Geoffrey Bailhache - Partner

Geoffrey Bailhache is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Geoff has deep experience as former General Counsel for Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Blackstone, where he spent more than 10 years advising their Private Equity and Tactical Opportunities, Energy and Infrastructure Groups on complex, cross-border private equity mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, take private transactions and dispositions, among other corporate matters. Based in London, he has extensive experience spanning across geographies and industries.

Geoff is recognized by Chambers UK for Private Equity and was recently named to Private Equity News’ list of the “Twenty Most Influential Private Equity Lawyers” for 2024. He was named among the top 5 private equity bankers and lawyers in EMEA for 2023 and Europe’s top M&A and finance lawyers for 2022 by MergerLinks. In 2023, Geoff was included in The Lawyer’s Hot 100.

Antonio Bavasso - Partner

Antonio Bavasso is a leading antitrust lawyer with extensive experience in merger reviews, government antitrust investigations, antitrust litigation, and counseling on a variety of competition issues. Antonio leads the Firm’s European antitrust and foreign investment group and is considered one of the top advisors on merger control and regulatory litigation. He is consistently recognized as a leader in Competition Law by Chambers Global, Chambers UK, Chambers Europe, and The Legal 500 UK (“Hall of Fame”), where he is described as a “Superstar” with “an exceptional understanding of the relevant law, excellent judgement, and superb skills in dealing efficiently and sensitively with clients.”

He has represented clients in obtaining antitrust approvals in numerous precedent-setting and challenging matters in the technology, media, and telecom sector. He also has extensive experience in antitrust litigation, having advised on complex merger control cases before the Competition Appeal Tribunal of the United Kingdom, the Court of Appeal, and the EU General Court.

Andrew Bechtel - Partner

Based in the Firm’s London office, Andrew Bechtel is a Partner in the Banking and Credit Practice and a key member of the Firm’s Alternative Capital and Private Credit group. His practice focuses on advising leading private equity sponsors, corporates and lenders in connection with high value cross-border leveraged and acquisition financings (including take private transactions and multi instrument bank/bond structures) in addition to advising leading sponsors and credit funds with respect to structured credit solutions and subordinated debt/equity investments across a wide range of sectors and products, including direct credit, real estate finance, loan on loan financings, preferred equity investments, holdco financings, convertible instruments and emergency liquidity lines.

Stephanie Biggs - Partner

Stephanie Biggs co-leads the Firm’s European financial services and funds regulatory team and advises private funds, asset managers and financial institutions on European financial market regulations and transactions. Noted by clients as “very highly regarded in the funds regulatory space,” she has advised some of the world’s most prominent sponsors on the European regulatory aspects of major fundraises, including structuring and marketing issues, and has advised on the acquisitions of businesses subject to financial regulation, including change in control and regulatory capital matters.

James Board - Partner Recognized as a “Rising Star” by Private Debt Investor and Euromoney LMG, James Board is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s London Funds Practice. James advises primarily on the establishment and operation of credit funds, including special situations, distressed, direct lending, liquid, structured and real estate credit funds. He also has substantial experience guiding sponsors in establishing single investor funds and managed accounts involving institutional investors. In addition, James advises on the structure and terms of incentive arrangements, including co-investment, executive carried interest and similar agreements.

Adam J. Brunk - Partner Based in the Firm’s London office and a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice, Adam Brunk focuses on private equity acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures on behalf of leading international fund sponsors. Adam has worked on deals across Europe, the Americas and Asia. In 2024, Adam was recognized among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers.” 

James Campisi - Partner

James Campisi is a Partner in the Firm’s London Corporate team. He advises private equity firms and corporate clients on a variety of complex, cross-border matters, including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, take private transactions and auction processes. His clients have included private equity firms such as Apax Partners, Blackstone, KKR, CVC and Silver Lake Partners.

Prior to joining Simpson Thacher in 2019, James practiced at a top-tier Australian law firm in Sydney.

Samuel H. Charlton - Partner

Based in our London office, Samuel Charlton is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Department. Samuel concentrates his practice on private equity real estate acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures on behalf of leading international fund sponsors. Samuel’s clients have included Blackstone, GLP, Boreal, KKR, Optimum, Northwood and Modal. In 2024, Samuel was recognized among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Global Real Estate Lawyers.”

Bethany Cowen - Partner Beth Cowen focuses her practice on the formation and operation of private investment funds across a variety of investment strategies, as well as related aspects of the alternative investment class, including single investor funds, co-investment arrangements and the structuring of carried interest and other incentive schemes.

Carol Daniel - Partner Carol Daniel routinely advises private equity sponsors, issuers and underwriters on their high yield bond offerings, restructurings, initial public offerings and other corporate finance transactions. She has also represented corporations and private equity sponsors in a variety of leveraged buyouts transactions, as well as general corporate and securities law matters. Some of her recent representations have included, Cognita, New Look and Hurtigruten. Having practiced in both our New York and London offices, her clients have included Apax, TDR, KKR and their portfolio companies as well as JPMorgan and Credit Suisse.

