate governance matters.

Named a “Rising Star” in Real Estate by IFLR Americas, Danielle Jackson is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice. She regularly represents private equity firms on a broad range of commercial real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, public-to-private transactions, joint ventures and real estate financings (including agency, securitized and mezzanine financings).

Alec Jarvis advises clients on a broad range of U.S. and international tax matters, including public and private mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, including spin-offs, joint ventures and restructurings. He has additional experience advising on equity and debt offerings and on the formation and operation of joint ventures and real estate investment trusts.

Niels Jensen’s practice encompasses a broad range of structured, asset-backed and corporate financing transactions, with a focus on securitizations, including digital infrastructure, whole business and PDP well securitizations. His transactions are often first-of-their-kind, feature cross-border aspects and span numerous industries, including energy and infrastructure, transportation and healthcare, among others.

Chaim (Carter) Kagedan is a Partner in the Private Funds practice at Simpson Thacher, based in the Firm’s New York office. He advises private fund sponsors in connection with the organization, structuring and operation of a broad range of closed-end and open-end private investment funds across multiple asset classes, including traditional and long-dated “core” buyout, infrastructure, and real estate. He represents leading private equity sponsors such as Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR and Aquiline Capital Partners.

Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Carter practiced in the private funds group at another international law firm. 

Carter also previously served as Deputy General Counsel for the Government of Israel – Ministry of Defense – Mission to the U.S., clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and practiced in the litigation group at another international law firm.

Co-Head of Simpson Thacher’s Global Banking and Credit Practice, Co-Head of its Global Investment Banking Practice, a member of the Executive Committee and Co-Administrative Partner of the Firm, Alexandra Kaplan represents investment and commercial banks, private credit funds and other financial institutions in connection with a wide variety of syndicated and direct lending transactions across multiple industries. Her practice focuses on complex corporate financings, including leveraged and investment grade facilities, acquisition finance, asset-based lending, bridge facilities, liability management and restructuring transactions and DIP and exit financings.

Alexandra has previously served as Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and on the New Partner and Recruiting Committees. She has served as a Contributing Editor of “Getting the Deal Through” and co-authored the United States chapter of “Getting the Deal Through: Acquisition Finance,” published by Law Business Research.

Iliana Karaoglan represents public and private companies in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures across multiple industries, including consumer products, media and entertainment, healthcare and real estate. She also has extensive experience advising on general corporate matters, including reporting requirements, corporate governance issues and other strategic considerations. 

Jonathan Karen is a partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, where he is Co-Head of the Investment Funds Practice, Co-Administrative Partner of the Firm and member of the Firm's Executive Committee, the Firm's highest governing body. Jonathan has led the Firm’s recent efforts in some of the industry’s most successful and market-defining private equity fund formations, including Blackstone’s recent flagship corporate, energy and real estate private equity funds: Blackstone Real Estate Partners X ($30.4 billion, 2023), Blackstone Real Estate Partners IX ($20.5 billion, 2019), Blackstone Core Equity Partners II ($8 billion, 2020) and Blackstone Energy Partners III ($4.2 billion, 2020). Other recent noteworthy private fund formation transactions led by Jonathan include Silver Lake Partners VII ($20.5 billion, 2024), Silver Lake Partners VI ($20 billion, 2020), Silver Lake Alpine II ($3.1 billion, 2022), Stonepeak Infrastructure Fund IV ($14 billion, 2022), Rockpoint Real Estate Fund VII ($5.4 billion, 2024), Centerbridge Capital Partners IV ($3 billion, 2021) and numerous other separate accounts, funds-of-one and similar custom arrangements across multiple asset classes, including buyout, real estate, infrastructure, secondaries and distressed and mezzanine debt. Jonathan also counsels investment firms on a mix of matters involving private investment funds, including internal economic arrangements for private fund sponsors, regulatory compliance, M&A transactions and strategic investments involving private fund sponsors, joint ventures and spin-outs. Jonathan is ranked both in the U.S. and Global guides by Chambers, which quotes clients describing him as “an ideal partner for nuanced work” with “impeccable commercial awareness” (Chambers USA) and “phenomenal” (Chambers Global). Jonathan was recognized as Fund Formation “MVP” by Law360 in 2023 and 2021, named to Private Equity International’s (PEI) Private Funds Management’s “30 Rising Stars Under 40” in 2015 and labeled a “Rising Star” by Law360 in 2013.

Dan is a Partner in the Firm’s Banking and Credit Practice. Named a 2021 Law360 “Rising Star” in Banking, Dan regularly advises leading financial institutions and investment funds in connection with a wide variety of financing transactions.

Dan has deep experience across a range of syndicated and direct lending transactions, including acquisition financings, bridge facilities and asset-based financings. He also has extensive knowledge of the leveraged and investment grade markets and represents a broad range of lenders and corporate borrowers in connection with restructuring, liability management and other complex refinancing transactions.

Pete Kazanoff is widely recognized as a leading M&A and securities litigator, including by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. He has over 28 years of experience representing leading private equity and corporate clients in high-profile transaction-related disputes and regularly represents issuers, individuals and underwriters in securities litigations in courts throughout the country. He has deep experience defending clients against claims arising out of financial frauds, including the largest Ponzi schemes in history.

Pete is described by Chambers USA as a “superb lawyer” who has a “deep knowledge of securities litigation” and “can look you in the eye and tell you what he means, no games. His clients are well prepared, which leads to fantastic results.” He is also recognized by The Legal 500 in the “Hall of Fame” for M&A Litigation: Defense and by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a National and New York “Litigation Star” in Securities Litigation.

Head of the Firm’s innovative Public Company Advisory Practice, Karen Hsu Kelley counsels U.S. and non-U.S. public companies on governance considerations and compliance with federal securities laws and the listing requirements of the major U.S. exchanges. In her practice, Karen regularly assists public companies on navigating a wide range of matters, including SEC and stock exchange reporting and disclosure requirements, disclosure of board and executive compensation, corporate governance, conflicts of interest, crisis management planning, shareholder proposals, director independence, insider trading considerations, the impact of proxy advisory firms, and responses to formal and informal SEC inquiries.

A significant portion of Karen’s practice specifically relates to advising boards of directors and board committees, including regarding board and committee structures, new developments and changing best practices in governance, sensitive management and board leadership transitions, and board and committee self-assessments.

Karen has been given an individual Band 1 ranking in Corporate Governance (USA – Nationwide) by Chambers USA, which notes that she is a “highly sought-after corporate governance expert.” Clients have commented to Chambers that “Karen is a force to be reckoned with in this area. She's so knowledgeable, practical and responsive and just a really incredible person to work with.” According to clients interviewed by Chambers, Karen “understands where you’re going and thinks three steps ahead.” In addition, Karen sits on the Advisory Board for Practical Law with respect to Capital Markets & Governance matters.

During her career spanning over two decades, Karen has advised a wide range of clients, from Dow 30, Fortune 100 and S&P 500 companies to small- and mid-cap companies along with IPO companies, including Affiliated Managers Group, Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Balchem Corporation, Bentley Systems, Blackstone, Caterpillar, Certara, Cooper-Standard Holdings, Cushman & Wakefield, Dillard’s, Inc., Dorman Products, Ducommun, Herc Rentals, Hovnanian Enterprises, Kyndryl Holdings, Laureate Education, LivaNova plc, SiriusXM, The Travelers Companies, Inc. and United Parks & Resorts.

As Partner in the Private Funds Practice at Simpson Thacher, Parker Kelsey specializes in the formation and operation of closed-ended and open-ended private equity funds, including real estate funds, infrastructure funds, including digital infrastructure focused infrastructure funds, secondaries funds and buyout funds, co-investment funds and hedge funds. Parker represents some of the largest, best-known sponsors of private equity, including Blackstone, DigitalBridge, I Squared, The Carlyle Group L.P., Silver Lake, The Vistria Group, Astor Place (a part of Select Equity), Pennybacker Capital and Corsair Capital. In addition, Parker represented the U.S. Treasury Department in connection with the $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions.

Parker was named a Fund Formation “MVP” by Law360 (2019).

Based in our New York office, Anthony King focuses on corporate acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, minority and strategic investments and other M&A and corporate transactions. Anthony has significant M&A experience across various industries, with a particular focus on real estate and real estate-intensive M&A transactions and transactions in the pharmaceutical/healthcare and digital infrastructure industries. Anthony also practiced in the Firm’s Hong Kong office from 2013 through 2020 and continues to have an active practice representing private equity clients and their portfolio companies in M&A transactions across the Asia-Pacific region.

Recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 (2024) and ranked in Band 1 by Chambers USA (2025), Lauren King co-leads the Fund Transactions practice at Simpson Thacher. She has extensive experience advising prominent sponsors on cutting-edge transactions designed to provide liquidity to both GPs and investors. She advises on the full range of secondaries transactions, including traditional and synthetic secondaries acquisitions and dispositions, and GP-led restructurings.

Lauren also counsels sponsors on the organization, structuring and operation of secondaries funds, as well as minority stakes deals. She has wide-ranging experience advising on the development and fundraising of vehicles across numerous strategies, and in connection with fund governance matters, upper-tier structuring and succession planning, marketing and limited-partner transfers.

Lauren has represented a diverse group of asset managers and secondary investors, including, among others, Neuberger Berman, Lexington Partners, StepStone Group, Blackstone Strategic Partners, Pantheon Ventures, Portfolio Advisors, TPG, Coller Capital, New Mountain Capital, Hamilton Lane, Ares Management, Audax Group, Centerbridge Partners, WeWork Capital Advisors, and Serena Ventures.

Steven Klar regularly advises some of the largest and most well-known private fund sponsors, including Blackstone, Centerbridge, Lexington Partners and Madison International Realty. Certain noteworthy private fund formation transactions include Blackstone Capital Partners IX (and its predecessor funds), Blackstone Real Estate Partners Asia III (and its predecessor funds), Centerbridge Capital Partners III and Lexington Capital Partners X (and its predecessor fund). He has also represented various sponsors of private equity funds, including buyout funds, real estate funds, secondary funds and other alternative investment funds on fundraisings, co-investments, managed accounts and structured secondary transactions as well as ongoing advisory matters. Steven was recognized as a 2020 Law360 “Rising Star” in Fund Formation and named to Private Equity International’s 2020 “Future 40” list.

Jeffrey Knox, former head of the U.S. DOJ Fraud Section, is Co-Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Washington, D.C. office and Global Co-Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice. Jeff represents multinational corporations and independent board committees in high-stakes criminal and civil investigations by the DOJ, SEC, State Attorneys General, and other federal and state enforcement regulators. He also represents senior executives and government officials who are subjects of enforcement investigations.  

Jeff has twice been recognized by Law360 as one of five “MVP” white collar lawyers in the United States (2025 and 2021), and in 2024 was named in Financier Worldwide’s global list of 10 white collar “Power Players” (2024). He is recognized as a Band 1 lawyer by Chambers USA and Chambers Global (FCPA), as a “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500, and a “Litigation Star” by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, where sources note him as “one of the best lawyers in the country,” “spectacular, hardworking,” “brilliant with an incredible depth of knowledge,” and “a master strategist with a unique insight into the way the DOJ works,” who “understands cases from multiple different dimensions.” Jeff is a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of the Law Board at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (his alma mater) and previously served on corporate compliance and enforcement advisory boards at New York University School of Law and the American Law Institute.

Jeff has advised some of the world’s leading companies in the financial services, private equity, energy, life sciences, technology and cryptocurrency industries in navigating criminal and civil investigations relating to the federal securities and commodities laws, anti-corruption and anti-money laundering statutes, the False Claims Act, antitrust laws, and economic sanctions and other trade control regulations. Jeff represents companies subject to government and court-mandated monitorships, and has served as a government-appointed independent compliance consultant. Prior to joining the Firm, Jeff served as a federal prosecutor for more than a decade, including as the Chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C., and before then, as the Chief of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. He has twice been profiled in the New York Times for his work as a prosecutor.

Albi Kocibelli is a Partner in the Private Funds practice at Simpson Thacher, based in the New York office. Albi’s practice focuses on the formation, structuring and ongoing operation of private equity, including infrastructure, buyout and real estate funds, as well credit funds, separate accounts and other bespoke arrangements. He represents leading private equity sponsors such as Stonepeak, Carlyle, KKR, RedBird and ACORE Capital.

