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. The group consists of experienced and trusted advisers who collaborate with clients on a range of corporate, litigation, finance, and regulatory matters.

The counsel promotions announced today follow the recent election of 33 associates to the partnership, announced in October 2020 and effective January 1, 2021.

“We congratulate our newest partners, all of whom are exceptional lawyers who embody our culture of teamwork, innovation, and unwavering commitment to client service. Through hard work and dedication, they have built practices that contribute significantly to the growth of our firm across key markets and in important industry sectors,” said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins.

The counsel who have been promoted include:

Chicago

Nineveh Alkhas is a member of the Benefits, Compensation & Employment Practice in the Tax Department. She focuses on labor and employment law, advising clients in corporate transactions and counseling on day-to-day employment matters. She capitalizes on her employment litigation and counseling experience to assess risks and strategize with respect to labor and employment matters implicated in a deal. She received her JD from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2005.

Laura N. Ferrell is a member of the Investment Funds Practice in the Corporate Department. She advises a broad cross-section of the asset management industry on complex legal, regulatory, and compliance matters, including SEC examinations and investigations. In addition to advising leading global financial services institutions, she represents public and private investment vehicles such as private equity funds, private credit funds, and business development companies. She received her JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 2009.

Cindy Caillavet Sinclair is a member of the Banking Practice in the Finance Department. She represents financial institutions, private equity firms, and corporate borrowers in a wide range of leveraged finance transactions, including acquisition financings, working capital revolvers, large cap and middle market cash flow and asset-based lending facilities, reserve-based lending facilities, and debtor-in-possession and exit facilities. She received her JD from Northwestern University School of Law in 2005.

Hamburg

Ulrich Klockenbrink is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice in the Finance Department. He regularly guides clients through complex restructuring, distressed M&A, and enforcement situations, both in and out of court. His clients include investors, shareholders, lenders, lender groups, steering committees, insolvency administrators, and distressed companies in restructuring, insolvency, and financing matters. He earned his LLM from the University of Virginia in 2010 and his Dr. iur. as well as an Executive MBA in Mergers & Acquisitions from Westfälische Wilhelms-University in 2007. He completed the Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf in 2009 and the First German State Exam at Westfälische Wilhelms-University in 2005.

Hong Kong

Simon Hawkins is a member of the Financial Regulatory Practice in the Corporate Department and is Co-Chair of the firm’s global Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Task Force. His practice focuses on non-contentious financial regulatory matters. He has extensive experience advising banks, broker-dealers, asset managers, insurers, and fintech companies on conduct and compliance matters relating to financial regulation in Hong Kong and the broader Asia-Pacific region. He also frequently advises on the regulatory aspects of capital markets, structured finance, and M&A transactions involving financial institutions and fintech companies. He received his LPC from BPP Law School, London in 2007.

Richard Watkins is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice in the Corporate Department. He advises clients on private equity, M&A, and other corporate finance transactions, particularly cross-border M&A (ranging from buyouts to minority investments), growth capital, and consortia and joint ventures. He has a broad range of experience on both buy-side and sell-side transactions in a variety of industries, particularly asset management, TMT, real estate, and retail across regions. He received his LPC from College of Law, London in 2007 and a Graduate Diploma in Law from College of Law, London in 2006.

London

Thomas W. Cochran is a member of the Structured Finance Practice in the Finance Department. He advises on a wide range of securitization and structured finance transactions in the context of portfolio acquisitions, corporate restructurings, broader M&A transactions, and general treasury management. He has experience with traditional public securitizations and private warehouse financings, involving both well-established and esoteric asset classes. He received his LPC from BPP Law School, London in 2007 and a Graduate Diploma in Law from Oxford Brookes University in 2006.

JP Sweny is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice in the Finance Department. He represents sponsors, financial institutions, and private equity investors on a wide range of project finance and structured finance transactions, particularly in the energy and infrastructure sectors. He earned his LPC from College of Law, London in 2002 and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Law from College of Law, London in 2001.