Jacob Durkin - Partner

Jacob Durkin focuses his practice on domestic and cross-border private credit, syndicated and special situations transactions, including leveraged, acquisition, fund-level and asset-backed financings. He advises direct lenders, private credit funds, investment banks, sponsors and other financial institutions across a broad range of sectors and products, including unitranche, first and second lien, holdco PIK, public-to-private, ARR, preferred equity, mezzanine, convertible and other hybrid instruments.

Gareth Earl - Partner

Gareth Earl advises on the establishment and operation of a wide variety of private investment funds, including private equity, growth, venture capital, energy, infrastructure, real estate, secondaries and credit funds together with bespoke managed account arrangements. His practice also includes advising on the structure and terms of executive carried interest, co-investment and similar incentive arrangements. Gareth has represented such leading international fund sponsors as Actis, Affinity Equity Partners, Astorg, Apax, BC Partners, Bridgepoint, Charterhouse, Cinven, Coller Capital, CVC and EQT.

David Edwards - Partner

David Edwards is co-head of our European Disputes practice based in London and has acted in some of the world’s largest and most complex corporate and commercial disputes conducted in the English and international courts, and in international arbitration. David has advised on a vast range of high-profile strategic battles, including successfully defending several clients in respect of worldwide freezing orders (the “nuclear weapon” of the English courts). He also has advised a large number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals and ultimate beneficial owners of international business conglomerates in relation to their contentious and strategic commercial positions and has forged a practice in respect of complex international shareholder disputes. David’s experience in major international disputes spans industries including energy and natural resources, telecoms, power projects, pharmaceutical, banking and finance (including offshore), cryptocurrency, technology, commodities and trusts. He also has advised on a variety of ESG-related matters for clients. David has been recognized among the world’s leading practitioners advising on disputes and arbitrations by Legal 500, Who’s Who Legal and Euromoney.

James Esterkin - Partner James Esterkin is a Partner in the Firm’s London Real Estate Finance practice. He advises international private equity sponsors, portfolio companies and other top-tier investors in connection with the financing of U.K. and European real estate and related investments. James specializes in complex cross-border real estate acquisition and development financing, non-performing loan financing arrangements and the restructuring of real estate related secured debt.

Matt Feehily - Partner

Matt Feehily is a Partner in the Firm’s Sustainability and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Practice. He represents a broad range of clients, including private equity firms, project sponsors, portfolio companies and corporations, and covers novel and complex legal issues in an emerging area of law and regulation. Matt has extensive experience advising on EU and UK regulatory frameworks for sustainable finance and ESG disclosures at product, firm and company levels, including under the EU Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR), EU Taxonomy Regulation, the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and UK Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) reporting regimes.

Paul Foote - Partner

Paul Foote is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice. Based in London, Paul advises private equity and infrastructure funds on a wide range of complex domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, joint venture and consortium transactions, restructurings, leveraged buyouts and take private transactions, among other corporate matters.  Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Paul was a senior associate in a Magic Circle firm in London, and spent time on secondment to Blackstone and Antin Infrastructure Partners.

Edward Ford - Partner

Ed Ford advises clients on the structuring and negotiation of highly complex secondary market solutions. His work is wide ranging, covering GP-led continuation funds, tenders, strip sales, NAV-financings and preferred/structured equity financings, as well as LP-led secondary activity across the capital structure.

Adam Gallagher - Partner

Recognized as one of the leading restructuring advisors in the United Kingdom, Adam Gallagher is a Partner and Head of Simpson Thacher’s London-based Restructuring team. With more than two decades of experience, Adam advises on complex, cross-border restructurings, distressed refinancings and intercreditor agreement disputes. He represents borrowers, directors, shareholders and sponsors, banks, credit funds and bondholders, as well as pension trustees, liquidators, receivers and administrators. With experience representing clients across the capital structure, Adam has been recognized as one of the leading restructuring lawyers in the United Kingdom for more than 15 years by Chambers, where he is described as a lawyer who is “very determined” and “highly intelligent” and who “stands in his client’s corner and helps find a solution to problems.”

Clare Gaskell - Partner

Clare Gaskell advises on private M&A and public takeovers as well as equity capital markets transactions and other corporate matters, including minority and preferred equity investments, consortium transactions, restructurings and management equity plans, with a focus on private equity and other financial sponsor clients. Based in the Firm’s London office, she has particular experience in law and regulation applicable to UK-listed companies and handles complex cross-border transactions with international counterparties. Clare was recently recognized by Chambers UK for her private equity practice. She has also been named “M&A Lawyer of the Year” and “Best in Private Equity” at Euromoney’s Women in Business Law EMEA Awards, “Transatlantic Dealmaker of the Year” by LegalWeek,  and a “Hot 100: Dealmaker” by The Lawyer.

