Ashurst has strengthened its US finance and restructuring bench with a four-partner team hire from Bracewell in New York.
The quartet are Jeris Brunette, Mark Dendinger, Rebecca Keep and William Ebert, who bring expertise in debt finance and restructuring, notably in the energy, infrastructure and commodities sectors. Their practice covers a range of transactional matters, including acquisition and working capital facilities, asset and reserve-based lending, project financings, in and out of court restructurings and liability management exercises.
The moves come ahead of Ashurst’s proposed $2.7bn transatlantic merger with Perkins Coie, which would create a top 20 global firm by revenue with more than 3,000 lawyers. The tie-up is subject to a partner vote this spring, with the merger expected to close in Q3.
Mark Edwards, head of global loans at Ashurst, said: “At a time when global markets are experiencing unprecedented volatility, scaling our support for US finance clients with integrated, specialised experience across the debt finance and bankruptcy spectrum, will be game-changing for us.
“This is a top team, with a remarkable depth of experience, and their addition to our existing practice substantially enhances our capability to serve clients not just in the US, but in the key markets of Europe and Asia as well.”
Brunette joins after more than 17 years at Bracewell, which she joined out of law school back in 2008, making partner in 2018. She specialises in commercial lending and project finance in the energy industry.
Dendinger arrives after 18 years at Bracewell, making partner in the same cohort as Brunette. Prior to his time at Bracewell, Dendinger worked in private equity at Landmark Partners. He specialises in all aspects of corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and insolvency proceedings.
Keep arrives after more than 13 years at Bracewell, the last nine of them as partner. She previously practised at Weil Gotshal & Manges and King & Wood Mallesons. She advises on a range of financing matters.
Ebert joins after a decade at Bracewell – his second spell at the firm – having made partner in 2020. He previously worked in-house as legal counsel at SunEdison following his first stint at Bracewell. He also specialises in a range of lending transactions.
The quartet’s arrival follows the hire of debt finance partners Rossie Turman and Joe Giannini from Lowenstein Sandler and Norton Rose Fulbright in September and June last year respectively.
Sharon Kim, New York office managing partner, said: “[This] expansion marks a step change in our New York offering, positioning us as a go-to firm for sophisticated financing solutions across a variety of industries. We are building something truly special in New York, and we could not be more excited about the trajectory of our US practice.”
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