Julia Kohen is Co-Head of the Firm’s Fund Finance Practice and a member of its Banking and Credit Practice. Julia represents financial sponsors in connection with subscription credit facilities and NAV financings for their private equity, real estate, energy, infrastructure, secondaries, credit and other investment funds, including registered funds, as well as management lines and co-investment loan programs. Julia has extensive experience structuring complicated and novel financing arrangements for private equity, real estate, energy, infrastructure, secondaries, credit and other investment funds. She regularly represents financial sponsors in connection with financings designed to provide fund-level leverage to facilitate and support investment activities, including subscription facilities, NAV facilities, management lines and co-investment loan programs. Julia has represented clients including Blackstone, KKR, Global Infrastructure Partners, Lexington Partners and Rockpoint. She has been recognized by Law360 as a 2020 “Rising Star” in Banking and is a member of the US Advisory Committee of the Fund Finance Association.

In addition, Julia has co-authored chapters in several editions of Global Legal Insights’ Fund Finance, which covers legal trends and developments in the greater fund finance market and provides law firms, financial institutions, funds and investors with comprehensive insight.

A Partner in the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice, Jamin Koslowe’s practice focuses on equity-based and other incentive compensation plans, deferred compensation arrangements, executive employment and separation agreements, and employee benefits issues related to mergers and acquisitions, spin-off transactions and debt and equity offerings.

He also frequently advises boards and compensation committees on executive compensation matters, including in connection with senior executive hires and departures. Jamin’s clients on executive compensation matters have included a broad array of private equity sponsors and companies, including Blackstone, Carlyle, EQT, Aramark, Weight Watchers, Hovnanian, Hilton, SiriusXM and ZoomInfo.

Katherine Krause is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department. She regularly advises private equity firms and public companies on mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, spin-offs, recapitalizations and other business combination transactions. In the past she has represented private equity clients, including Goldman Sachs Asset Management, GTCR, Hellman & Friedman, Sixth Street Partners and TPG, as well as strategic clients and portfolio companies on M&A transactions. Over her career, Katherine has advised on significant corporate matters across a wide range of sectors including private equity, infrastructure and venture capital, among others. She was recently named among Crain’s 2025 “Notable M&A Dealmakers”, among the 2024 top 10 women dealmakers by Mergerlinks, as one of The Deal’s 2023 “Top Women in Dealmaking” and recognized as one of The American Lawyer’s 2023 “Dealmakers of the Year”.  

Malik Ladhani is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. He regularly advises private equity sponsors and public and private companies on mergers and acquisitions, investments, carve-outs, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions. He has experience representing clients across a variety of industries, including technology and software, financial services, consumer products, healthcare and industrials. His clients have included, among others, Blackstone, Cvent, Microsoft, TIH and TransUnion.

Marc Langer advises on the structuring, negotiation and execution of derivatives and other structured transactions, as well as related regulatory matters. Previously a Vice President and Senior Counsel at Goldman Sachs & Co., he has deep experience advising on corporate equity derivatives transactions, and advises on OTC equity derivatives, regulated swaps, systematic trading strategies and margin lending, among other matters. His practice also includes advising on U.S. federal securities laws, SEC and CFTC rules, broker-dealer and FINRA regulations.

Matthew Leighton is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds practice and regularly advises some of the largest and most well-known private fund sponsors, including Blackstone, Lexington Partners, Morgan Stanley and New Mountain. He represents private equity and hedge fund sponsors focusing on a broad range of asset classes, including buyout, real estate, debt, infrastructure and secondary funds. In addition to advising clients on the formation, structuring and ongoing operation of domestic and offshore funds, Matthew regularly counsels sponsors on governance and other internal sponsor arrangements, “funds-of-one,” separately managed accounts, co-investment vehicles, structured secondary transactions, fund-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, minority stakes transactions and regulatory compliance.

Co-Head of the Firm’s Private Equity Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, Marni Lerner has extensive experience representing a mix of private equity and corporate clients, including family and founder-owned companies, in mergers and acquisitions, public and private divestitures, strategic investments and securities law matters. In her more than 25 years of corporate deal making, Marni has consistently worked on a variety of significant, complex and record-breaking transactions for a wide range of clients. Her representations have included KKR and its portfolio companies on transactions involving Simon & Schuster, Omnissa, Instructure, Neighborly, Teaching Strategies, OverDrive Holdings, BMC, Del Monte Foods and Internet Brands. Marni has also advised Charlesbank Capital Partners, Integrum and Butterfly Equity, among others. She was featured as one of The Deal’s “Top Women in Dealmaking” in 2022 and 2021. In 2017, Marni was named among Crain’s New York Business’s inaugural list of “Leading Women Lawyers in NYC.” She was also named “Best in Private Equity” at the Euromoney Legal Media Group Americas Women in Law Awards 2019 and to The Deal’s first ever “Women in M&A: The Powerhouse 20” list in 2019. Marni is regularly recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 United States for her transactional work, with the former adding that Marni is “impressive” and “a strong negotiator who is noted for her ability to get deals done.” Additionally, she has been named an “MVP” in Private Equity by Law360 four times, most recently in 2023.

Lori Lesser is Head of the Firm’s Intellectual Property Practice and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice. She advises corporations and private equity firms around the world on all aspects of intellectual property, artificial intelligence, technology, privacy and cybersecurity law, including M&A and other extraordinary transactions, joint ventures, litigation, licensing, counseling and compliance. She counsels clients in matters across industries, including software and tech, media and entertainment, financial services and fintech, consumer products, health care and life sciences, energy and industrials, and online/social media services.

Lori is recognized by Chambers USA in Band 1 for Technology (New York), where clients cite her “sharp eye for issues and details, and a pragmatic, commercial sensibility, all of which make her indispensable to clients”. She is also recognized in The Legal 500 as a “Leading Lawyer” for Technology Transactions, where clients praise her as “an exceptionally smart and knowledgeable lawyer,” as well as “technically brilliant and a pleasure to deal with”. Lori has been named “Privacy & Data Protection Lawyer of the Year” by Euromoney’s Women in Business Law Americas Awards, twice the “Information Technology Lawyer of the Year” in NYC by Best Lawyers in America, and No. 1 of the “Top Intellectual Property Lawyers in America” by MergerLinks last year.

Concentrating on securities law and corporate governance, Edgar Lewandowski is a Partner in our Corporate Department. He has wide-ranging experience advising a variety of issuers, private equity sponsors and investment banks. The transactions he has handled include IPOs, spin-offs, and high yield and investment-grade debt offerings. Edgar also advises boards of directors on general corporate and compliance matters. He represents clients in numerous industries, including real estate, hospitality, financial services, manufacturing, construction materials and human capital and technology services.

Russell S. Light has extensive experience advising on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments and fund formation matters, debt restructurings and other bankruptcy matters, credit investments, and real estate transactions, and has represented some of the largest and well-known sponsors of private investment funds, such as Advent, Apollo, Blackrock, Carlyle, Centerbridge, EIG, Global Infrastructure Partners, GTCR, Hellman & Friedman, KKR, Oaktree, Silver Lake, Sixth Street and TA Associates. He also has experience advising on public and closely-held entities and tax issues surrounding transactions involving special purpose acquisition companies (“SPACs”), real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and business development companies (“BDCs”).

Described by clients as “an exceptional and business-minded tax practitioner” and bringing “a creative approach to complex transactions,” Russell has been recognized by Chambers USA and The Legal 500 U.S. as a leading tax lawyer.

Named to Crain’s New York Business’ “40 Under 40” in 2023, Hui Lin is a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice in New York. She advises private equity sponsors, financial institutions, corporate issuers and leading investment banks in connection with a broad range of transactions, including initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, registered and 144A high yield and investment grade debt offerings and liability management transactions, as well as general corporate and securities law matters. Hui also has significant experience in acquisition financings and regularly provides securities law advice in connection with mergers and acquisitions. Her diverse practice spans a broad range of industries, from media and technology, healthcare, financial services to oil and gas.

Hui’s clients include Silver Lake Partners, EQT, Sixth Street, Global Infrastructure Partners, The Invus Group, CAVA, Waystar, Dell Technologies, First Advantage, Zayo Group, Global Blue and JPMorgan Chase & Co. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.

Hui is recognized in Chambers USA, where clients praise that “Hui has great substantive expertise on capital markets and is incredibly responsive; she is a good problem-solver.” Additionally, she was honored by Law360 as an “MVP” in 2025 and previously as a “Rising Star” in Capital Markets, as well as a “Notable Practitioner” in Capital Markets by IFLR1000.

Jon Lindabury is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department and the Head of the Firm’s Derivatives Practice. He advises private equity funds, investment banks, corporations, family offices and foundations on the structuring, negotiation and execution of derivative and other structured transactions, and provides regulatory analysis and advice on related matters. Some of Jon’s clients on recent transactions have included Blackstone, KKR, Silver Lake, BlackRock, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs and Citibank.

A Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, Keegan Lopez regularly advises some of the world’s most prominent private equity sponsors, as well as public and private companies, on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, dispositions, carve-outs, strategic investments, joint ventures and other corporate transactions.  His experience spans a across a wide range of industries, including industrials, healthcare, transportation and logistics, telecommunications, music and entertainment, technology, and services generally. Keegan’s clients have included Apax Partners, Brookfield Asset Management, Ingersoll Rand, Investor AB and its portfolio companies, Rosebank Industries, Sony Music, Stonepeak, Thompson Street Capital Partners, and The Wendy’s Company, among many others. 

Sonia Lopez is a Partner in the Firm's Energy and Infrastructure Practice based in the New York office. She has extensive experience advising on the development, financing, acquisition and disposition of conventional and renewable power generation projects and has assisted clients both domestically and internationally. She regularly represents leading private equity funds and strategic investors across various energy and infrastructure sectors in connection with mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and other general corporate matters. Her clients also include borrowers and lenders in complex infrastructure financings, including acquisition financings and project financings.

Christopher Ludwig advises clients on a full suite of shareholder engagement and activism defense strategies, including proxy contests, withhold campaigns, short attacks, stock accumulations, strategic defense measures and corporate governance matters. He has nearly two decades of combined legal and investment banking experience, having led high-profile shareholder activism defense, contested and special situations mandates during that span. Before joining Simpson Thacher, Christopher was Managing Director and Head of Shareholder Advisory for the Americas at Barclays Capital. Prior to that, he spent a decade at Credit Suisse (USA) LLC where he served as Managing Director, Global Head of Strategic Shareholder Advisory, Mergers and Acquisitions.

Justin Lungstrum is a Co-Head of the Liability Management and Special Situations group and a Partner in the Firm’s Banking and Credit Practice. He regularly represents lenders and arrangers in syndicated loan financings and direct lending transactions, with an emphasis on acquisition finance. He has deep, versatile experience with financial institutions, credit funds, investment banks, direct lenders, financial sponsors and corporate borrowers in connection with leveraged and investment grade, cash-flow and asset-based senior credit facilities, mezzanine financings, subordinated bridge loans and letter-of-credit facilities.

Justin has extensive experience in representations for restructuring, liability management and other complex refinancing transactions. He also represents corporate borrowers and works with asset managers in connection with fund-level debt incurrence and related financing structures. His clients have included many of Wall Street’s leading banks and asset management firms, as well as major companies, including Angelo Gordon, BlackRock, Cooper-Standard Automotive, CWT, JPMorgan and KKR. IFLR1000 cited him as “an extremely good lawyer, energetic and thorough.”

As leader of the Firm’s Sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practice, Leah Malone advises boards, management teams and investors on ESG and sustainability matters from conception through strategic implementation, oversight and reporting. Her work includes issues related to shareholder engagement, shareholder activism, board effectiveness, board composition and anti-discrimination and other employee initiatives, as well as reporting and disclosure, green initiatives and risk and crisis management, among other areas.

Linton Mann III is a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department. Linton brings extensive, nationwide experience in defending and advising financial institutions, boards, and companies in complex, high-stakes litigation across a diverse spectrum of disputes, including securities litigation, class actions, breach of fiduciary duty, Ponzi schemes and other fraud-related matters, business torts, federal and state RICO matters, deceptive acts and practices, and financial products liability. Linton is also a leader in the Firm’s Anti-Discrimination Litigation and Advisory Practice, and a member of its Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, including the Artificial Intelligence Working Group. Beyond litigation, Linton provides proactive counsel to help clients anticipate potential areas of exposure, mitigate risks, and manage complex regulatory challenges. Linton is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Recruiting and United for Justice Committees.