Lucy Gillett - Partner

Named a 2024 “U.K. Female Rising Star” by Law.com International, Lucy Gillett advises across a broad range of transactions, from complex cross-border private equity portfolio acquisitions to acquisitions and disposals of interests in private equity firms and other alternative asset managers, as well as public M&A transactions. Lucy also represents clients on IPOs and other equity capital markets transactions and provides board-level advice on general corporate matters, particularly those relevant to U.K.-listed companies.

Jason Glover - Partner

Jason Glover is among the most respected international private funds practitioners, representing many of the leading European and developing-market PE firms in structuring complex global funds. Jason’s clients include Actis, Affinity, Apax, Bridgepoint, CapVest, Cinven, Coller Capital, CVC, EQT, Oakley Capital, Softbank Group and Triton. His practice also includes structuring complex employee leveraged co-investment plans together with carried interest and other compensation plans.

The Chambers 100 list ranked Jason in the top 10 of the best U.K. business lawyers. Including Jason on its “Legal Power 30” list, Private Equity Manager declared him to be “one of the leading lights of big-ticket private equity fund formation work in Europe.” Leading the Firm in the U.K. as its London Managing Partner for eight years, Jason has been identified among the “50 Most Influential People in European Private Equity” and “20 Most Influential in Legal Services” in Europe by Financial News.

Sacha Gofton-Salmond - Partner

Sacha Gofton-Salmond advises clients on the structuring and negotiation of complex secondary market solutions, including GP-led and LP-led secondary transactions, preferred equity financings and other structured secondary transactions in relation to both concentrated assets and diversified portfolios. In addition, she advises asset managers and their investors on co-investment transactions and also provides counsel on fund-level and manager restructurings.

Edward Hampson - Partner

Edd Hampson is Partner in the Firm’s London office, where he is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Finance practice. Edd focuses on advising private equity and corporate clients on real estate investments and has represented clients on a variety of credit transactions, including in cross-border matters across a broad range of industries.

Marc Hecht - Partner

Based in our London office, Marc Hecht is a Partner in the Firm’s Restructuring team. Marc has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border stressed, distressed and insolvency situations. He advises the full spectrum of stakeholders regularly representing debtors, creditors, capital solution providers, sponsors, management teams and insolvency practitioners. Marc also advises clients in connection with acquisitions of distressed assets and companies and has familiarity with offshore restructuring and insolvency regimes having previously practiced in the Cayman Islands.

Paul Hibbert - Partner

Paul Hibbert is a Partner in the Firm’s Banking and Credit Practice and is based in the London office. He represents private equity and infrastructure sponsors, corporates, financial institutions and other lenders on cross-border infrastructure and leveraged acquisition finance transactions across a range of debt products and structures (including syndicated loans, multi-creditor platform transactions, private placements, public-to-private transactions, capex roll-outs and holdco/midco financing arrangements). He has extensive experience advising clients on cross-border financing arrangements across the infrastructure sector, including digital, transport, energy and energy transition, as well as social infrastructure.

Recognized by Chambers UK, Legal 500 UK and IFLR 1000 UK for his notable work in the infrastructure and banking and finance areas, clients have praised Paul as “a fantastic lawyer who really understands client service. He works tirelessly to meet client needs. He's a go-to guy for financing queries.”

James R. Howe - Partner

James R. Howe is a leading mergers and acquisitions attorney focused on advising elite private equity sponsors and financial investors on their most significant transactions. According to Chambers “James stands out” with clients describing him as “a brilliant, creative and proactive lawyer.” Private Equity News included him in its list of the “Twenty Most Influential Private Equity Lawyers” in Europe, calling him “a prolific dealmaker.”

Shahpur K. Kabraji - Partner

A Partner in the Firm’s London office, Shahpur K. Kabraji is a member of the Banking and Credit Practice. He focuses primarily on domestic and cross-border syndicated credit, acquisition finance and other leveraged finance transactions. Shahpur regularly serves as counsel to leading private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in acquisition financings, bank and bridge loan financings, unitranche facilities and refinancings, and other corporate finance transactions. His recent representations include advising Silver Lake in financing its acquisition of Software AG and Flutter Entertainment in connection with certain refinancing transactions.

Robert Lee - Partner Rob Lee is a Partner in the Private Funds Practice in the London office. Rob’s practice focuses on the formation and operation of private investment funds across a variety of investment strategies, as well as related aspects of the alternative investment class, including managed accounts, co-investment arrangements and the structuring of carried interest and other incentive schemes. Rob has represented various leading sponsors of private equity, infrastructure and other alternative investment funds, including EQT, Cinven, Apax Partners, CVC Capital Partners, Oakley Capital and MidEuropa. Rob is acknowledged by Legal 500 as a “Next Generation Partner” and was recognized as one of the four “Rising Stars” under 40 amongst fund formation lawyers by Law360 in 2019 and has also been named as one of the “Rising Stars in Private Equity” by Legal Week.

