Latham & Watkins Elects 19 New Partners

Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that 19 counsel have been elected to the partnership, effective March 1. Each delivers exceptional advice and service to clients in distinct areas of practice.

The counsel promotions announced today follow the election of 34 associates to the partnership, effective January 1, 2024.

“I am tremendously proud of our newest partners, whose legal skills, commitment to client service, and dedication to teamwork epitomize what it means to be a Latham partner. Their collective experience and industry knowledge add impressive depth to our market-leading practice and global platform. We’re excited about their continued success and the substantial contributions they will bring to our firm and our clients,” said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins.

The counsel who have been elected partners are:

Joshua Bledsoe (Orange County) is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients on energy transition matters involving complex infrastructure and development projects, particularly those utilizing renewable or low-carbon technologies and low-carbon fuels. He received his JD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 2004.

Rachel Blitzer (New York) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents clients in technically complex cases relating to trade secrets, patent infringement, copyright, breach of contract, business torts, and antitrust disputes. She earned her JD from the University of Chicago Law School in 2005.

Jason Burt (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients across industries in a variety of litigation matters, including cutting-edge and complex class action litigation, at trial and before government agencies. He received his JD from Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School in 2006.

Jana Dammann de Chapto (Hamburg) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents clients across industries on merger control and foreign investment control, particularly foreign direct investment regulations and filings. She received her Dr. jur. from the University of Hamburg in 2007 and LLM from the University of Miami School of Law in 2004, completed the Second German State Exam in 2007 at the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg, and the First German State Exam in 2002 at the University of Hamburg.

Thomas Doyen (Paris) is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice and Finance Department. He advises clients in pre-insolvency and insolvency proceedings as well as out-of-court negotiations, distressed M&A transactions, cross-border restructurings, special situation opportunities, and related litigation matters in a range of industries, acting on behalf of debtors, private equity sponsors, hedge funds, credit funds, banking institutions, and alternative capital providers. He earned his LLM from King's College London in 2012 and a Master 2 in Business Law from Université Paris IX Dauphine in 2011.

Patrick English (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He advises clients on merger control matters, particularly involving the healthcare industry, and premerger notification analysis under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. He earned his JD-MBA with a concentration in biotechnology from Northwestern University School of Law in 2009.

William Hackett (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Public Company Representation Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients on private and public securities offerings, general company representation, and public reporting obligations. He received his JD from Columbia University School of Law in 2012.

Marc Makary (Riyadh) is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department. He advises developers and sponsors on a range of project development and strategic joint venture transactions, and represents lenders and borrowers on infrastructure-related secured financings, with a particular focus on network infrastructure and energy projects. He received his LLM from Columbia University School of Law in 2009, and his LLB in Law from Saint Joseph University, Beirut in 2005.

Christina Mann (Frankfurt) is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. She represents private equity investors and corporate clients in domestic and cross-border M&A transactions on both the buy- and sell-sides, particularly in complex carve-outs and joint ventures. She completed the Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court of Passau in 2011 and the First German State Exam at the University of Passau in 2009.

Betsy Marks (Boston) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents clients in a range of litigation matters, complex civil disputes, securities litigation, and class actions, with a particular focus on bankruptcy litigation. She earned her JD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 2006.

Derek McKinley (Riyadh) is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department. He advises developers, investors, lenders, and procurers on energy and infrastructure projects, including midstream oil, gas, and petrochemical projects, as well as airports, highways, ports, and rail projects. He received his LPC from BPP Law School in 2006, LLM from the University of Cape Town in 2005, and LLBs from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Queen Mary University of London in 2003.

Elizabeth More (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. She advises clients on complex business transactions — including leveraged buyouts, divestitures, joint ventures, investments, carve-outs, and other strategic transactions — across a variety of industries, with an emphasis on energy and infrastructure and private equity-backed transactions. She received her JD from Tulane University Law School in 2009.

Gail Neely (New York) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department. She advises clients on a variety of complex regulatory and corporate matters, often in connection with securities offerings, and with a focus on broker-dealer regulatory matters and US state securities laws. She earned her JD from Fordham University School of Law in 2012.

Jason Ohta (San Diego) is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. A trial attorney with over two decades of experience, his practice focuses on civil and criminal healthcare fraud investigations and False Claims Act litigation. He received his JD from the University of San Diego School of Law in 2000.

Stefan Patzer (Hamburg) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in a range of disputes, particularly in securities, insolvency, and antitrust litigation, often in matters involving the healthcare and life science sector, and on the litigation aspects of data privacy. He completed the Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court of Hamburg in 2008, received his LLM from George Washington University in 2004, and completed the First German State Exam at the University of Cologne in 2001.

Zachary Rowen (New York) is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in M&A-related litigation, securities litigation, corporate governance, and other complex commercial litigation matters. He earned his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2012.

Clare Scott (London) is a member of the Investment Funds Practice and Corporate Department. She advises global private sponsors on a range of cross-border fund-related matters, focusing on raising and marketing private funds across asset classes and strategies and the ongoing operations of private investment vehicles. She earned her LPC in 2011 and a Graduate Diploma in Law in 2010 from the College of Law.

Peter Todaro (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He advises clients on antitrust clearance for high-value M&A, joint ventures, and other transactions, particularly merger clearances under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act. He received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1996.

Thomas Yeh (Los Angeles) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in patent and trade secret litigation in federal and state courts, as well as in cross-border investigations before the US International Trade Commission. He earned his JD from George Washington University Law School in 2012.

About Latham & Watkins

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

¹Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company, in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office, and in Saudi Arabia through a limited liability company.