Linton is consistently named a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500, where sources say he “stands out from his peers for his securities work.” Recognized among Crain’s “40 Under 40,” 2024 “Notable Black Leaders” and 2023 “Notable LGBTQIA+ Leaders,” Linton was also recognized among the “Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40” for 2022 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association, and has been named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal, Law360 and Euromoney. Linton is also recognized by Euromoney’s  Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and was a repeat honoree on  Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List.” 

Linton is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Uncommon Charter Schools New York City, which oversees twenty-four public charter schools in Brooklyn, New York. He is also Chair of the Board of Directors of Manhattan Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC, the largest provider of pro bono civil legal services in the country. In 2023, Linton was one of four recipients of the Pro Bono Service Award from the Legal Services Corporation, and the Chief Judge of New York’s Court of Appeals appointed Linton to the Permanent Commission on Access to Justice, which has a mission to expand access to civil legal services and improve access to justice generally.

A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Public Company Advisory Practice in New York, Charlie focuses on advising public company clients across numerous industries on all aspects of their compliance with U.S. securities laws and the listing requirements of the major U.S. stock exchanges, particularly in connection with and following their initial public offerings. He regularly advises in-house counsel, management, boards of directors and board committees on a wide range of matters, including SEC and stock exchange reporting and disclosure requirements, board and executive compensation, corporate governance, shareholder activism, the impact of proxy advisory services, responses to formal and informal SEC inquiries and other general corporate law matters.

Charlie’s practice also focuses on new developments and changing best practices in governance matters. Charlie routinely advises on ESG-related governance developments, reporting requirements and disclosure trends, as well as on cybersecurity, anti-discrimination, and climate change and sustainability disclosures.

Integral in the launch of the Firm’s Chambers ranked Family Office Practice, Partner Amanda McGovern advises family offices on the formation and ongoing management of family offices.

Amanda is also a member of the Firm’s highly ranked Private Funds Practice and has over twenty years of experience in the formation and operation of private equity funds, hedge funds, co-investment funds, funds-of-one and other similar custom arrangements.

Amanda also concentrates her practice on complex regulatory matters, including compliance with, or exclusion or exemption from, registration under the Advisers Act, as well as the structuring of acquisitions of other investment managers.

Jeannine McSweeney counsels private equity investors and their portfolio companies, public companies and other clients on all aspects of executive compensation and other employee benefits matters arising in a variety of complex transactions, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings. Jeannine’s clients include Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, Silver Lake, TD Bank, TPG, EQT, KKR, Garda and Patricia Industries, among others. She also has extensive experience advising on equity compensation and employment arrangements, including equity- and cash-based incentives, deferred compensation, and employment, change in control, retention and severance arrangements for both employers and executives. Jeannine is ranked as a leading lawyer for Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (New York) by Chambers USA, citing clients who say she is “extraordinarily practical and responsive.” Sources also rave that “she can make highly complex concepts easily understandable for the lay person.” Jeannine has also been recognized by The Legal 500 United States as a “Next Generation Partner” for Employee Benefits and Executive Compensation. 

Head of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice and a member of the Executive Committee, Sas Mehrara focuses chiefly on representing private equity firms, non-traded REITs, real estate opportunity funds and publicly-listed companies in a broad mix of domestic and international real estate transactions. Described by Chambers as an attorney who is “smart, thoughtful, and always delivers for his clients,” Sas has represented the real estate funds of The Blackstone Group, Town Lane, Lindsay Goldberg, Carlyle and Northwood Investors, along with such companies as Apollo Global Management, Hilton Worldwide, Extended Stay America, Link Logistics, Equity Office Properties, BioMed Realty, CorePoint Lodging and Pure Industrial in many significant commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and financings. Sas has worked on more than $100 billion of public-to-private real estate transactions along with numerous private acquisitions and dispositions, including the acquisition by Blackstone of the U.S. logistics business of GLP for $18.7 billion, the largest-ever private real estate transaction globally. Sas also has extensive experience in the acquisition of performing and non-performing loan portfolios and securitized, syndicated, balance sheet and mezzanine financings. Finally, Sas has worked on many real estate restructurings including the restructuring of the Hilton Worldwide, Equity Office Properties and Boca Raton Resorts financings. Sas was named among the honorees of Connect CRE’s 2024 “Lawyers in Real Estate Awards” as well as recognized as a Law360 Real Estate MVP in 2015 and 2018.

Brian Mendick advises clients on the tax aspects of a broad range of corporate matters, including fund formations, mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, debt restructurings and other bankruptcy matters, credit and capital markets financing transactions and real estate transactions.

Banking and Credit Partner Robert Meyer regularly advises leading financial institutions, investment and commercial banks, private credit funds, private equity firms and corporate borrowers on a broad range of complex financing transactions, including acquisition financings, leveraged financings, bank and bridge financings, general corporate and investment grade financings, private credit financings, asset-based loans, liability management transactions and refinancing transactions. His experience spans both domestic and international financings across a wide range of industries, including digital infrastructure and telecommunications, machinery and engineering, financial services, retail and agriculture, among others.

Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Financial Institutions Practice, Sven Mickisch advises on complex, high profile and often groundbreaking transactions and corporate matters across the financial services space. He has significant experience advising financial institutions in mergers, acquisitions, strategic investments, consortia and financing transactions and has handled numerous restructurings and recapitalizations of financial institutions. He also regularly advises private equity firms transacting in the financial services sector. Sven has been repeatedly recognized by Chambers USA, Chambers FinTech, New York Law Journal, Who’s Who Legal, Law360 and  Euromoney.

Chambers USA describes Sven as a “highly respected lawyer, noted for his extensive transactional capabilities,” with clients noting that he is “an incredibly sophisticated operator” and “his ability to see around corners […] is one of his greatest assets.”

Alden Millard is Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee, the governing body of the Firm. He regularly represents leading leveraged buyout sponsors and their portfolio companies in connection with a variety of financings, including acquisition financings, recapitalizations and refinancings. Alden’s primary clients include The Blackstone Group and First Reserve Corporation, and their respective portfolio companies. Alden has also performed significant work for several other leading LBO sponsors, and he regularly represents public and privately held corporations in connection with acquisition financings.

Jacob Millikin is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. His practice focuses on the formation, structuring and ongoing operation of private equity funds, including infrastructure, real estate and co-investment funds, as well as separate accounts, pledge funds and other bespoke arrangements. He represents leading private equity sponsors such as Blackstone, KKR and Morgan Stanley.

Named a 2022 “MVP” in Real Estate by Law360, Krista represents private equity firms and portfolio companies in commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and financings. She has represented clients on a wide range of domestic and international real estate transactions including public-to-private transactions, securitized and mezzanine financings, and portfolio acquisitions. Earlier in her career, Krista served as a Deputy General Counsel and Managing Director at AIG Global Real Estate Investment Corp.

Lisa Morales is a Partner in the Firm’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice. She advises corporate and private equity clients in connection with a variety of complex transactions, including public and private mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, distressed M&A and joint ventures. Lisa has experience representing clients across a variety of sectors including consumer products, retail, healthcare and life sciences, financial services, energy, insurance, industrials, technology and telecommunications.

Prior to joining the Firm, Lisa Morales was an associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions group at another international law firm.

A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Banking and Credit Department, Adam Moss regularly represents leading private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, financial institutions, investment banks and corporate borrowers in a broad variety of financings, including liability management and restructuring transactions, acquisition financings, recapitalizations and refinancings.

Lawrence (“Larry”) Natke is Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Fund Transactions Practice. Larry’s practice focuses on asset management transactional matters, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and related corporate transactions primarily for alternative asset management firms and financial institutions.

Larry has deep experience structuring and advising clients in asset management M&A transactions, including control and non-control sales, GP stakes and seed investments, joint ventures and spin-outs across a range of asset classes and strategies. He has extensive experience negotiating governance and partnership arrangements, including in connection with the integration of new business teams or investors and in connection with change of control transactions.

Larry also represents private equity buyers and sellers in connection with investments in the financial services sector.

Juan M. Naveira is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, focusing on cross-border transactions, primarily involving Latin America. He regularly advises clients on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, financings, capital markets transactions, liability management and other complex corporate matters. Juan has represented leading companies, private equity sponsors, international investors and investment banks in transactions across a range of industries, including energy and infrastructure, banking and financial services, technology and FinTech, among others.

Juan’s clients on numerous significant transactions have included leading global private equity sponsors and fund managers such as Advent International, KKR, Patria Investments and Gramercy Funds Management, leading companies such as Copec S.A., Celulosa Arauco, Banco de Crédito e Inversiones, Colbun and BBVA Mexico, and global investment banks such as J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Juan has been recognized as a “Next Generation Partner” in each of M&A, capital markets and banking by Legal 500 Latin America (2025). In Legal 500 Latin America 2024, he is described by clients as “exceptional” and “meticulous and hardworking.”

Juan served as a Hiring Partner of the Firm and Co-Chair of the Firm’s Recruiting Committee during 2021-2024.

As a Partner in the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice, Matt Nemeroff advises public and private financial institutions and private equity sponsors on M&A, divestitures, investments, joint ventures, consortium transactions, capital raising and corporate governance matters. Matt works with clients across the financial services sector, including in banking, fintech, specialty finance and insurance. He previously was named a “Rising Star” in Fintech by Law360.

Lynn K. Neuner is Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America, Lynn is consistently named one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” and “Top 10 Women in Litigation” in the United States by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation. She has the distinction of being Chambers-ranked in four fields: commercial litigation (Band 1), securities litigation, insurance coverage, and advertising disputes, where she is noted for maintaining “a versatile practice,” and is ranked by Legal 500 in the “Hall of Fame” for general commercial and insurance, and as a “Leading Trial Lawyer.” Lynn tries high-stakes cases in federal and state court, leads trial hearings in international and domestic arbitrations, and conducts evidentiary proceedings before the National Advertising Division. She has served on the Firm’s Executive Committee, served as the Firm’s Co-Administrative Partner, and has been recognized as an “Unrivaled Litigator” by Bloomberg Law; a “Leading Commercial Litigator” by the Daily Journal; a “Litigation Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal; a star by the New York Law Journal, which named her a “Distinguished Leader”; and as a “Notable Woman in the Law” by Crain’s New York, which profiles trailblazing female attorneys. Lynn has co-authored a column on the New York Court of Appeals for the New York Law Journal. She is Chair of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Society, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Practising Law Institute (PLI), a past Vice President and Executive Committee Chair of the New York City Bar Association and a former Chair of the Board for the Yale Law School Alumni Fund.

Jessica O’Connell is a Partner in the Private Funds Practice and has advised some of the largest and most well-known private fund sponsors, including Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR and BC Partners. She represents private fund sponsors in connection with the formation and operation of investment vehicles focusing on a broad range of asset classes, including credit, distressed and other debt, real estate, buyout, infrastructure and secondary funds, as well as co-investment funds, separately managed accounts and other similar arrangements. Jessica’s practice also includes advising sponsors in connection with GP “minority stakes” transactions and on internal economic and house/team arrangements, founder succession planning and other strategic initiatives.

John O’Connell is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department. John focuses his practice on corporate finance, particularly in capital markets and securities law matters. He has experience in a wide range of financing transactions including high yield and investment grade debt offerings, IPOs, pre-IPO financings, primary and secondary offerings, acquisition financings, liability management transactions and other types of capital markets transactions. His practice covers a broad range of industries, including media and technology, healthcare, industrials, consumer retail and travel and leisure. He has deep market knowledge of covenant and product terms and regularly advises on corporate governance and other general corporate finance matters.

A former senior official in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, Mike Osnato represents financial institutions, public companies, investment managers, cryptocurrency market participants and individuals in high-stakes regulatory and government investigations. Drawing on his deep breadth of experience at the SEC, Mike is the Head of Simpson Thacher’s Asset Management Regulatory and Enforcement Practice, where he specializes in providing private fund managers with practical and insightful regulatory, governance and compliance counseling, including with respect to regulatory developments involving cryptocurrency and other digital assets.