Angus Lennox - Partner

Angus Lennox is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice. Based in London, Angus has extensive experience advising on real estate private equity matters across jurisdictions. Clients turn to Angus for his innovative approach to complex real estate deals, including some of the sector’s most challenging and impactful matters. Angus was formerly Managing Director in Blackstone’s European Real Estate Group, where he focused on public and private M&A and joint ventures.

Sarah Lindley - Partner

Based in the London office, Sarah advises a variety of clients on tax considerations in relation to the full spectrum of corporate transactions, ranging from mergers and acquisitions, dispositions and asset sales and corporate restructurings to tax planning, finance tax and contentious tax matters. She has a particular interest in the infrastructure and technology sectors.

Daniel James Thomas Lloyd - Partner

A Partner in the Private Funds Practice of the London Office, Dan Lloyd focuses on the formation and operation of private investment funds across a broad range of investment strategies, and other aspects of private investing in alternative asset classes, including separate account arrangements, co-investments and the structuring of executive carried interest and co-investment arrangements. Dan has represented many of the largest and most well-known sponsors of private equity funds, including Apax Partners, Astorg, BC Partners, Bridgepoint, Carlyle, Charterhouse, Cinven, Coller Capital, CVC Capital Partners and EQT, on significant private equity fund formations. Dan was named a 2023 “Legal Rising Star” by Private Funds CFO, a 2022 “Private Equity Rising Star by Law.com International, a 2021 “Rising Star” in Fund Formation by Law360 and a 2021 “Private Equity Rising Star” by Legal Week.

Tom Lloyd - Partner

Tom Lloyd is Partner in the Firm’s London office, where he is head of the London Real Estate Finance practice and co-head of the London Real Estate group. Tom advises clients on an array of credit transactions and financial instruments, as well as cross-border finance issues, with a focus on sponsor driven real estate financing. Some of Tom’s clients include Blackstone, KKR and Apollo.

Owen Lysak - Partner

Based in Simpson Thacher’s London office, Owen Lysak founded and co-leads the Firm’s European financial services and funds regulatory practice and co-founded and co-leads the European registered and retail funds practice. Owen is widely recognized as a leading practitioner advising private funds and alternative asset managers on complex U.K. and EU financial regulatory matters and on the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments. Owen has deep experience counseling prominent private funds, asset managers and financial institutions on U.K. and EU financial market regulations and transactions, including AIFMD, MiFID II and UCITS, as well as helping asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products, including having advised on many of the leading European private markets retail funds. His broad practice also includes advising on the regulatory aspects of M&A and restructurings within the financial sector, market abuse regulations, regulatory capital requirements and securities offering rules.

Owen is acknowledged by Legal 500 UK as a “Next Generation Partner” and Chambers UK where clients describe him as “able to distil mind-bending complexity into plain English” and “a leader in complex cross-border regulation”. He was recognized by  IFLR as one of the most influential individuals in financial regulation in 2019 and as a “Rising Star” for financial services regulatory by IFLR1000. He was also named to Private Equity International’s Private Funds Management “30 Under 40 Lawyers” list in 2015 and 2017.

Wheatly MacNamara - Partner

Managing Partner of our London office, Wheatly MacNamara is a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, head of the London Real Estate M&A practice and co-head of the London Real Estate group.

Wheatly concentrates her practice on real estate acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures, particularly for private capital sponsors. She represents such leading international fund sponsors as Blackstone, KKR, KSL, Starwood, Apollo and Sixth Street. She has notably advised Blackstone in multiple transactions, including the over 200 acquisitions that became the Mileway last-mile logistics platform, as well as its €21 billion recapitalisation. She also acted for Blackstone on its $7 billion hyperscale data center development joint venture with Digital Realty, C$6.2 billion take-private acquisition of Dream Global REIT, its €12.25 billion sale of Logicor to CIC and its €630.7 million acquisition of Hotel Investment Partners and subsequent sale to GIC of its 35% stake in the company. She has acted for a range of sponsors on joint ventures and operating partner platforms, including with operating partners such as M7, Valor and Cabot. 

Amy Mahon - Partner

Based in London, Amy Mahon is Co-Head of the Firm’s Energy and Infrastructure Practice and advises a range of clients through all stages of the investment cycle within the energy and infrastructure industry. She counsels infrastructure funds and corporate clients on a wide range of complex domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions, joint venture and consortium transactions and restructurings across the infrastructure sector. Amy is recognized as a leading practitioner by Chambers UK for infrastructure and private equity where clients describe her as “a highly respected lawyer who has done it all in the infrastructure space.” She was a contributing editor for the first edition of Chambers Global Practice Guide to Private Equity, which offers a comparative analysis of private equity across the globe. She is also recognized as a Leading Individual by Legal 500 for Infrastructure M&A. 

