Latham & Watkins has bolstered its London finance bench with a trio of partner hires from A&O Shearman.
The incoming lawyers are real estate finance specialists David Oppenheimer and David Varne and structured finance partner Lucy Oddy, who returns to Latham after a 10-year hiatus.
They bring decades of experience advising lenders, private equity firms, corporates and other financial investors on cross-border real estate and structured finance deals. Oppenheimer was global head of A&O’s real estate finance practice.
Rich Trobman, chair and managing partner of Latham & Watkins, said: “Each partner is exceptionally talented in their field, and their track record and deep sector knowledge have earned them a reputation as being among the best.
“Their extensive experience at the cutting edge of the practice, particularly at the intersection of real estate and private capital, aligns well with our practice strengths. We are excited to welcome them to our firm and to add their knowledge and expertise to our strong and growing team in London and globally.”
Oppenheimer joins after two decades at A&O, having started there as a trainee in 2005 and been promoted to partner in 2015. He advises real estate lenders, private equity funds and investors across Europe.
Varne arrives after 12 and a half years at A&O, where he became a partner in 2021. He previously worked at Norton Rose Fulbright in Australia, where he originally qualified.
Oddy, meanwhile, rejoins Latham after just over a decade at A&O. Prior to her first spell at Latham, she was a partner at legacy Berwin Leighton Paisner and a senior associate at Clifford Chance. Her practice focuses on a broad range of asset-backed transactions, notably CMBS and other real estate deals. She also advises on cross-border debt portfolio disposals in Europe.
Ed Barnett, Latham’s London office managing partner, said: “Adding both Davids and Lucy is another significant development for our London practice. With years of leadership under their belts, they are exceptional additions to our team in the City.”
The trio are the latest additions to the London real estate and structured finance teams over the past year, following the hire of real estate private equity partner Jeremy Kenley from Gibson Dunn in November. The firm also added an 11-strong CLO team from A&O in June, including partners Franz Ranero and James Smallwood.
An A&O spokesperson said: “We thank David, Lucy and David for the contribution they have made to the firm and wish them all the best for the future.”
Frankfurt-based John Coburn has taken over from Oppenheimer as practice head of the real estate finance team.
Other US firms have been expanding their European real estate footprints recently. Back in October, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton hired Paul Hastings partner Stephen Nicolas to launch a European real estate practice. Also in October, Milbank hired Paul Hastings partner duo Miles Flynn and Rehan Hanif to launch its own European real estate finance practice.
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