Shannon O’Sullivan concentrates on the formation and operation of a diverse platform of private funds, including real estate funds; buyout funds; distressed debt/credit, mezzanine and senior loan funds; energy/infrastructure funds; and hedge funds, among other alternative arrangements. Shannon has represented leading sponsors of private equity funds such as Blackstone, Carlyle, GSO, Macquarie, Morgan Stanley, Oaktree, Pátria and Westbrook Partners. Shannon also serves as host and moderator of The Funds Channel, the Firm’s private funds-focused podcast series. Shannon has been involved in multiple pro bono and volunteer initiatives, including Girls on the Run and Kings County Tennis League.

A member of the Banking and Credit Practice, Jonathan Pall’s practice focuses on secured transactions, with an emphasis on the Uniform Commercial Code. He advises both lenders and borrowers on a wide range of collateral and security documents, including UCC financing statements, security agreements, pledge agreements, intercreditor arrangements, control agreements and legal opinions. His practice also includes performing collateral reviews and participating in training sessions on secured transactions.

Ignacio Perez is a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice. He frequently represents corporate issuers, private equity sponsors and investment banks in a wide range of capital markets transactions, including offerings of investment grade and high yield debt securities, private placements, initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, acquisition financing transactions and other corporate finance transactions.

Matt Petrone is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, focusing his practice on capital markets and securities law matters. He advises underwriters and corporate clients in a broad range of capital markets transactions, including high yield and investment grade debt offerings, IPOs and secondary offerings, acquisition financings, liability management transactions and other capital markets transactions. He also has deep market knowledge of covenant terms and disclosure matters, and regularly advises on securities laws and other general corporate finance matters.

Mark Pflug advises on a wide variety of mergers and acquisitions transactions, including strategic business combinations, leveraged buyouts and other private equity sponsor-led transactions, minority investments in public and private companies, joint ventures, spin-offs and split-offs, divestitures, and other corporate matters. While Mark’s practice has crossed multiple sectors, he has particular and significant experience in the healthcare/life sciences, real estate services, TMT and industrials sectors, as well as cross-border transactions in numerous European and Asian jurisdictions. Mark regularly represents both corporate clients, including CSL, CBRE, Alibaba and others, and private equity sponsors, both large-cap and middle-market, including KKR, CVC, Blackstone, TruArc Partners, LongRange Capital, CapVest and Lexington Partners. Mark also regularly works for many of the portfolio companies of his private equity clients. Mark has been recognized by IFLR1000 as a “Highly Regarded” attorney for his work in M&A and private equity. Mark previously spent ten years resident in the Firm’s London office and practiced as a registered foreign lawyer in the Firm’s Hong Kong office.

A Partner in the Firm’s Tax Practice, Caroline Phillips advises clients on tax matters in a variety of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures,  fund formations, REITs and real estate transactions. She frequently advises private equity sponsors, as well as their portfolio companies, on the tax aspects  associated with numerous investments, acquisitions and divestitures. Her clients have included, among others, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Sixth Street Partners and Blackrock.

Mia Pisk advises a wide array of sophisticated sponsors on the formation of vehicles across multiple asset classes, ranging from multibillion dollar mega funds to middle-market funds. She regularly advises clients on bespoke transactions, including GP-led secondary transactions and other liquidity solutions.

Joshua Polster represents clients in complex commercial litigation, with a particular focus on insurance coverage, pricing and class-action disputes; fund investment, revenue share, and GP stakes-related claims; and other complex contract matters. Josh tries high-stakes cases in court and before arbitral tribunals. He regularly counsels insurers on strategic concerns and coverage issues and is experienced in handling complex actuarial matters. Josh also regularly assists family offices in successfully resolving disputes.

Ravi Purushotham is a Partner in the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice. Ravi focuses on advising banks, investment firms and public and private companies in a broad range of complex transactions in the financial services industry, such as public and private mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, investments and joint ventures. He also regularly advises clients on governance and regulatory matters and special committee matters. Ravi was named “Financial Services Dealmaker of the Year” at The Deal Awards in 2022 and was recognized as an “MVP” in Banking by Law360 in 2023.

Recognized in 2020 by Law360 as an “MVP” in Real Estate, Erik Quarfordt focuses his practice primarily on representing private equity firms and portfolio companies in significant commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and complex financings across a variety of asset classes.

As a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Public Company Advisory Practice, James Rapp advises clients, ranging from leading private equity firms and hedge funds to issuers, investors and public company officers and directors on general corporate and securities law matters. He focuses on compliance and reporting under Section 16 and Sections 13(d), (f), (g) and (h) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 144 of the Securities Act of 1933. This includes structuring transactions and developing related disclosure strategies with respect to initial public offerings, transactions by officers and directors, equity compensation reporting, and registered and unregistered sales by significant shareholders.

Banking and Credit Partner Michael Ratay regularly represents leading financial institutions, investment and commercial banks, private credit funds and companies on a broad range of corporate finance transactions. His work includes acquisition financings, bank and bridge loan financings, general corporate and investment grade transactions, private credit transactions, asset-based loans, liability management transactions, restructuring transactions and exit financings.

Lauded in Chambers as “one of the best” who “delivers every time” and “understands this market like the back of her hand,” Roxane Reardon is Global Co-Head of the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice. Roxane advises corporates and investment banks on highly complex, often multi-tranche, capital markets transactions, with a particular focus on IPOs and other equity and equity-linked offerings.

Roxane was recently named among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” in 2025. She was recognized as “Equity Capital Markets Lawyer of the Year” at the 2022 Euromoney Legal Media Group Women in Business Law Americas Awards and as a “Notable Woman in Law” for 2022 by Crain’s New York Business. She was also named in the IFLR1000 Women Leaders 2021 and 2022 editions, which feature prominent female lawyers with outstanding reputations within their markets for working on complex deals and holding leadership roles within their firms and practices. In addition, Law360 named Roxane an “MVP” in Capital Markets in 2020. She has also been recognized by Euromoney Legal Media Group as a recipient of the Americas Women in Business Law Award for “Best in Capital Markets” in 2016 and 2018. Before joining the Firm, Roxane served as a law clerk for the Hon. Charles Wiggins of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

Katherine Reaves represents top-tier private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as other public and private companies, on a broad spectrum of secured and unsecured financing transactions. Recognized by Chambers USA and IFLR 1000 as a “Rising Star,” her work includes acquisition financings, asset-based lending facilities, recapitalizations, refinancings, distressed financings and other complex financing matters.

Recognized as a 2020 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer, Jakob Rendtorff’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. Jakob regularly advises public and private strategic companies and private equity firms on a broad range of transactions and corporate governance matters. He has experience representing clients in complex transactions including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, carve-outs and spin-offs. Recently named a “Rising Star” in M&A by The Deal, Jakob was recognized as one of the “most promising new M&A partners for 2019.” Jakob was also named a 2019 “Rising Star” in M&A by Law360 and a 2020 Americas “Rising Star” in Corporate/M&A by Euromoney.

A Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department, Matt Rogers advises clients on complex mergers and acquisitions transactions. He regularly represents private equity firms as well as public and private companies in a wide range of matters, including strategic mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, dispositions, minority investments and joint ventures. Matt has experience representing clients across a variety of sectors including real estate, asset management, financial services and healthcare. His many prominent clients have included private equity firms such as Blackstone, Oaktree Capital Group, New Mountain Capital and KKR, as well as large corporations such as Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, TD Bank, People’s United, IBERIABANK and Owens & Minor. Matt was named to Private Equity International’s “40 Under 40: Future Leaders of Private Equity,” as well as a “Rising Star” in Private Equity by IFLR Americas and an “M&A Rising Star” by The Deal, where he is lauded as a “problem-solver” with broad experience guiding a “series of megadeals across sectors.”

Rony Rothken focuses on the organization, structuring and operation of a broad range of closed-end and open-end private investment funds across multiple asset classes, including buyout, secondaries, credit, real estate, infrastructure, energy, venture and hedge funds. In addition to traditional fund formation initiatives, Rony advises clients on a wide variety of fund-related matters, including separate accounts and other customized arrangements, joint ventures, co-investments, GP-led secondary transactions, strategic “minority stakes” transactions and internal sponsor arrangements. He also regularly advises clients on compliance with the Investment Advisers Act, the Commodity Exchange Act and other regulatory compliance matters. Rony has experience representing leading domestic and international sponsors, including Andreessen Horowitz, Blackstone, CVC, Framework Ventures, GCM Grosvenor, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Hamilton Lane, Hercules Capital, ICG, J.P. Morgan, Sterling Investors and Stonepeak. Rony has been recognized as a Fund Formation “MVP” by Law360 in 2025 and as a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 in 2022, with clients citing him as an “exceptional lawyer” who is “very impressive and has excellent knowledge and robust negotiation skills.”

Described as a “phenomenal and practical deals lawyer” with a “wide mastery of trends in the industry” by Chambers, David Rubinsky advises both executives and employers on all aspects of executive compensation and other employee benefit matters in connection with mergers and acquisitions, as well as with individual and group employment and severance negotiations. He has extensive experience representing both private equity investors and management in their portfolio companies in structuring equity compensation and employment arrangements. David also advises public companies and their executives on employment, severance and change-in-control arrangements as well as on ongoing disclosure requirements for stock ownership.

A Partner in the Firm’s New York office, Sam Rudik regularly represents private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a broad range of real estate and digital infrastructure transactions across a variety of asset classes, including data centers, logistics, hospitality and multifamily.

Sam has a particular focus on the data center sector and has advised on over $75 billion of data center transactions since 2021, including numerous acquisitions, sales, joint ventures and debt financings. His clients include Blackstone and its portfolio companies (including QTS and AirTrunk), CoreWeave, Vantage Data Centers, Cerberus, CIM Group and its portfolio company Novva Data Centers, Town Lane and others.

Whitney Salinas is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Department. She regularly represents private equity firms and portfolio companies on a broad range of commercial real estate financing transactions (including CMBS, balance sheet, mezzanine, construction financings, NAV facilities and other bespoke financing solutions) across a variety of asset classes, such as industrial, hospitality, office, data centers, studio, life-science, retail, self-storage and manufactured homes, among others. Whitney is ranked as Up and Coming by Chambers USA, a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 and was recently recognized as a  Law360 "MVP" in Real Estate and named one of GlobeSt.’s 2023 “Women of Influence” in Commercial Real Estate Legal Counsel.

Nicole Rubin Sanci serves as a Partner in the Firm’s Personal Planning Practice and Head of the Firm’s Estate Administration Practice. Nicole is also a key member of the Family Office Practice. She guides fiduciaries through the challenges that arise in the management of multigenerational trusts and estates of affluent families. With in-depth experience addressing complex trust and estate administration, Nicole assists fiduciaries in the navigation of sensitive family, financial and tax issues frequently occurring in the administration of estates and trusts. Her guidance enables fiduciaries to achieve resolution through negotiated settlements, mediation and, when necessary, litigation. Under Nicole’s guidance, fiduciaries are able to effectively implement best practices and mitigate their exposure to liability. Nicole has substantial experience analyzing complicated and often convoluted estate tax returns and fiduciary accountings, representing both fiduciaries and beneficiaries in such matters. 

Sam Saunders advises private equity and strategic investors, developers and lenders on the development and financing of energy and infrastructure projects and businesses. His practice spans the lifecycle of development and finance—from early-stage joint ventures, project development and construction to refinancings, acquisitions and dispositions. His work also includes restructuring and bankruptcy matters. Sam has experience across a wide range of asset types, including power (renewables, batteries, conventional, transmission), digital (data centers, towers, fiber, wireless), oil & gas (LNG, RNG, pipelines, storage), hydrogen, CCUS, water, petrochemicals, manufacturing and mining.

Christopher Scavone is a Partner in the Firm’s Fund Transaction Practice, with a focus on GP stakes and minority investments, strategic partnerships, asset manager M&A, succession planning arrangements and bespoke liquidity transactions.

A Partner in the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, Ben Schaye advises public and private clients in a wide range of transactions across a multitude of industries. As a pioneer in the accounting firm M&A space, he was a panelist in Accounting Today’s inaugural PE Summit and has advised on 5 of the 12 deals involving top 25 accounting firms, including New Mountain Capital in its significant growth investment in the non-attest business of Grant Thornton, which was named one of the top five deals in the accounting firm sector according to The Financial Times, and Citrin Cooperman in Blackstone’s investment in the firm, the first transaction involving the sale of an investment in an accounting firm alternative practice structure from one private equity sponsor to another. Ben also has extensive experience in the software and technology, real estate and franchising industries.