Caleb McConnell - Partner

Caleb McConnell advises clients on the tax aspects of a broad range of U.K. and international corporate and funds matters, with a particular emphasis on complex tax structuring of investment funds, cross-border mergers and acquisitions and fund financings. Recognized by The Legal 500 for his prowess on tax matters, Caleb has advised clients including Blackstone, BlackRock, Bridgepoint Group and Apax, among others.

Katie McMenamin - Partner

Based in our London office, Katie advises both users and providers of fund finance products across numerous investment strategies, implementing some of the most highly structured and complex facilities across the spectrum of fund finance products available in the market. Katie’s multifaceted practice—which includes advising on subscription financings, NAV and hybrid financings, secondaries financing structures, GP-support and co-invest facilities and back-leverage and preferred equity products—uniquely positions her to help clients achieve their specific commercial goals.

Widely recognized for her business acumen, Katie is consistently ranked by Chambers as one of the leading lawyers in banking and finance and fund finance, with clients describing her as “a sharp technical mind with a strong commercial awareness.” She was also recently recognized among Business Today’s “Top 10 Influential Mid-Market Banking and Finance Lawyers in London,” and has previously been named a “Hot 100: Dealmaker” by The Lawyer and a “Rising Star” in Private Equity by Law.com International.

Katie has spoken at various Fund Finance Association conferences, most recently presenting at the FFA European Symposium 2024 on “Hot Topics in Fund Finance”. She also co-authored the chapter “Rated Subscription Lines: An emerging solution for the liquidity crunch?” for the Global Legal Insights’ Fund Finance 2024.

Vasanth Padaki - Partner

Vasanth is a Partner in the Private Funds Practice based in the Firm's London office. Vasanth’s practice focuses the formation and operation of private investment funds, bespoke managed account arrangements and co-investment vehicles across a variety of investment strategies, including private equity, growth, impact and infrastructure. Vasanth has represented a number of leading sponsors of investment funds, including Apax Partners, CVC Capital Partners and Triton.

Antti Pesonen - Partner

Based in our London office, and part of our Banking Practice, Antti Pesonen focuses on domestic and cross-border syndicated credit, acquisition finance and other leveraged finance transactions. He advises both borrowers and banks throughout Europe. He is admitted as an English solicitor.

Étienne Renaudeau - Partner

Étienne Renaudeau focuses his practice on obtaining antitrust approvals of high-profile transactions, which are often cross-border and global in scope, as well as advising clients on antitrust litigation and ongoing counseling. He has represented clients in matters involving the European Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the French Competition Authority and other global competition authorities. He has been recognized by Who’s Who Legal as a 2023 “Global Elite Thought Leader – Under 45” and previously as a “Future Leader,” for six consecutive years, in the area of Competition.

Tyler B. Robinson - Partner

Tyler Robinson is co-head of our European Disputes practice based in London. He is dual-qualified in the United States and England and handles a wide variety of high-stakes commercial disputes in the US and English courts and international commercial arbitrations seated in venues across Asia, Europe, and North and South America. His clients include leading global private equity firms and their portfolio companies, hedge funds, and multinational companies in the investment, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, consumer retail, energy, telecommunications, defense and insurance industries. Tyler has extensive experience before arbitration tribunals throughout the world, including UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, AAA/ICDR, HKIAC, JAMS, SCC and ad-hoc international arbitrations. He has litigated cross-border disputes in the national courts of the United States, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea, Indonesia, New Zealand, India, Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina and the Cayman Islands and has extensive experience working closely with local counsel in foreign jurisdictions throughout the world. Tyler also regularly advises clients on contentious and regulatory matters that arise in connection with the firm’s corporate transactional practices, where a litigation-experienced perspective can offer new solutions or creative arguments to advance the client’s commercial and transactional goals. He is recognized in The Legal 500 as “a master at collating highly complex and technical elements cohesively” and was named a National Law Journal “ADR Champion” in 2017.

Yash Rupal - Partner

Head of the Firm’s U.K. Tax Practice, Yash Rupal represents a broad range of U.K. and international corporate clients, financial institutions, investment funds, hedge funds, asset managers and their respective executives on complicated, often cross-border, mergers and acquisitions, investment fund planning and tax planning matters. He also advises extensively on tax disputes, tax litigation and HMRC enquiries. With more than 30 years of experience advising many of the world’s leading asset managers and financial institutions, Yash is widely regarded as one of the most preeminent tax practitioners in London. The Legal 500 describes Yash as “combining technical excellence with genuine commerciality” and as having “unparalleled experience, industry knowledge and insight.” Chambers and Partners describes him as “outstanding” and praises him as “extremely gifted technically and massively pragmatic.”

