Mayer Brown has hired a three-partner leveraged finance team in London from Baker McKenzie, as the firm continues to build its City finance bench.
The firm said Rob Mathews, David Becker and Ben Bierwirth would boost its high-yield, term loan B and leveraged finance capabilities in London, as well as strengthen its platform for New York and English law debt and equity solutions.
The trio are a long-standing team and joined Baker McKenzie in 2019 from White & Case, where Mathews and Becker were partners and Bierwirth was an associate. Mathews brings particular experience in the high-yield space and acts for both issuers and underwriters, with a focus on cross-border mandates.
Becker brings more than 25 years of experience in capital markets, high-yield and leveraged finance matters. He advises across the full credit lifecycle, with particular experience in the pharmaceuticals, life sciences, technology, real estate and hospitality sectors.
Bierwirth, who made partner at Baker McKenzie in 2023, brings a practice spanning syndicated credit facilities, US securities law, restructurings, debt exchanges, tender offers and liability management transactions.
Alex Dell, global co-head of Mayer Brown’s banking and finance practice, said the hires highlighted the firm's "continued momentum in the leveraged finance sphere and commitment to offering clients depth and breadth of expertise across borders”.
They take Mayer Brown's London banking and finance partner laterals to seven since the start of last year, among them Dechert's former global leveraged finance co-heads, David Miles and Philip Butler. Leveraged finance partner Sarah Goodwin also moved over from Kirkland & Ellis, among other hires across emerging markets and structured finance. With Mathews, Becker and Bierwirth, the banking and finance practice will have 35 partners in London.
Mayer Brown pointed to scaling in London as a driver of nearly 10% revenue growth in 2025, to $2.2bn. Profit per equity partner at the Chicago-founded firm grew by 14.5% to $3.2m in that time.
The trio's move comes amid an aggressive hiring market in London for leveraged finance partners to capture surging deal flow from private equity and direct lenders.
High-profile moves include Christopher McLaughlin and Alastair McVeigh's defection from Weil for Sullivan & Cromwell early this year as London head of leveraged finance and European private credit, respectively. And last year, Linklaters boosted its leveraged finance and private capital platform by bringing in partners Peter Hayes from Paul Hastings and Angel Quek from Latham & Watkins.
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