He also regularly counsels corporate and private equity clients on complex spin-off and carve-out transactions, such as Blackstone’s spin-off of its financial advisory business, PPL Corporation’s spin-off of Talen Energy and concurrent merger of Talen with entities affiliated with Riverstone Holdings and Avantor’s carveout of the Masterflex bioprocessing business and related assets from Antylia Scientific.

Ben’s private equity clients have included Apax, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Charlesbank Capital Partners and New Mountain Capital, among others. He represents clients in proxy contests, hostile takeover defenses, strategic alliances and joint ventures and counsels clients on issues involving corporate governance, fiduciary duties and shareholder activism. In addition to his legal practice, Ben serves on the Board of Trustees for the Friends of Princeton Wrestling.

Jodi Schneider advises clients on the tax aspects of a broad range of corporate matters, with a particular emphasis on fund formation matters. She has assisted many of the Firm’s private equity clients – including some of the world’s most sophisticated sponsors – in the structuring of their funds and fundraisings, and has also advised tax-exempt clients – including university endowments and private foundations – in their capacity as private fund investors. She also works on a variety of other corporate transactions, including real estate transactions, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and credit and capital markets financing transactions.

John Schueller is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department and the Head of the Securitization Practice. John’s practice encompasses securitizations involving many different types of asset classes, including auto loans and leases, timeshare loans, fleet leases, rental cars, telecommunication assets (such as data centers, cell towers and fiber networks),  single-family residential home rentals, television broadcast revenues and other esoteric assets. He represents both underwriters and issuers, as well as parties in acquisitions and other transactions in which securitizations are involved. John has played a crucial role in many “first-of-its-kind” securitization transactions, including the first securitizations solely involving data center revenue, dark fiber network revenue, fiber-to-the-premises revenue, car sharing revenue, distributed network system revenue and single family rental properties. John is recognized by Chambers USA, with clients noting that he is “absolutely superb on extremely high-value transactions” and “extremely smart and thorough.” In addition, John advises the managers of collateralized loan obligations and borrowers under securitized leveraged loan funding facilities.

Alysha J. Sekhon is a Partner in the Firm’s Intellectual Property Practice and Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice, and was recognized as a “Rising Star” in Technology Transactions by The Legal 500. She advises on all intellectual property, privacy, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and other technology aspects of complex corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, carve outs, investments and capital markets and financing transactions. Alysha regularly structures and negotiates standalone intellectual property transactions and commercial arrangements, including agreements for strategic alliances, joint ventures, licensing, collaboration, development, supply, distribution and services.

Ali Sher is a Partner in the Firm’s Litigation Department. She represents clients in a wide range of high stakes commercial disputes, including shareholder litigation, high-profile securities litigation, M&A litigation, trademark infringement matters, antitrust litigation, insurance/reinsurance matters and other complex commercial disputes. Ali also advises clients in sensitive internal investigations, as well as government investigations brought by the DOJ, SEC and CFTC. Her work involves the representation of corporations, financial institutions and private equity firms, as well as boards of directors, board committees and executives. In 2025, Ali was recognized on  Benchmark Litigation's “40 & Under List.”

Named “Lawyer of the Year” at the 2025 TMT Finance Awards USA, Gabriel Silva is a Partner in the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice. Based in New York, he advises the full spectrum of infrastructure market participants and other corporate and private equity clients on mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and other corporate transactions. He has a particular focus on digital infrastructure transactions, including deals involving data centers, telecom towers and fiber networks and related infrastructure. Gabriel has led over 60 digital infrastructure transactions worldwide in the last three years alone.

Kyle Smit advises developers and private equity funds involved in the energy and infrastructure sectors on mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, spin-offs, restructurings, tax equity financings and other corporate and financing transactions. His practice focuses on power generation and transmission; renewable energy, including solar, onshore and offshore wind and hydroelectric; and infrastructure, including electric vehicle charging network projects.

A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds practice, Nathan Somogie represents a broad range of asset management firms in the formation and ongoing operation of their retail investment funds. He has deep experience advising on the design and structuring of some of the most innovative and first-of-their-kind investment products across the asset management industry, including retail products that provide public access to private markets and alternative asset classes. Nathan is a trusted counselor to asset management firms in strategic transactions, co-investments and fund reorganizations, and regularly advises on industry developments.

Rachel Sparks Bradley represents clients in high-profile securities litigations, including securities fraud and 10b-5 matters, derivative litigations, responding to shareholder demands, and investigations. In addition to securities matters, she regularly defends corporations and financial institutions in complex commercial disputes in federal and state courts.

A Partner in the Firm’s Tax Practice, Sophie Staples advises clients on tax matters in a variety of transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures, financing transactions and securities offerings. She has advised private equity sponsors, as well as their portfolio companies and other strategic clients, on the tax aspects of numerous investments, acquisitions and divestitures. Her clients have included, among others, Blackstone, Apax Partners, KKR, Centerbridge and BC Partners.

Ben Steelsmith is a Partner in the Private Funds Practice at Simpson Thacher, based in the Firm’s New York office. He advises private fund sponsors in connection with the organization, structuring and operation of a broad range of closed-end and open-end private investment funds across multiple asset classes, including traditional and long-dated “core” buyout, infrastructure, real estate, credit, energy and life sciences funds.

In addition to commingled “blind pool” fund formation, Ben advises clients on a wide variety of bespoke fund-related matters, such as separately managed accounts and other customized arrangements for large investors, joint ventures in individual transactions and investment platforms, co-investments (including a depth of experience on standing co-investment arrangements), GP-led secondary transactions and other liquidity transactions, and internal sponsor governance and economic arrangements. He also advises clients on compliance with the Investment Advisers Act and other regulatory compliance matters.

Ben’s experience includes representing Blackstone, KKR, Centerbridge, Morgan Stanley, Tiger Infrastructure, Alinda, BC Partners, Macquarie, Stonepeak, EIG Capital, Onex and J.C. Flowers & Co., among others.

Ryan Stott represents clients on the executive compensation and employee benefits-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions, capital markets matters and other corporate transactions. His experience includes advising on arrangements such as equity-based incentives, cash-based incentives, deferred compensation, retirement plans and employment, retention and severance agreements.

Global Head of the Firm’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice and a member of the Executive Committee, Eric Swedenburg represents companies in a wide range of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions. He also regularly counsels clients on shareholder activism, corporate governance and general corporate and securities law matters. In addition to his work with public companies and special committees of boards of directors, Eric has extensive experience in advising non-public corporations, private equity firms and financial advisors in both U.S. domestic and cross-border M&A transactions across a number of industry verticals.

Some of his recent transactions have included representing Paramount, Beacon Roofing, Keysight, TransUnion, SiriusXM, Mars, Ingersoll Rand, Wendy’s, Change Healthcare, Karuna Therapeutics, AGCO, The Mosaic Company, Snap One, Radius Recycling and BellRing Brands.

Eric has published various articles on M&A subjects and frequently speaks on M&A, shareholder activism and corporate matters, including as a regular panel participant in the annual Tulane Corporate Law Institute, which is recognized as one of the premier M&A, corporate and securities law conferences in the country.

Quoting a client, Chambers USA has recognized Eric as “a terrific and pragmatic lawyer” who is “extremely practical and thoughtful.” Eric was recently named to the “Power Lawyers 2025” and among the 2024 “Top Dealmakers” lists by The Hollywood Reporter. He was named a “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer for his role representing Wyeth in its sale to Pfizer.

Jamie Talbot focuses on high-profile IP transactional matters, including those arising from technology development and licensing, mergers and acquisitions, carve outs, outsourcing of business practices, information security and privacy projects. 

Gary Tashjian advises clients on a broad array of executive compensation and employee benefits arrangements, particularly with regard to issues arising in the context of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs and initial public offerings. He has worked with several of the world’s most prominent sponsors in connection with acquisitions across a wide array of sectors, ranging from technology to infrastructure and healthcare to transportation. Gary also regularly advises public and private companies, including executives and board members, on a range of compensation-related matters, including employment and separation agreements, SEC filings, equity offerings and severance and change in control arrangements.

David Teh leads the Alternative Capital and Private Credit team and has deep and versatile experience advising direct lenders, investment banks and corporate borrowers across many sectors on a broad range of direct loans and syndicated credit facilities. His work includes both U.S. and cross-border leveraged acquisition financings, unitranche facilities, ‘recurring revenue’ loans, ‘stretch senior’ loans, first and second lien credit facilities and leveraged and investment grade corporate credit facilities. David also advises on financings for insurance solutions, hybrid capital, backleverage and other capital solutions for special situations, recapitalizations and real asset financings.

Linda Tieh is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. She advises sponsors on the formation, structuring and operation of private equity funds, including buyout funds, real estate funds, opportunistic funds and secondary funds, as well as on co-investment arrangements, “funds-of-one” and separately managed accounts for large investors. Her practice also includes advising sponsors on GP-led structured secondary and other liquidity transactions, economic, governance and other internal sponsor arrangements, as well as regulatory compliance and fund-related aspects of mergers and acquisitions transactions.   

Linda’s experience includes representing some of the largest and most prominent private fund sponsors, including Blackstone, Centerbridge, Hellman & Friedman, The Carlyle Group, MatlinPatterson Global Advisers and Palladium Equity Partners.

Recognized by Chambers as “commercial, smart and easy to work with,” Lia Toback is a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice and Alternative Capital and Private Credit team. Lia has deep experience advising private equity sponsors, hedge funds, institutional holders, investment banks and companies on equity-linked offerings, complex structured equity, private capital transactions, high yield financings, debt restructurings, liability management transactions and other domestic and international capital raising transactions. Lia has a particular focus on the structuring, negotiation and execution of equity and equity-related transactions, including public and private convertible debt and equity, preferred stock issuances and control and minority equity investments, PIPE transactions and other equity-linked instruments. 

Jessica Tuchinsky is a Partner in Simpson Thacher's Banking and Credit Practice in the Firm’s New York office. The Banking and Credit Practice is highly regarded on a national and global scale. The Firm recently was named “Banking & Finance Law Firm of the Year” by Chambers USA. Jessica regularly represents leading financial institutions and investment banks with the arrangement and syndication of senior credit facilities, including acquisition, bridge and other corporate financings. She has significant experience in complicated financings in the leveraged finance, direct lending, investment grade, and asset-based markets. Her financial and investment banking clients have included JPMorgan, Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, among others.

Alan Turner is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department. He has more than 25 years of experience successfully representing clients in trial and appellate proceedings in a broad range of high stakes complex commercial litigation matters, primarily in the financial services sector. Alan has extensive experience in bankruptcy litigation and works closely with the Firm’s Restructuring Department on a range of matters, including fraudulent conveyance claims, contested plan confirmations, settlement negotiation and approval proceedings, mass tort bankruptcy issues, Ponzi schemes, and liability management transactions. Alan’s commercial litigation experience also includes numerous securities and antitrust class actions, insurance/reinsurance litigation, breach of contract disputes, fraud cases, and a variety of other commercial disputes.

Head of the Personal Planning Practice at Simpson Thacher, Laura Twomey advises individuals and families on the preservation, transfer and management of wealth during life and thereafter. Laura’s large and varied clientele includes leaders of the financial industry, Fortune 500 CEOs, media personalities, heads of major family-owned companies and prominent political figures. Her practice includes estate planning, estate and trust administration and charitable planning, planning with private equity and hedge fund interests and family-business succession planning. She is experienced, too, in modifying and terminating existing trusts, as well as migrating trusts for tax and non-tax purposes. Laura works with clients to create a plan for transferring personal wealth that meets both the client’s personal goals and tax objectives. She provides highly technical advice in an innately personal way, ensuring seamless coordination with the Firm’s other disciplines, while keeping the personal planning process scrupulously separate from other Firm business. Laura is named a leading lawyer in wealth management by Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business and is recognized by Chambers HNW: The World's Leading High Net Worth Advisors, where she received praise for being “unflappable” and “tireless,” and for her “depth of technical knowledge that allows her to present or propose innovative solutions” with clients who describe her as “excellent” and “a top-level lawyer.” A client added, “she’s really smart, she is very caring about what she does. She is tremendously responsive. She’s fantastic.” Laura’s estate-planning advice has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other publications.

Nathan Utterback is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department and Derivatives Practice. He represents private equity firms, portfolio companies and public issuers in a variety of derivative transactions, including interest rate, FX, commodity and equity-linked trades. Nathan also advises end-user clients on CFTC regulatory considerations and compliance with margin, clearing and reporting rules.