Seonaid Todisco is a member of the Banking Practice in the Finance Department. She advises clients in all aspects of core and hybrid infrastructure, acting for a wide range of infrastructure funds, bank lenders, institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, insurance companies, and pension funds. She received her LPC from College of Law, Moorgate in 2007 and her LLB from the University of Nottingham in 2004.

David Wallace is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice in the Finance Department. He advises on direct lending, private debt, and preferred equity transactions, opportunistic credit, and equity investments, as well as complex multi-jurisdictional debt and equity restructurings. His clients include issuers and investors alike, including asset managers, credit and hedge funds, and other alternative capital providers, as well as corporates, private equity sponsors, and management teams. He received his LPC from College of Law, London in 2008 and a Bachelor of Laws from University College London in 2007.

Los Angeles

Arash Aminian Baghai is a member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department. He advises issuers, underwriters, and investors in securities offerings, particularly equity-linked securities transactions involving complex securities laws as well as tax and regulatory elements. He received his JD from Hastings College of the Law in 2001 and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Brian P. Duff is a member of the Mergers & Acquisitions Practice in the Corporate Department who represents strategic and private equity clients in public and private M&A transactions, particularly emerging companies and clients in the healthcare and life sciences sector. He also regularly advises public and private clients on corporate governance, securities law matters, and joint ventures. He received his JD from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2005.

Beth P. Gordie is a member of the Project Siting & Approvals Practice in the Environment, Land & Resources Department. Her practice focuses on land use, energy, and infrastructure matters. She advises developers, utilities, and other clients on all aspects of project development, from initial permitting and entitlement strategy to governmental approvals. She received her JD from Seattle University School of Law in 2003.

Madrid

Iván Rabanillo is a member of the Transactional Tax Practice in the Tax Department. He advises Spanish multinational groups and international investors on the tax aspects of cross-border M&A, financing, capital markets, and restructuring transactions, dealing with cutting-edge tax structuring issues. He earned his LLM from New York University School of Law in 2007, a Masters in Taxation from the University of Barcelona in 2003, and a law degree from Universidade Salvador in 2001. He is admitted to practice in Spain, Brazil, and the state of New York.

New York

Jason C. Ewart is a member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department. He advises underwriters and issuers on high-value debt transactions, with a focus on advising clients in high-yield debt offerings and acquisition financings. His work also encompasses bridge loan facilities, convertible debt offerings, restructurings, exchange offers, and consent solicitation processes. He received his JD from the University of Chicago Law School in 2007.

Paris

Mathilde Saltiel is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice in the Litigation & Trial Department. She represents international companies before the European Commission and the French competition authority in merger control proceedings and antitrust investigations, and coordinates multi-jurisdictional merger filings for global transactions. She advises clients in industries including telecommunications, financial services, and energy. She graduated from Sciences Po Paris in Business Law in 2008 and earned an Advanced Master in European Law from the University of Paris V in 2009.

Suzana Sava-Montanari is a member of the Capital Markets Practice in the Corporate Department. She advises financial institutions, buy-side market participants, and corporations in connection with derivatives and structured finance transactions and regulatory matters. She received her LPC from BPP Law School in 2003 and her LLB from the London School of Economics in 2001.

Washington, D.C.

Rachel Weiner Cohen is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice in the Litigation & Trial Department. Her practice focuses on complex intellectual property infringement disputes. She represents clients across a range of industries and technologies, including medical devices, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, power, automotive, multimedia, digital applications, and social networking. She has represented clients in trial and appellate matters and has experience with international arbitrations and general commercial litigation matters. She received her JD from the American University Washington College of Law in 2008.

Andrew Sorkin is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice in the Finance Department whose practice focuses on Chapter 11 and out-of-court restructurings. He represents debtors, creditors, shareholders, debtor-in-possession lenders, asset purchasers, investors, and professionals in restructuring matters spanning a variety of industries and sectors, including energy, telecommunications, manufacturing, power, automotive, and retail. He received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2007.

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

¹ Latham & 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 South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.