Latham & Watkins Names 24 New Partners and 27 New Counsel

Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that 24 associates have been elected to the partnership and another 27 associates have been promoted to the role of counsel, effective January 1, 2025. The associate promotions announced today follow the election of 19 counsel to the partnership earlier this year.

“We celebrate the achievements of our newest partners and counsel and are excited to see their continued success and significant contributions to our global platform and clients. They embody our dedication to client service, culture of innovation and teamwork, and commitment to excellence. I am incredibly proud of each of them, as they play a crucial role in strengthening our firm and serving our clients,” said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins.

“This is truly one of my favorite times of the year. We all look forward to this milestone when we recognize our new partners and counsel and acknowledge their accomplishments. Their promotions reflect their hard work, talent, dedication, and the qualities that exemplify our values as a firm. Their diverse expertise and leadership enhance our ability to serve our clients now and in the future,” added Nathan Ajiashvili, Chair of the firm’s Associates Committee. A signature Latham tradition, the Associates Committee consists of nearly equal numbers of partners and associates who collaborate on key responsibilities, including recommending promotions to partner and counsel each year.

The 24 associates elected to the partnership are:

Europe and Middle East

Stephanie Adams (London) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She advises clients on UK and global merger control, foreign investment screening, antitrust, and subsidy control. She earned her Postgraduate Diploma in EU Competition Law from King’s College London in 2018, completed her LPC at BPP Law School in 2012, and earned her GDL from the College of Law in 2011.

Najla Al-Gadi (Riyadh) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department. She advises issuers and investment banks on IPOs, secondary equity offerings, and other securities offerings in various industries. She also advises issuers, boards of directors, and capital markets institutions on corporate governance, public M&A, and securities law matters. She earned her LLM from Harvard Law School in 2017 and her LLB from Prince Sultan University in 2014.

Jon Fox (London) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients on private equity buyouts and disposals, growth equity investments, emerging company fundraisings, and strategic M&A. He completed his LPC at the College of Law in 2013 and earned his LLB from the University of Bristol in 2012.

Kristina Hufnagel (Munich) is a member of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice and Tax Department. She advises German and international clients on all aspects of employment and labor law, including pensions, benefits, and compensation. She completed the Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court, Nuremberg in 2016; earned her Dr. jur. from the University of Regensburg in 2014; and completed the First German State Exam at the University of Passau in 2013.

Jack Isaacs (London) is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice and Finance Department. He advises public and private companies, lenders, bondholders, banks, investment funds, company directors, and officeholders on corporate restructurings, insolvencies, and special situations. He earned his LLB from the University of Sussex in 2009.

Calvin Ng (London) is a member of the Real Estate Practice and Corporate Department. He represents sponsors, investors, and financial institutions in real estate credit transactions across product classes. He received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney in 2009.

Gilad Zohari (Tel Aviv) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department. He advises companies, investment banks, private equity firms, and strategic investors on capital markets transactions, mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments, and other general corporate matters. He earned his LLM from Harvard Law School in 2016 and his LLB from Tel Aviv University Buchman School of Law in 2014.

United States

Nathan Beaton (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients in the healthcare and life sciences sector on regulatory, transactional, litigation, and legislative matters involving the US Food and Drug Administration and other regulatory authorities. He earned his JD from the University of Chicago Law School in 2016.

Megan Behrman (New York) is a member of the Securities Litigation & Professional Liability Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents individuals, emerging companies, financial institutions, and multinational corporations in shareholder derivative litigation, complex civil disputes, and US and foreign regulatory investigations and enforcement actions. She earned her JD from Harvard Law School in 2015.

Thomas Engelhardt (New York) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He represents private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as publicly traded and privately held businesses, in mergers and acquisitions; sales, dispositions, and carve-outs; investments; reorganizations; and general corporate matters. He earned his JD from St. John’s University School of Law in 2015.

Caitlin Fitzpatrick (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She advises clients on antitrust and competition matters, including obtaining regulatory approvals for mergers and acquisitions from US and global competition authorities, advising on government conduct investigations, and counseling clients on antitrust compliance matters. She earned her JD from Harvard Law School in 2013.

Ashley Fry (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents life sciences and technology clients in high-stakes patent litigation in district courts and before the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She earned her JD from Columbia Law School in 2012 and her BA in Biology from Harvard College in 2009.

Alex Grabowski (Chicago) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex patent litigation, helping to both enforce and defend against pharmaceutical and other life sciences patents covering drug products, medical devices, and chemical technologies. He earned his JD from the University of Chicago Law School in 2015.

Annelise Karreman (New York) is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department. She advises sponsors, lenders, private placement investors, equity investors, and developers in complex development, financing, acquisition, and divestment transactions in the energy and infrastructure industry. She earned her LLB from the University of Western Australia in 2013.

Eric Konopka (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Supreme Court & Appellate Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in federal and state appellate and trial courts and before administrative agencies, with a focus on complex tax, bankruptcy, and energy regulatory issues. He earned his JD from Columbia Law School in 2015.