Named among Crain’s 2025 “Notable M&A Dealmakers” and a 2023 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer, Anthony Vernace represents private equity firms and public companies in mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. He also regularly counsels clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism and securities law matters. His clients span a wide range of industries and include leading technology, transportation, healthcare, industrial, financial services and consumer products companies. Anthony consistently receives recognition for his work on numerous marquee M&A transactions for both public companies and private equity firms. Most recently, Anthony was recognized among Variety’s Dealmakers of 2023 for his representation of Microsoft in its $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard. He was also among the 2023 New York Law Journal’s “Dealmakers of the Year” for his work on numerous headline-making deals. He has also been named a “Next Generation Partner” in both M&A: Large Deals and Private Equity Buyouts by The Legal 500, and as an “MVP” in M&A (2022) and Private Equity (2014) by Law360. Anthony is recognized by Chambers USA which reports that he is identified by clients as “ incredibly smart, responsive and experienced. He has a great communication style and is always calm under pressure.” In addition to his legal practice, Anthony regularly serves as a panelist and guest lecturer on corporate and M&A-related topics, including at Harvard, Duke and University of Pennsylvania law schools and is a member of the board of advisors of the Institute for Corporate Governance & Finance at NYU School of Law. Anthony currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, and he was formerly Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Recruiting Committee.

Named a “Rising Star” in Real Estate by IFLR Americas, Justin Vilinsky is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice. He regularly advises private equity firms and corporations on real estate matters including acquisitions, dispositions, public-to-private transactions, joint ventures and real estate financings (including CMBS, balance sheet, construction, agency and mezzanine financings) across a variety of asset classes (including industrial, hospitality, studio, office, data center and storage).

Described by sources in Chambers USA as “one of the rare lawyers who is fantastic with details but also big-picture strategy,” “thoughtful, commercial and very well steeped in securities law,” who “thinks outside the box” to give “crisp commercial advice,” and is, “exactly what you want in a litigator.” Craig Waldman has extensive experience representing clients in high-profile securities litigation, including class and derivative actions, in courts throughout the country. Head of the Firm’s Asset Management Litigation Practice, Craig frequently represents leading private equity and corporate clients in transaction-related litigation, corporate governance matters, and corporate control litigations. Craig is recognized as a “Leading Lawyer” by The Legal 500 in Financial Services Litigation, and is also consistently recognized as a leading securities and M&A litigator by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation and Law360. In 2024, Craig was recognized by Law360 as an “MVP” for Securities. Craig is a member of the board of directors of the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan. He is also a member of the New York City Bar Association’s Securities Litigation Committee, the President’s Council at Tufts University and a member of the 2024 class of David Rockefeller Fellows sponsored by the Partnership for the City of New York.

A Litigation Partner based in the Firm’s New York office, George Wang co-leads both the Firm’s International Trade Regulatory Practice and also the Firm’s Asia Litigation Practice.

George has two decades of experience advising private funds, asset managers, financial institutions and other corporations on U.S. regulatory challenges faced in cross-border transactions. George regularly advises on U.S. outbound investment restrictions, economic sanctions, export controls, sensitive data, anti-corruption and other complex regulatory matters administered by OFAC, the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security and other governmental regulators. George’s broad regulatory practice encompasses advisory work, transactional counseling, compliance, internal investigations and governmental investigations.

George also has an extensive commercial litigation experience. He has defended many of the largest U.S. and non-U.S. companies and their directors and officers in dozens of securities class actions. George regularly litigated and advises clients in respect of complex contractual disputes, such as indemnification claims arising out of M&A, joint venture and other strategic agreements.

Lu Wang is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds group. Her practice focuses on the formation and operation of investment funds, representing sponsors across a broad range of asset classes and industries. Lu has advised leading private equity sponsors, including Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, The Carlyle Group, Greyhound Capital Partners, Lexington Partners and Onex Partners.

A Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice, Leanne Welds has a versatile practice, regularly representing private equity firms, portfolio companies and other clients on a broad range of high-value and complex commercial real estate transactions across a variety of asset classes. Leanne’s transaction experiences range from acquisitions, dispositions and merger transactions involving real estate and real estate-related businesses, to joint ventures, reorganizations, recapitalizations and other equity capital arrangements, to borrower-side real estate financings and financing work-outs with both traditional and non-traditional lenders. These include transactions involving assets in the industrial, select and full-service hospitality, data center, multifamily, student housing and single family home sectors. 

Recognized for being a “a leader in alternative structures” in  Chambers USA, Benjamin Wells is at the forefront of developing novel and commercial solutions for clients to provide individual investors access to private markets across all asset classes–real estate, private credit, private equity, infrastructure, sports and others. A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds Practice in New York, his practice focuses on advising leading asset management sponsors including, Blackstone, Blue Owl, Brookfield, Clarion, Cohen & Steers, KKR, New Mountain, PGIM, Starwood Capital Group and TPG.

Benjamin brings deep market experience and knowledge in helping clients design, develop and structure private funds tailored for individual investors, conglomerates, REITs, closed-end tender offer funds and interval funds, business development companies and various non-U.S. fundraising vehicles. He regularly represents these clients on transactional, regulatory and ongoing governance and compliance matters.

Benjamin is recognized by  Chambers USA for both Registered Funds and REITs and IFLR1000 for Registered Funds. He was named a Rising Star at the 2017 Mutual Fund Industry Awards. Benjamin is also on the Institute for Portfolio Alternatives’ Board of Directors as an Industry Partner.

David Whelan is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. He focuses on the formation and operation of private equity funds, including secondary, infrastructure, real estate funds, buyout funds and co-investment funds, as well as other asset classes. His representative clients have included Corsair Capital, Blackstone, Morgan Stanley, New Mountain Capital and Strategic Partners.

Maura Whelan is a Partner in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. Maura has deep experience advising philanthropists and tax-exempt organizations on advancing mission objectives while navigating complex legal and regulatory rules. She provides practical, solutions-oriented counsel to tax-exempt organizations, high net worth individuals, family offices, major corporations, and innovative philanthropic structures seeking to carry out effective and compliant philanthropy. Maura represents tax-exempt organizations across their full lifecycle, from formation and governance to succession planning and ongoing compliance to wind-down and termination. Maura has particular experience working with private foundations and other grantmaking organizations to structure and implement sophisticated grantmaking programs, and regularly counsels donors on major gifts, including gifts of art and other complex assets. In addition, Maura represents charitable and social welfare organizations pursuing social impact, mission-related, and program-related investments, as well as endowments, foundations, and other institutional investors engaged in alternative investments.

Leader of Simpson Thacher’s Insurance Transactional and Regulatory practice, Jared Wilner has extensive experience advising domestic and international insurers, reinsurers, asset managers, sponsors and other strategic investors on public and private mergers and acquisitions, reinsurance and sidecar transactions, joint ventures, strategic relationships, debt and equity financings, insurance company investments, and corporate governance.  Jared is also uniquely qualified to address complex regulatory challenges as they arise, having served at the New York State Department of Financial Services, where he helped shape policy responses to issues arising from the 2008 financial crisis.

Patrick Wolff advises leading private equity and infrastructure sponsors, their portfolio companies and other corporate clients across a wide variety of banking and credit matters, including acquisition financings, bank and bridge loan financings, energy and infrastructure financings, liability management and restructuring transactions, and other leveraged and investment grade bank financings. His work spans a range of industries, including infrastructure, media and entertainment, healthcare, real estate and technology and his clients have included KKR, Stonepeak, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, iHeartMedia, TransUnion, Paramount Global and Hilton Grand Vacations, among others.

Previously named “Lawyer of the Year” for Private Funds/Hedge Funds Law in New York City by Best Lawyers and “Global Funds Lawyer of the Year” by Who’s Who Legal, Michael Wolitzer has wide-ranging experience in private investing and alternative asset management. Michael is Chair of Funds and Funds Adjacencies at the Firm. He has represented well-known sponsors of investment funds such as Apax Partners, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Lexington, Patria, Painswick Capital, Silver Lake Partners and Sixth Street. In addition to private equity funds, he has represented sponsors in other alternative asset classes, including real estate, energy/infrastructure, secondaries and credit/distressed debt, as well as on SMAs and fund structured products. He has represented global financial institutions in the establishment of their employee investment programs; family offices on their investment activities; acquisitions of, and investments in, private investment firms (including several minority stakes and control transactions); buyers, sellers and sponsors regarding the disposition of private fund interests, GP-Led Secondaries and other secondary transactions; and founders and other stakeholders in connection with carried interest and other customized internal arrangements. Michael serves on the Board of the nonprofit Association to Benefit Children, and has served on the Trinity Board at Duke University as well as other capacities there. He has previously served as Chair of the Firm’s New Partners Committee and currently serves as a member of the Executive Committee.

Yoonji Woo is a Partner in the Private Funds group at Simpson Thacher. Yoonji’s practice focuses on private equity fund formation and operations and she has represented sponsors in connection with infrastructure funds, buyout funds and real estate funds, along with co-investment funds, separately managed accounts, funds-of-one and similar custom arrangements. Yoonji also has experience representing venture capital funds, and routinely advised first-time fund managers.

Daisy Wu advises multinational corporations, financial institutions, private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a broad range of corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other deals. She has advised on matters across numerous industries, ranging from energy and infrastructure, healthcare and insurance to technology and media and entertainment, among others.

Jonathan Youngwood is Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Litigation Department, leads the Civil Securities Litigation Practice and is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. He has more than 25 years of experience representing corporations, boards of directors, and other clients in a wide range of high-profile complex commercial litigations, arbitrations, investigations, and regulatory matters. In addition to securities and M&A related litigation, Jon’s practice focuses on disputes concerning corporate control, ERISA, antitrust, and bankruptcy. Jon is also an experienced appellate lawyer, having argued more than 25 appeals, including cases in the majority of the federal circuit courts.

Jon is widely recognized as a leader in his field by Chambers USA (Band 1), The Legal 500 (“Hall of Fame” and “Leading Lawyer”) and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation (National Securities Star). Jon has been described as one of “the best pure civil securities class action litigators”; a “very effective lawyer with a keen business sense and deep knowledge of the law”; “always prepared and fearless” and “everything that a client would want in a difficult case” in Chambers’ guides. In Benchmark Litigation, a client emphasized that, “[Jon is] a brilliant lawyer. [He is a] great communicator with incredible experience that allows him to evaluate a matter on the front end and accurately predict the best path for the client.” In The Legal 500, Jon is described as “one of the best securities litigators in the country, hands down.”

In 2025, in addition to being ranked by Legal 500 in the “Hall of Fame” for Financial Services Litigation and Securities Litigation: Defense, Jon was ranked as a “Leading Trial Lawyer” and a “Leading Lawyer” in M&A Litigation: Defense and General Commercial Disputes. He was also named a 2024 Law360 Banking “MVP.” Jon was recognized as a 2023 “General Litigation Trailblazer” by The National Law Journal, a series that recognizes lawyers who have moved the needle in the legal profession. In 2021, Jon was awarded the Federal Bar Council’s “Thurgood Marshall Award for Exceptional Pro Bono Service” for his work on high-impact pro bono litigation matters, and in 2020, he was named a Law360 Class Actions “MVP,” and was featured by the New York Law Journal as a “New York Trailblazer” in recognition of his and the Firm’s pro bono work. Jon is the Co-Chair of one of PLI’s annual programs on securities litigation and the Co-Editor of the third edition of PLI’s treatise, Securities Litigation: A Practitioner’s Guide (2024).

Ari Zak’s practice focuses on the taxation of investment funds and their investors, particularly on matters relating to mutual funds, closed-end funds, exchange-traded funds, business development companies and variable insurance funds. He also advises on matters relating to private investment funds, including debt funds and private equity funds, in addition to transactional matters involving clients in the financial services industry.

Sam Zhu is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate Department. He represents leading asset management firms in designing, forming and operating innovative investment vehicles, with a focus on private wealth vehicles that provide access to private markets and alternative asset classes. He has advised on some of the industry’s first-of-their-kind investment products, including operating companies sponsored by KKR and EQT.  Additionally, Sam advises issuers and underwriters in a wide range of complex capital markets transactions. His experience includes high yield and investment grade debt offerings, initial public offerings, follow-on offerings, as well as exchange offers and other liability management transactions.