Emma Serginson - Partner

Emma Serginson represents private equity and infrastructure sponsors, financial institutions and other lenders on cross-border infrastructure and leveraged acquisition finance transactions across a range of debt products and structures (including syndicated loans, multi-creditor platform transactions, private placements, public-to-private transactions, capex roll-outs and holdco/midco financing arrangements). She has extensive experience advising clients on cross-border financing arrangements across the healthcare, transportation, energy and energy transition, and digital infrastructure sectors.

Emma was named among the top 30 rising star finance lawyers most active on deals across EMEA in MergerLinks’ “Rising Stars” series. She has also spent time on secondment at the credit products legal team of JPMorgan in London.

Hadrien Servais - Partner

Hadrien Servais leads the European Private Credit team and has extensive experience advising direct lenders, major investment banks, private capital providers and private equity sponsors. His practice focuses on cross-border acquisitions, complex banking and credit transactions, leveraged finance, opportunistic credit financings, direct loans, syndicated credit facilities and debt financing solutions spanning all market cycles.

Seema Shah - Partner As a member of our Private Funds Practice based in London, Seema Shah focuses on the sponsoring and operation of private investment funds, and other aspects of private investing in alternative asset classes, including the structuring of executive carried interest and co-investment arrangements and separate account arrangements. Seema has advised some of Europe’s leading sponsors on some of the largest fundraisings in Europe, including Apax Partners, BC Partners, Coller Capital, CVC Capital Partners and CVC Credit Partners. Having been named a “Rising Star” in Asset Management by Law360, Seema was also recently recognized among the “25 Rising Stars of Private Equity in Europe” for 2021 by Financial News.

Nicholas J. Shaw - Partner

A former Fulbright Scholar, Nick Shaw is a Partner in the Firm’s London office. He routinely advises leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies and has extensive experience on high yield deals for both investment banks and European issuers. Chambers cites him as a “main player in the market” who is “highly respected by peers.” His clients have included KKR, Apax, TDR Capital, I Square Capital, Blackstone and Silver Lake Partners.

Stephen Short - Partner A Partner in the Firm’s London office, Stephen Short focuses on domestic and cross-border acquisition finance and other leveraged finance transactions involving both private and public transactions. He also advises on fund level financings.

Adam Signy - Partner A leading practitioner in his field, Adam Signy practices in our London office and focuses on mergers and acquisitions—particularly private equity transactions and public company takeovers —as well as equity capital markets. He has represented private equity firms,  corporate clients and banks across a range of industries. 

Consistently ranked in the top tier by legal directories, Adam is described by Chambers as “a pre-eminent corporate lawyer who offers deep experience in significant M&A deals. Major banks, corporates and private equity funds look to him for high end legal counsel”

Kate Sinclair - Partner

Kate Sinclair is a Partner at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where she is co-head of the London Fund Finance Practice and a member of the Banking and Credit Practice. Kate has extensive experience in advising private equity and other investment funds on complex financings designed to provide fund-level leverage to facilitate and support investment activities. She regularly advises leading sponsors on a broad range of financings including capital call facilities, NAV facilities, GP facilities and co-investment facilities as well as other bespoke financing solutions.

Toby Smyth - Partner

Toby Smyth has extensive experience acting for a wide range of stakeholders including debtors, creditors, distressed investors, officeholders and other key parties involved in complex cross-border restructuring and insolvency mandates.

Toby has been recognised as a leading restructuring lawyer by Legal 500 and Chambers where he is described by clients as a “rising star in the industry” and “standout performer on his team who is fully aligned with delivering the best outcomes for his clients”.

Toby has recently advised on the restructuring of the Accell Group, Matches Fashion, Flint / ColourOz and Telepizza / Food Delivery Brands.  Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, he advised on matters including the restructuring of Steinhoff Europe, Arcadia and House of Fraser.

Ben Spiers - Partner

Ben Spiers is a leading mergers and acquisitions attorney, focusing on public and private M&A, securities and corporate restructurings. He has advised a number of clients on complex cross-border transactions around the globe. Ben has been recognized as a leader in his field by IFLR1000, Legal 500 UK and Chambers UK where he is described as “a fantastic full-service counsel.”

Ben has stellar experience in UK public takeovers as well as in asset management M&A.

Gil J. Strauss - Partner

Based in our London office, Gil Strauss focuses his practice on U.S. securities law. Gil has extensive experience working for private equity sponsors, publicly held and privately held companies and underwriters on their high yield bond offerings, leveraged buyouts transactions, restructurings, initial public offerings and other corporate finance transactions, as well as general corporate and securities law matters. He also has extensive experience in infrastructure financing transactions, including project finance bonds. Gil has consistently been recognized in his field, including by Chambers UK, IFLR1000 UK and Legal 500 UK, who categorize Gil as a Hall of Fame lawyer for High Yield.