Christine Mainguy (Houston) is a member of the Transactional Tax Practice and Tax Department. She advises corporations, private equity funds, partnerships, investment banks, and special purpose acquisition companies on US federal income taxation of mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, Up-C structures, restructurings, and capital markets transactions. She earned her JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2015.

Danielle McCall (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She focuses on white collar criminal defense, government and internal investigations, and complex commercial litigation, including cases involving the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law, and federal anti-discrimination laws. She earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2016.

Bryan Monson (San Diego) is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. He represents corporate borrowers, banks, and financial institutions in a range of complex financing transactions, including secured credit facilities, leveraged acquisition financings, construction financings, and sale-leasebacks, focusing on the gaming and hospitality industries. He earned his JD from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2015.

David Moore (Houston) is a member of the Investment Funds Practice and Corporate Department. He advises domestic and global private capital sponsors across industries and asset classes on fund formation, capital deployment, and other strategic transactions, including secondary transactions, sponsor spin-outs, and sponsor-level minority and control acquisitions. He earned his JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2015.

Ashley Nguyen (Houston) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. She advises companies, private equity firms, and venture capital investors on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and joint ventures across the energy and infrastructure industry, including in the oil and gas, petroleum chemical, renewables, and energy transition sectors. She earned her JD from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 2012.

Pelin Serpin (New York) is a member of the Data & Technology Transactions Practice and Corporate Department. She advises clients on technology-related transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic alliances; intellectual property licensing, commercialization, and transfers; technology development, research, and collaboration agreements; manufacturing, supply, and distribution arrangements; marketing and promotion agreements; and service provision agreements. She earned her JD from Columbia Law School in 2016.

Nathan Taylor (New York) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in state and federal courts, as well as in US and international commercial arbitrations, and has successfully tried numerous cases to verdict. He earned his JD from Cornell Law School in 2014.

Brian Umanoff (Orange County) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He represents public and private companies in a range of matters, including mergers and acquisitions, private financing, and corporate governance. He earned his JD from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2016.

Hanyu (Iris) Xie (New York) is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She advises financial institutions, fintech companies, and individual clients in regulatory inquiries and enforcement actions by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and other federal agencies as well as in securities and complex commercial litigation. She earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2015.

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The 27 associates promoted to counsel are:

Asia

Haibo (Jason) Zhao (Beijing) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He represents private equity funds and corporate clients in public and private M&A, joint ventures, and general corporate matters in the Greater China market and globally. He earned his LLM from the College of William & Mary in 2015 and his LLM from Queen Mary University of London in 2011.

Europe and Middle East

Ori Assa (Madrid) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients in Spain and globally on a range of M&A and private equity transactions, as well as general corporate matters. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Law from ICADE – Universidad Pontificia de Comillas in 2012, and his LLM from Fordham University School of Law in 2012.

Ralph Dräger (Frankfurt) is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. He represents financial institutions, infrastructure investors, private equity funds, and corporate borrowers in a range of cross-border and domestic finance transactions, including infrastructure financings, acquisition financings, general corporate financings, and financial restructurings. He completed his Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court, Frankfurt in 2016, earned his LLM from the University of Stellenbosch in 2013, and completed his First German State Exam at the University of Mannheim in 2012.

Martina Eisgruber (Frankfurt) is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. She advises German and international banks, investors, and companies on domestic and cross-border acquisition financings and refinancings, as well as restructurings. She earned her LLM from the University of California, Davis in 2017, completed her Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court, Regensburg in 2014, and completed her First German State Exam at the University of Regensburg in 2012.

Medha Marathe (London) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. She advises clients on complex and strategic M&A and private equity transactions, joint ventures, carveouts, and general corporate matters. She earned her BA LLB from the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences in 2011.

Daniel Marcus (London) is a member of the Structured Finance Practice and Finance Department. He advises banks and direct lending funds on their fund financing and counsels clients across a variety of other structured finance asset classes, including trade receivables and fintech loans and receivables. He received his LLB from the London School of Economics in 2009.

Roberto Muñoz (Madrid) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex litigation before Spanish courts at all levels, as well as in arbitration proceedings. He completed the executive program in Lawyers Management at IE Law School in 2022; earned his LLM from Queen Mary University of London in 2014; and earned LLB and BBA from Universidad Complutense de Madrid in 2012.

Koushik Prasad (London) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department. He represents companies and investment banks in complex capital raisings and mergers and acquisitions and advises on corporate governance, compliance with listing rules, disclosure obligations, market abuse regulations, and other regulatory requirements for public companies. He earned his BA LLB from the National Law School of India University in 2010.

Amy Watkins (London) is a member of the Transactional Tax Practice and Tax Department. She advises a range of corporate and financial clients on the tax aspects of mergers and acquisitions, private equity deals, reorganizations, capital markets offerings, and finance transactions. She completed her LPC at Nottingham Law School in 2009 and earned her BA in Law from the University of Manchester in 2007.