Ranked among the nation’s top real estate finance lawyers by Chambers USA and The Legal 500, Aron Zuckerman advises credit funds, private equity firms, banks, insurance companies and other institutional lenders in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions. These include mortgage and mezzanine financings, preferred equity structures, A/B notes, participation interests, note-on-note and repo financing facilities, co-lender and intercreditor arrangements and multi-tranche workouts and restructurings. His experience spans CMBS, balance sheet, bridge and construction loans across all major asset classes.

Evan Zuckerman is a Partner in the Firm’s Capital Markets Practice. He advises investment banks, corporate clients and private equity sponsors in high yield and investment grade debt offerings, IPOs, primary and secondary offerings, acquisition financings, liability management transactions and other types of capital markets transactions. He also has deep market knowledge of covenant terms and disclosure matters, and regularly advises on securities laws, corporate governance and other general corporate finance matters.

David Zylberberg has guided companies and institutional creditors in some of the largest recent liability management exercises and recapitalizations, including the iHeart Media, E.W. Scripps and  Bright Health Group transactions. He has deep experience with the latest legal tools for LMEs and other capital structure solutions.  He regularly advises the Firm’s sponsor clients and portfolio companies on both in-court and out-of-court restructurings, focusing particularly on the healthcare, media and real estate sectors.

David also maintains a significant bankruptcy litigation practice, having represented companies, creditors’ committees and insurers in numerous contested Chapter 11 cases, including plan objectors in  Red River Talc (J&J) and the unsecured creditors committee in Zymergen.  He has litigated contested Chapter 15 proceedings implementing restructurings from Canada, the U.K. and Australia.

Brandon Adoni primarily advises companies on their compliance with U.S. securities laws, U.S. stock exchange listing requirements and general corporate governance matters. Brandon represents several S&P 500 companies and his client base includes international retailers and manufacturers, pharmaceutical companies, digital platforms and multiple asset managers as well as several pre-IPO companies.

Charlie Carroll has decades of experience in the energy and infrastructure sectors on a wide variety of sophisticated transactions, including project development and finance; project and portfolio acquisitions, dispositions and financings; joint ventures; and restructurings. His experience includes representing clients active in the electricity sector (nuclear, thermal, geothermal and renewable generation, and transmission and storage) and in the transportation, telecommunication and manufacturing sectors.

David Elbaum is Senior Counsel at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP. His practice focuses on securities and corporate litigation and government investigations. He represents leading private equity and corporate clients and individuals in a broad range of complex commercial cases, including shareholder, derivative, M&A and antitrust litigation. David also represents clients in investigations involving the DOJ, SEC, FTC, HUD and other regulatory agencies.

Jennifer Franklin is Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. She advises a variety of international and domestic exempt organizations, including both private foundations and public charities, and has worked on transactional and tax matters, including the merger or dissolution of non-profit corporations. The Legal 500 calls her a “key contact for corporate transactions in the space.” Jennifer has significant experience in the areas of charitable gift-planning, where she works with donor-advised fund, private operating foundation and supporting organization structures and she also structures endowment fund gifts. Jennifer’s experience also includes art law, where she advises artist foundations on governance and tax issues and individual and foundation donors on charitable gifts of works of art. Jennifer has been recognized as a “Rising Star” by The Legal 500 United States (2022-2023).

Co-Head of the Firm’s Environmental Practice, Mike Isby focuses on the environmental aspects of mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and lending matters. His practice also includes environmental law compliance counseling. Mike has been recognized for environmental law proficiency in publications such as Chambers USA, where he has been praised by clients as being “very smart and diligent” and “a pleasure to work with.” Clients further lauded his ability to “see down the road further than others, approaching issues from a commercial perspective.”

Rick Jamgochian advises on all aspects of antitrust and competition law, with a particular focus on the analysis of competitive issues in mergers and acquisitions and counseling clients through the antitrust merger review process. He also counsels clients on criminal cartel investigations, private antitrust litigation, and a variety of antitrust compliance issues. He frequently represents clients in merger reviews before the U.S. Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, and in connection with cross-border transactions. Rick has extensive experience across a broad range of industries including financial services, technology and software, healthcare and consumer products.

Hyang-Sook (“Soogy”) Lee is Senior Counsel in the Restructuring Practice of the Firm’s Corporate Department. Soogy focuses on syndicated loan financings, particularly in the bankruptcy and restructuring contexts, and has significant experience in the representation of financial institutions in a range of transactions including working capital financings, debtor-in-possession financings, pre-packaged bankruptcy cases and exit financings extended to reorganized debtors. She regularly represents large financial institutions.

Krista McManus is Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice. She advises several of the Firm’s corporate clients with respect to real estate matters involving mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and lendings.

Steven Stickler is Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice.

Matthew Behrens is Counsel in the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice. He advises both U.S. and foreign companies on corporate governance and disclosure matters related to executive compensation as well as employee issues impacted in mergers and acquisitions. Matthew also regularly advises on equity-based incentives, deferred compensation programs and employment, retention and severance arrangements.

Nathaniel Bronstein focuses his practice on advising clients concerning the pre-merger notification requirements in the U.S. under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. He provides general counseling with regard to antitrust compliance issues, including integration planning, and counsels clients on issues involving mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures across a variety of industries, including technology, finance, defense, industrials, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and others.

David Caldwell is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s New York office, where he is a member of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice. He advises companies, private equity sponsors, and boards of directors on investigations and a range of regulatory compliance matters, including anti-corruption, economic sanctions and anti-money laundering counseling and transactional due diligence. He has assisted both U.S. and foreign clients with government and internal investigations across Latin America, as well as in Asia and the Middle East. His work includes guiding companies on their internal controls and compliance policies and procedures, including remediation efforts following internal reviews and resolutions with U.S. regulators.

Matthew Carpinello is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Real Estate Department, where he focuses on advising lenders on complex real estate financings. He represents credit funds, private equity firms, banks and other institutional lenders in the origination of mezzanine loans, mortgage loans, construction loans, preferred equity investments, note-on-note loans, participations, repurchase facilities and other structured credit transactions across all real estate asset classes. With a practice spanning the full investment lifecycle, Matthew also has significant experience in the distressed real estate space, regularly advising lenders in loan workouts, restructurings, loan sales, enforcement actions, discounted pay-offs, deed-in-lieu transactions and foreclosures.

Stephanie Chaung is Counsel in the Firm's Registered Fund's Practice, focusing on a broad range of investment management and securities law matters related to registered investment advisers, investment companies and their boards of directors in connection with disclosure issues, regulatory compliance, corporate governance, reorganizations and restructurings, tender offers, liquidations and other operational matters. She has a broad background representing open- and closed-end funds, including exchange-traded funds. Stephanie advises asset management firms on transactional and regulatory matters arising under the Investment Company Act of 1940, including the formation and structuring of interval funds, tender offer funds, listed closed-end funds and business development companies.

Amy Dawson has significant experience in complex litigation, including representation of public and private corporations, boards of directors, board committees and executives in connection with securities matters, shareholder and derivative actions, mergers and acquisitions, internal investigations and breach of contract claims. She represents clients across a range of industries including healthcare, technology, payment processing and insurance.

Shawn Dogra represents private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers, as well as investment banks and private capital lenders, in a wide variety of financing transactions across multiple industries. Often cross-border in nature, Shawn’s practice includes syndicated and direct lending, leveraged and investment grade facilities, acquisition and asset-backed finance, restructuring transactions and other investment transactions.

Dennis Durkin has broad experience advising financial sponsors, corporate borrowers, financial institutions and investment banks on a range of corporate finance transactions, including acquisition financings, bank and bridge loan financings and refinancings.

Faris Elrabie advises alternative asset managers on a broad range of complex secondary market and strategic sponsor-level transactions. He also has experience advising sponsors across the entire private equity lifecycle, including on ordinary and extraordinary firmwide and fund-specific capital formation, economic, governance, transactional and operational matters.

Leveraging his experience as senior legal counsel in significant investment management firms, as well as his time spent in private practice, Stephen Forster provides sophisticated investment management regulatory advice to registered fund and private fund sponsors and other asset management firms. He advises on various complex regulatory matters, including compliance with the Advisers Act, the 1940 Act and other securities laws. He also advises on the formation of various investment vehicles and provides regulatory advice in connection with asset management M&A transactions.

Alexander J. Franchilli is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice in the New York office. Alexander advises clients on compliance with privacy, cybersecurity, and consumer protection laws and regulations as well as the use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional by the IAPP (CIPP/US).

Alexander is also an experienced litigator and has represented clients in state and federal court, and in arbitrations in AAA, JAMS and FINRA.

James Goldfeier is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department and is a member of the Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice Group. Based in the Firm’s New York office, he focuses his practice on advising clients concerning the pre-merger notification requirements in the U.S. under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act (“HSR”). Recognized by publications as a “Rising Star,” and “Future Leader,” he provides counsel on merger investigations, analysis and review, and counseling with regard to antitrust compliance issues, including integration planning.

Robert Hayes primarily advises companies on their compliance with U.S. securities laws, U.S. stock exchange listing requirements and general corporate governance matters. Rob also advises on new developments and changing best practices in governance matters.

Laura Heller focuses her practice on advising clients on estate planning and estate and trust administration. She is experienced in advising high net worth individuals and families on complex estate tax, gift tax and succession planning matters to help them meet their individualized estate planning and philanthropic goals in a tax-efficient manner. Her clients include private equity and hedge fund principals, prominent families, and fiduciaries of large estates and trusts. 

Jon Kaplan is Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Department. He has significant experience representing and advising multinational corporations, boards of directors, board committees and executives in connection with securities matters, shareholder and derivative actions, government and internal investigations, and civil and criminal regulatory enforcement actions.

Arielle Katzman is Counsel in the Firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice, where she advises clients globally across their corporate life cycles on governance, compliance and disclosure matters, regarding ongoing operations, implementation of best practices, strategic initiatives, risk/crisis management, stakeholder relationships, compensation and sustainability strategy. Arielle regularly interfaces with senior management, boards of directors and finance, accounting, investor relations and equity compensation teams and liaises with stock exchanges, the SEC, proxy solicitors, transfer agents and other third parties on behalf of her clients. Arielle partners with clients and colleagues across the Firm to advise on complex transactional matters, including IPOs, M&A, restructuring, perpetual private placements, public offerings and other financings.

Her industry exposure includes asset management firms and related vehicles (including BDCs, REITs, and other conglomerate products), fintech, crypto, infrastructure, consumer products, healthcare, industrial producers, sustainability, background screening, financial services, optical retail, business services, software, fashion, energy, transportation, media, space exploration, medical management of cosmetic treatment centers, pharmaceuticals and insurance.

In addition to supporting public company navigation by mainstream operating companies (including through advising financial sponsors and associated portfolio companies), Arielle has been actively involved in the development of bespoke registered evergreen products, structured as OpCos and retail 3(c)(7) funds, as well as SPACs, guiding these clients from inception through subsequent evolution. 

Elliott Kieffer represents sponsors in the formation, structuring and ongoing operation of their private funds across various strategies, as well as co-investment arrangements, funds-of-one and separately managed accounts. Elliott also advises sponsors on regulatory and compliance matters in connection with the formation and operation of their funds.

Andrew Kofsky is Counsel in the Firm’s Corporate Department where he focuses on counseling employers in all aspects of the employment relationship and litigating employment related disputes.

Daniel S. Levien focuses his practice on the intersection of international business, financial crime prevention, international regulation, national security, corporate social responsibility and public policy matters. He advises clients on regulatory, compliance and reputational risks related to corporate transactions and handles sensitive governmental inquiries, internal investigations and crisis scenarios. Daniel provides an integrated regulatory and compliance solution to leading private equity firms, financial institutions, corporations and non-profits. He has particular experience counseling on anti-bribery and corruption, anti-money laundering, cannabis and controlled substances, digital assets, economic sanctions, export control, fraud, KYC and national security risks, as well as on other emerging regulatory and compliance issues. 

Dennis Loiacono advises private equity firms, financial institutions and large companies in domestic and international real estate matters involving mergers, acquisitions, sales and debt and equity financings. He also advises clients in connection with real estate-related restructuring matters, securitizations and project finance transactions.

Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Tax Department, Michael Mann focuses his practice on the tax aspects of capital markets and corporate financing transactions. He counsels clients on tax-related matters across a broad range of securities offerings, including debt and equity issuances, tender and exchange offers, as well as structured products and derivatives. He also has experience advising on the tax issues related to structured finance and securitization matters.