Christopher Vallance - Partner

Named as a 2023 “Private Equity Rising Star” by Law.com International and a 2023 “Rising Star: Top UK PE Lawyers” by MergerLinks, Christopher Vallance focuses on complex cross-border mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, investments, dispositions and other corporate transactions. He has advised a wide array of clients, including several prominent private equity sponsors, on matters in sectors ranging from financial services to fintech and technology more broadly, industrials, media and entertainment and consumer and retail, among others.

James Watson - Partner

Based in our London office, James Watson is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Restructuring Team. Recognized by both Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK, James has extensive experience in domestic and cross-border restructurings and formal insolvency situations. He advises the full spectrum of stakeholders, regularly representing debtors and creditors as well as sponsors and insolvency practitioners. James also advises clients on investments in special situations involving stressed or distressed companies.

Claire Williams - Partner

Claire Williams is a Partner in the Firm’s Credit Practice, based in the London office and concentrating on infrastructure debt finance matters. She represents financial sponsors and their portfolio companies on complex cross-border financings across a wide range of infrastructure asset classes (including energy and energy transition, regulated utilities, transport and digital infrastructure). Claire has extensive experience on senior and subordinated financing structures for acquisition (including public-to-private), capex roll-out and refinancing transactions and regularly advises clients on multi-source and rated debt raisings.

Jiaying Zhang - Partner

Jiaying Zhang advises a range of clients through all stages of the investment cycle within the energy and infrastructure industry. In particular, she counsels infrastructure funds on a wide range of complex domestic and cross border mergers and acquisitions, joint venture and consortium transactions, management equity plans and restructurings. Jiaying was recently named a finalist in the “Rising Stars” category at Law.com International’s 2022 British Legal Awards and a 2022 Top 25 Up-and-coming lawyer most active on UK Listing Authority deals by MergerLinks.

Vandana Harris - Senior Counsel

Based in London, Vandana Harris is Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. Vandana advises clients on the structuring, formation and operation of private investment funds across a variety of investment strategies, including managed accounts and co-investment arrangements. She also advises clients on issues arising from domestic and international alternative investment transactions. Vandana has counselled institutional investors, as well as private equity sponsors, hedge funds, venture capital and impact funds on a broad range complex, cross-border transactions.

Meredith B. Jones - Senior Counsel

Meredith Jones is Senior Counsel in the London office of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where she is a member of the Firm's Tax Department. Meredith advises the Firm’s London office clients on the federal income tax aspects of a broad range of transactions, including corporate mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, real estate and infrastructure transactions, private fund formation and cross-border tax matters generally. Clients Meredith has advised include Blackstone, KKR, CVC and Apax.

Mark Kingstone - Senior Counsel Mark Kingstone acts as Senior Counsel in the Firm’s Tax Practice. He is a U.K. and international tax lawyer with more than 30 years of experience, having previously been a tax partner at a Magic Circle firm for 25 years. He has extensive experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, corporate reorganisations and complex financings, as well as fund formation and asset manager advice. Mark also has experience counseling on contentious tax matters in the U.K., including tax authority enquiries and disputes involving FTSE 100 and other multinational companies.

Grace Boos - Counsel

Grace Boos is Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Practice. Grace represents institutional clients in a variety of complex, high-value commercial disputes, including contractual and corporate litigation. She has particular experience in financial services and investment funds disputes and contentious matters arising from insolvency situations.

Lauren Brazier - Counsel Lauren Brazier is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department and is based in the London office. She is qualified in England and Wales, New York and New Zealand. Her practice focuses on high-profile complex commercial disputes, particularly those with an international dimension. She has advised leading global companies in connection with a broad range of contentious issues, including those arising adjacent to M&A deals, fund structures and limited partner, co-investor, shareholder and key-person relationships. Lauren represents clients before arbitral tribunals worldwide and in the English and U.S. courts. She also has broad experience managing important litigation for clients in the national courts of other jurisdictions around the world, running strategy and working closely with leading local counsel firms.

Josh Buckland - Counsel Josh Buckland is an antitrust and foreign investment lawyer with more than ten years’ experience in obtaining clearances on complex global transactions. He is also known for calmly steering clients through large-scale antitrust investigations and counselling on a broad range of competition issues.

Josh leads on cross-border matters in Europe and around the world – with particular experience in navigating the UK’s regulatory landscape. He regularly engages with the CMA on merger reviews (Phase 1 and 2), cartels and other investigations, and has a stellar track-record with FDI filings under the UK’s National Security and Investment Act.

Josh has deep knowledge across a range of client sectors, including TMT, financial services, defense, healthcare, industrials and retail. He also possesses an insider’s perspective on the UK’s TMT regulatory environment, having completed a nine-month secondment to Ofcom’s Competition Group in May 2020.

Daniel Deacon - Counsel

Daniel Deacon is Counsel in the Firm’s European financial services and funds regulatory practice, where he advises private funds, asset managers and private equity portfolio companies across sectors on EU regulatory matters and leads the team’s focus on European-related derivatives and structured transactions. 