Jana Zupikova (London) is a member of the Structured Finance Practice and Finance Department. She represents investment managers, arranger banks, funds, and investors in relation to structured finance transactions, including collateralized loan obligation (CLO) bespoke portfolio financings, repo and derivatives transactions, the set-up of CLO platforms, risk retention funds, and other regulatory-driven structures. She completed her LPC at Nottingham Law School in 2005 and earned a GDL from Nottingham Law School in 2004.

United States

Bradley Baglien (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Connectivity, Privacy & Information Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents public and private technology companies in complex commercial and class action litigation involving data privacy, consumer protection, and commercial disputes, as well as in regulatory investigations and inquiries by US, EU, and global government regulators and agencies. He earned his JD from the University of Chicago Law School in 2007.

Ed Comber (New York) is a member of the Structured Finance Practice and Finance Department. He represents sponsors, issuers, borrowers, banks, underwriters, placement agents, investors, lenders, funds, and other financial institutions in a variety of structured finance, securitization, and secured financing transactions. He earned his LLM from Duke University School of Law in 2017; completed his LPC at BPP Law School in 2009; and earned his GDL from BPP Law School in 2008.

Marie Greenman (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Private Equity Finance Practice and Finance Department. She represents private equity sponsors and public and private company borrowers in domestic and cross-border secured lending and other financing transactions, including acquisition financings, cash-flow and asset-based loans, subordinated debt facilities, subscription lines of credit, and debt restructurings. She earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2014.

Shawn Hansen (Los Angeles) is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice and Finance Department. He represents clients in corporate restructurings, Chapter 11 reorganizations, distressed mergers and acquisitions, and general finance and corporate matters. He earned his JD from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law in 2015.

Jennifer Howes (San Diego / Bay Area) is a member of the Privacy & Cyber Practice and Corporate Department. She advises clients across industries on technology and data matters, including global data privacy, digital marketing, product development, artificial intelligence, consumer protection, incident response, and regulatory compliance. She earned her LLM from Columbia Law School in 2019 and her LLB from Victoria University of Wellington in 2013.

Devon MacLaughlin (Los Angeles) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department. She advises issuers and financial institutions in public and private financing transactions, including IPOs, follow-on and public equity offerings, investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings, exchange offers, tender offers, and acquisition financings. She earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2014.

Marysia Mullen (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice and Tax Department. She advises public and private companies on a range of executive compensation and employee benefit matters, including executive employment, separation and retention arrangements, and the design and implementation of equity-based and other incentive compensation plans. She earned her JD from Syracuse University College of Law in 2013.

Hana Nah (New York) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice and Corporate Department. She represents issuers and underwriters in complex debt and equity capital markets transactions, including investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings, liability management transactions, acquisition financings, IPOs, and SEC and stock exchange-related matters. She earned her JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2013.

Danny Nordstrom (Bay Area) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, as well as public and private companies, on mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, take-privates, joint ventures, carveouts, investments, recapitalizations, and general corporate matters. He earned his JD from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 2014.

Katherine Page (Los Angeles) is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. She represents banks and private credit funds as lenders in leveraged finance and private capital transactions, including mergers and acquisitions and capital structure refinancings. She earned her JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2000.

Thomas Pearce (New York) is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex environmental litigation and regulatory matters, including those involving contaminated sites, emerging contaminants, and natural resource damages, and advises on environmental issues in transactions. He earned his JD from New York University School of Law in 2015.

Naomi Smith (Boston) is a member of the Emerging Companies & Growth Practice and Corporate Department. She represents startups and emerging growth companies in the technology, healthcare, and life sciences industries in transactions including venture capital financings, corporate formation, securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, and private equity investments. She earned her JD from Northeastern University School of Law in 2014.

Changsheng (Eric) Song (Century City) is a member of the Transactional Tax Practice and Tax Department. He advises financial institutions, private equity funds, and public and private companies on domestic and cross-border transactional tax matters. He received his JD from the University of Michigan Law School in 2010.

Greg Sorensen (Houston) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients on strategic energy and infrastructure transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, with a focus on alternative energy and energy transition projects. He earned his JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2014.

Yi Sun (San Diego) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents clients in the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries before district and appellate courts, including litigation under the Hatch-Waxman Act and BPCIA. She earned her JD from Harvard Law School in 2015 and her PhD in Molecular Biology from Princeton University in 2011.

Robert Yeh (San Diego) is a member of the Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice and Corporate Department. He advises companies and investors in the life sciences sector on intellectual property-intensive transactions, including complex licensing, collaboration, joint venture, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets and private equity deals; research and collaboration agreements; and financing-related IP issues. He earned his JD from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law in 2012 and his PhD in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2004.

David Zucker (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in patent, copyright, and trade secret disputes in federal district and appellate courts and before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the US International Trade Commission. He earned his JD from Georgetown University Law Center in 2015 and his BS in Computer Engineering from the University of Florida in 2012.

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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 Israel through a limited liability company, in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office, and in Saudi Arabia through a limited liability company.