Christine M. Marshall is Counsel in the Firm’s Banking and Credit Practice. Christine advises leading financial institutions, sponsors, corporate borrowers and family offices in connection with the arrangement and syndication of senior credit facilities, including acquisition, bridge and other corporate financings.

Christine has represented lenders and other financial institutions in connection with syndicated credit facilities, including JPMorgan, Bank of America, Citibank, Mizuho and others. Christine has also represented sponsors, corporate borrowers and family offices in connection with their financing activities.

Based in Simpson Thacher’s New York office, Jared Meyer is E-Discovery Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Department and focuses his practice on all aspects of electronic discovery. Jared manages the discovery process for securities litigation, complex commercial litigation, regulatory inquiries and for merger reviews before the DOJ and FTC.  Jared also coordinates the response of corporate clients and the Firm to insider trading investigations by FINRA and the SEC.  

Liza Murray advises public company clients across numerous industries on corporate governance matters and all aspects of their compliance with U.S. securities laws, including compliance with Exchange Act disclosure requirements, proxy rules, insider trading rules, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, shareholder proposals and the listing requirements of the major U.S. stock exchanges. Liza’s work also includes advising both domestic and foreign private issuer clients on new developments and evolving best practices in governance matters and other general corporate matters. She has extensive experience representing public and private issuers, underwriters and private equity sponsors in a variety of financing transactions, including in connection with and following their initial public offerings.

Recognized as a “Rising Star” in investment funds, André focuses his practice on the formation, capital raising and operation of funds across numerous strategies. His work includes advising on domestic and offshore buyout funds, real estate funds, infrastructure funds, mezzanine and senior debt funds, hybrid funds, hedge funds, funds-of-funds and other privately offered pooled investment vehicles, as well as co-investments and secondaries. He has represented leading domestic and international sponsors in fund formation matters, including Alvarez & Marsal Capital, Aquiline, Blackstone, Carlyle, Cinven, First Reserve, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, KKR, Morgan Stanley and Stonepeak. In addition, he has significant experience representing the wealth management divisions of banks and other financial institutions in connection with the distribution of alternative investments to high-net-worth individuals and institutional clients on a worldwide basis.

Counsel in the Firm’s Global Banking and Credit Practice, Leah Nudelman Tendler has in-depth and versatile experience advising financial sponsors, corporate borrowers, financial institutions and investment banks on a broad range of corporate finance transactions, including acquisition financings, bank and bridge loan financings and refinancings.

Jason Nussbaum represents fund sponsors, asset managers and institutional investors regarding the formation, structuring, negotiation and governance of private investment funds. He advises clients in all stages of private equity funds, real estate funds and joint ventures, credit funds, venture capital funds, secondaries funds, co-investment funds, energy and infrastructure funds, funds of funds, hedge funds and other alternative asset classes, both domestically and internationally.

Jessica Paletsky is Counsel in the Firm’s Fund Finance Practice. Jessica’s work is focused on crafting tailored financing solutions for investment funds with complex structures across a variety of asset classes, including private equity, real estate, credit, secondaries and infrastructure. She regularly advises financial sponsors on a wide range of fund-level financings, such as subscription facilities, NAV-based facilities and unsecured demand lines, among other bespoke arrangements. Jessica has extensive experience structuring co-investment loan programs, which provide opportunities for employees and other professionals to participate in investments, in addition to lines of credit for general partners and investment advisors, which provide liquidity for working capital and funding of capital commitment obligations. Jessica’s practice provides clients with flexible liquidity solutions that are increasingly essential for investment funds to competitively manage their businesses from fundraising through dissolution. 

Matthew C. Penny is Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Department, representing clients in complex commercial litigation. Matthew litigates high-stakes cases in trial and appellate courts across the country and regularly advises clients in connection with matters involving insurance coverage, internal investigations, mergers and acquisitions, and securities and breach-of-contract claims, among others.

Sarah Phillips represents clients in a wide range of high-stakes commercial litigation matters, including complex multijurisdictional cases, with a focus on securities and insurance litigation. She also has extensive experience advising clients in government and internal investigations.

Anthony Piccirillo represents clients in a variety of complex, high-stakes litigations and government investigations. He has significant experience advising financial institutions and other companies in securities litigation and complex contract disputes, including class actions, shareholder derivative suits and M&A litigation. He also represents companies and individuals in government investigations related to securities and accounting fraud, Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Foreign Agents Registration Act. 

Jake Rodriguez advises private equity and hedge fund sponsors on the formation, fundraising and operation of funds across a variety of strategies, including real estate funds, buyout funds, credit funds and multi-strategy hedge funds. He also has experience advising fund of funds, sovereign wealth funds and pension plans in their investments. 

Counsel in the Banking and Credit Practice, Stephanie has extensive experience advising leading financial institutions and investment banks in the arrangement and syndication of senior credit facilities, including acquisition, bridge and other corporate financings.

Lindsay Rutishauser is Counsel in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. She advises fund sponsors on the formation, fundraising and operation of private investment funds across a variety of strategies.

Prior to joining the Firm, Lindsay served as a Principal and Chief Compliance Officer at a global private equity and venture capital firm, where she provided leadership across all legal and compliance matters, including fund formation, investments and regulatory matters. 

Manideepa (Deepa) Sarkar advises clients on environmental issues arising in the context of complex transactional matters involving a diverse range of clients across industries around the globe. Deepa has wide-ranging experience, having represented clients in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investments, capital markets transactions and financing transactions involving a variety of environmental, health and safety issues, including on- and off-site contamination, legacy liabilities and environmental compliance matters. Deepa’s experience includes managing environmental due diligence, drafting and negotiating environmental provisions and indemnities, and advising clients regarding transactional matters including environmental risk allocation, compliance with property transfer statutes and post-acquisition integration.

Chi Shum is Counsel in the Firm’s New York office and a member of the Firm’s Corporate Department. Chi’s practice focuses on the formation and operation of private equity funds and compliance matters for investment advisors. He has represented sponsors such as BTG Pactual, SteelRiver, The Carlyle Group, The Sentient Group, Lehman Brothers and Cypress in connection with private equity, real estate and infrastructure funds and employee securities companies.

Elana Siegel serves as Counsel in the Firm’s Personal Planning Practice. Elana’s practice focuses on complex estate and tax planning and estate and trust administration for ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families. Her clients include private equity and hedge fund principals, and leaders of prominent public companies, family-owned businesses, and family investment offices. Elana is experienced in advising clients on complex trust matters and implementing creative and customized estate planning structures to meet clients’ individual needs and goals.

Kam Siu is Counsel in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. He advises on the formation, structuring and ongoing operation of private funds across various strategies, as well as co-investment arrangements, funds-of-one and separately managed accounts. He also advises on compliance and regulatory matters for investment advisors in connection with the formation and operation of their funds.

Divya Suwasini is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Fund Transactions Practice, where she specializes in advising private fund sponsors on a broad range of sophisticated transactions. Her practice includes fund formation, multijurisdictional M&A, secondaries transactions (buy-side and sell-side), co-investment arrangements, minority and strategic investments, seeding investments, succession planning and incentive arrangements. Divya also provides guidance on complex leveraged buyouts, corporate governance, employment matters, and regulatory compliance for asset managers and their portfolio companies.

A member of the Firm’s Public Company Advisory Practice, Joshua Teitler advises public companies on regulatory compliance and corporate governance considerations related to their status as public companies. He regularly advises U.S. domestic and foreign private issuers on all aspects of their compliance with the U.S. securities laws and the listing requirements of the major exchanges in the United States. He also advises on SEC and stock exchange reporting and disclosure requirements, disclosure of board and executive compensation, corporate governance, conflicts of interest, crisis management planning, shareholder proposals, director independence, insider trading considerations and other general corporate law matters.

Lina Zhou is Counsel in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice, where she focuses her practice on all aspects of the formation and operation of a variety private investment funds, including buyout funds, growth equity funds, credit funds, venture capital funds, co-investment funds and managed accounts. She advises clients on the development, formation, marketing and operation of their funds, as well as on regulatory and compliance matters for funds and their management companies.

In Memoriam

The partners of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP deeply mourn the passing of their colleague, partner and friend, Richard (Dick) Beattie. In his six-decade career, Dick was not only a pivotal leader of Simpson Thacher and a trusted mentor to all who had the privilege to work with him, but also a legend within the bar and a trailblazer in the development of the private equity industry. Dick was widely known for his sense of civic duty, loyalty and dedication to helping others, and he will be profoundly missed. Dick joined the Firm in 1968 and remained with Simpson Thacher throughout nearly his entire career, serving as Senior Chairman until his passing on June 6, 2025.

From early on in his career, Dick was a pioneering dealmaker at heart, advising on the private equity industry’s inaugural leveraged buyouts and playing a critical role in the explosive growth of the industry throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His personable nature, tenacity and ability to develop deep and trusted relationships were what ultimately led him to get to know and work with founders of some of the most well-known private equity firms since their early beginnings. Throughout his extraordinary career, Dick participated in some of the largest, most important financial transactions of his generation—including KKR’s historic $25 billion acquisition of RJR Nabisco (the subject of the famed book “Barbarians at the Gate”), JPMorgan Chase’s $58 billion acquisition of Bank One, the merger of AOL and Time Warner, and the merger of WellPoint Health Networks with Anthem. Former New York City Mayor Koch said to The Wall Street Journal: “If you’re ever in a tight situation and you want to be sure there’s someone who’s absolutely loyal, courageous, intelligent, and willing to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you and take the flak when it’s hurled at you, the guy to have in your corner is Dick Beattie.” Leading efforts to create new financial concepts and unique legal strategies to spearhead the development of the burgeoning private equity industry, his storied work in the space created significant opportunities for generations of Simpson Thacher attorneys to come, building the robust transactional practice for which the Firm is renowned today.

In addition to his celebrated legal practice, Dick was a role model in the truest sense of the word, and he exemplified those leadership qualities when he served as Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee from 1991 to 2004, and later in his role as Senior Chairman of the Firm. Dick also embodied, and helped to deepen, the Firm’s commitment to public service. He was widely known for his passion for civic duty. Prior to law school, Dick served for four years in the Marine Corps as an aircraft carrier pilot, where his history of service began. Following several years of success at Simpson Thacher, he became General Counsel of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare during the Carter Administration. During this time, he was instrumental in organizing and developing the then brand-new Department of Education. A staunch advocate for civil rights, he was also a key author of the landmark Title IX regulations. Following this role, he served as Director of the Transition and Counsel to the Secretary of Education during the Carter Administration and was a special advisor to the Secretary of State during the Clinton Administration, acting as the President’s Emissary for Cyprus.

Dick was later called on to serve on the New York City Board of Education, continuing his important work in support of the public education system. He was instrumental in Simpson Thacher’s leadership role in the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, a landmark litigation that ultimately won funding parity for New York’s underserved children and broadened the Firm’s commitment to pro bono work in education. He founded and was chairman of the nonprofit New Visions for Public Schools, a cause that was particularly close to his heart and one that is dedicated to improving public school education in New York City. As one of the city’s leading education-focused non-profits, New Visions has opened more than 140 public schools, created innovative programs and curricula for thousands of classrooms and partnered with leading businesses to broaden career opportunities. With a 91% on-time graduation rate, New Visions has become a model to other cities. Dick chaired and served on several other nonprofit boards, including Memorial Sloan Kettering, Carnegie Corporation and National Women’s Law Center, and corporate boards, including Evercore, Harley-Davidson and Heidrick & Struggles.

Dick always believed that, in order to be a good lawyer, you have to expand your horizons and use your talents in other areas of your life—a message that he often passed along to up-and-coming lawyers. In recognition of his dedication to service, Dick was honored by The American Lawyer with a “Lifetime Achievement” award for his “outstanding private sector success and a devotion to public service,” by The Legal Aid Society with its “Servant of Justice” award and by The Jewish Theological Seminary with its “Judge Simon H. Rifkind Award.” Dick also received countless accolades for his celebrated legal practice, with The American Lawyer in 2013 naming him as one of the “Top 50 Innovators” in the last 50 years for his role in developing the legal structures underpinning the private equity industry from its earliest days.

As we mourn the loss of our friend and colleague, we join Dick’s loving family in remembering his extraordinary career and life and the legacy of a commitment to excellence, loyalty and public service that he leaves behind.