Daniel advises on U.K. and EU financial market regulations and transactions, including AIFMD, MiFID II and UCITS, as well as helping asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products, including the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments. Daniel has extensive experience advising buy-side and sell-side clients on complex derivative arrangements and associated regulatory requirements.

Srishti Gupta - Counsel

Based in the Firm’s London office, Srishti Gupta is Counsel in the Finance and Capital Markets Practice. She focuses on U.S. securities law matters, advising private equity sponsors, companies and underwriters on a variety of bond offerings, private placements and equity offerings. Srishti has also represented sponsors, high yield issuers and investment grade corporate clients on leveraged finance transactions, public and private acquisition financings, registered offerings, various special situations including restructurings and reorganizations via take-private transactions, equity transactions including initial public offerings, follow-on offerings and preferential allotments, as well as general corporate matters.

Deborah Harris - Counsel Deborah Harris is Counsel in the Firm’s London office, where she is a member of the Corporate Department.

Matthew Hope - Counsel

Oliver McBain - Counsel

Based in the Firm’s London office, Oliver McBain is a Counsel in the Investment Funds Practice. Oliver’s practice covers a broad range of securitization and structured finance product covering both private and public transactions. Oliver has handled transactions across numerous asset classes, including collateralized fund obligations, rated note fund structures, trade receivables financing, asset-backed borrowing base facilities, collateralised loan obligations (“CLOs”), CLO warehouses and commercial mortgage backed securities.

Prior to joining Simpson Thacher, Oliver spent two years at Citibank supporting the portfolio finance, CLO and warehouse lending desk and 12 months in-house at Goldman Sachs.

John Osborne - Counsel

John Osborne is Counsel in the Firm’s Competition Practice in London. His practice focuses primarily on EU and UK competition law matters including merger control, strategic alliances, joint ventures and commercial agreements and monopoly and cartel investigations. He has represented clients before the UK’s Office of Fair Trading and Competition Commission, the European Commission and the EU’s General Court (the principal court of appeal for the European Commission) on both transactional and cartel matters. John also has extensive experience with respect to UK government regulation in the energy, water and airport sectors.

Spencer P. Patton - Counsel

Spencer P. Patton is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s London office where he is a member of the Firm’s Real Estate Practice. He concentrates his practice on private equity real estate acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures on behalf of leading international fund sponsors.

Siân Perez - Counsel

Siân Perez is Counsel in the Firm’s Restructuring Practice. Based in the London office, Siân’s practice focuses on advising on domestic and cross-border restructurings and insolvency situations. She represents a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including creditors, debtors, sponsors and insolvency practitioners on a variety of restructuring matters.  

Palina Pradhan - Counsel

Palina Pradhan advises leading international fund sponsors on a broad range of corporate real estate transactions. Her practice encompasses complex, cross-border real estate mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and co-investments, restructurings and other investments, particularly in the PRS and student accommodation, logistics, hospitality and office sectors.

Ben Rodger - Counsel

Based in our London office, Ben Rodger is Counsel in the Firm’s Real Estate Department. Ben concentrates his practice on private equity real estate acquisitions, dispositions and joint ventures on behalf of leading international fund sponsors.

Yasmin Smedley - Counsel

Yasmin Smedley advises international private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in connection with the financing of U.K. and European real estate and related investments. Yasmin specializes in complex cross-border real estate acquisition and development financings and the restructuring of real estate related secured debt. 

Eline Souffriau - Counsel

Eline Souffriau advises financial institutions of all types on complex financings, including a wide range of direct loans and syndicated credit facilities. She advises global investment management firms, leading investment banks, private capital providers and private equity sponsors on domestic and cross-border acquisitions, unitranche facilities, holdco PIK financings, recapitalizations, leveraged financings, debt capital structures and other lending transactions. 

Claudia Upton - Counsel

Claudia represents a wide variety of clients in complex, high-value international corporate and commercial disputes conducted in the English and international courts, as well as in international arbitration. She frequently represents clients in various arbitration venues, including the London Court of International Arbitration. Advising on matters that are often cross-border in nature, Claudia’s experience in major international disputes spans industries including energy and natural resources, commodities, banking and finance (including offshore), cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

Laura Wallace - Counsel

Laura advises private funds, asset managers and financial institutions on U.K. and EU financial market regulations and transactions, including AIFMD, MiFID2, UCITS and PRIIPs. She is also experienced in advising on the regulatory aspects of M&A, joint ventures and restructurings within the financial sector, financial services licensing applications, prudential and regulatory capital requirements and fintech regulation.

Nicholas Westbrook - Counsel

Nicholas Westbrook advises private funds, asset managers and private equity portfolio companies across sectors on global data and digital regulations, with a core focus on European privacy and cybersecurity laws. His practice is multi-disciplinary and multi-jurisdictional, and spans strategic agreements and counseling, outsourcing, corporate transactions and litigation.