Javad Asghari - Partner

Based in New York and Los Angeles, Javad’s practice focuses on major energy and infrastructure projects in the Americas and around the globe.

His practice has a particular focus on (i) mergers and acquisitions of E&I projects and (ii) project development, including advising on joint venture, governance and commercial (including concession, EPC and offtake) agreements with respect to the development of renewable and conventional power generation; transmission and distribution projects; upstream, midstream and downstream petroleum and renewable hydrocarbon projects; LNG projects; and electrical vehicle infrastructure developments.

His clients include developers and private equity funds involved in the energy and infrastructure sectors.

Javad currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Recruiting Committee.

Mimi C. Cheng - Partner

Mimi Cheng has extensive experience counseling private equity funds, investment banks and other large financial institutions on the use of leverage products secured by, or referencing, public and private investment property. She regularly advises on financings designed to facilitate and support fund investment activities, including subscription facilities, NAV facilities, hybrid subscription and basket facilities, margin loans and other forms of backleverage. Mimi has represented clients including BlackRock, Blackstone, Carlyle, Citibank, JPMorgan, KKR, KSL Capital Partners, Silver Lake Partners and Sixth Street Partners. She has been named among Bloomberg Law’s “They’ve Got Next: The 40 Under 40,” and has also been named a “Legal Rising Star” by Private Funds CFO.  

David Hernand - Partner

Recognized as one of the top 100 Lawyers in California by the Daily Journal, a leading lawyer in M&A and venture capital by industry publications such as Chambers USA and Legal 500, as a “Power Lawyer” by The Hollywood Reporter, and one of the top dealmakers in the entertainment industry by Variety, David Hernand advises companies, boards of directors and special committees, private equity and venture capital firms and high net worth individuals and families, among others, on complex, high-profile transactions across the entertainment, media and technology industries. He also counsels clients with interests across the consumer and retail space. David’s work includes advising on the full spectrum of corporate transactions, including public and private M&A, corporate control contests, strategic partnerships and joint ventures, public and private capital raising deals and other general corporate matters.

Michael W. Kaplan - Partner

As a Corporate Partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office, Michael Kaplan focuses on advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies on mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and general corporate matters. Mike also represents founders, venture investors, startups and early-stage companies on debt and equity financings as well as in connection with commercial agreements and other corporate matters.

Matthew Kemp - Partner

Matthew Kemp is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. His practice focuses on the formation and operation of private funds, representing sponsors across a broad range of asset classes. He also counsels sponsors on their internal arrangements, co-investment vehicles and continuation fund transactions. Matthew’s representative clients include sponsors such as BOND, Canyon Partners, Charger Investment Partners, Coral Tree Partners, CIM Group, Francisco Partners, Prime Finance and True Wind, among others.

Gregory B. Klein - Partner Greg Klein is a Corporate Partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office. Greg’s practice focuses on advising private equity firms, as well as public and private companies, in a variety of transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, dispositions, carve-outs, leveraged buyouts, equity financings, joint ventures and other direct investments. Greg also has extensive experience representing startups and early-stage companies on debt and equity financings as well as in connection with commercial agreements and other corporate matters. 

John J. Kreager - Partner

John Kreager is a Partner in the Firm’s Private Funds Practice. His practice focuses on the organization, structuring and operation of private funds, representing sponsors across a broad range of asset classes. John also counsels sponsors on separately managed accounts, co-investment arrangements and structured secondary and other strategic transactions. John’s recent representations include advising CIM Group, KSL Capital Partners and Revelstoke Capital Partners, among others.

Chet A. Kronenberg - Partner

Chet Kronenberg, senior Los Angeles litigator, represents clients in a wide range of complex commercial litigation, including defending clients in consumer, employment, insurance and securities lawsuits, and government investigations. Chet has served as lead counsel for clients such as Aptive Environmental, Banc of California, Beazley Group, Blackstone, Chubb, Citibank, KKR, L3 Technologies, LG Display, Lion Capital, Nature Home Flooring, Pinnacle Foods, SiriusXM Radio, Siris Capital, Vivint, Inc., Vivint Solar, Vivo Capital, Whittaker, Clark & Daniels and Yingli, among others. He has been recognized by The Legal 500 in multiple categories, including Securities Litigation, Insurance and Appellate. Chet has also been named by Benchmark Litigation as a California “Litigation Star” and a “Labor & Employment Star.” In 2023, he was named a “Leader of Influence” by the Los Angeles Business Journal.

Jennifer J. Levitt - Partner

Jennifer Levitt is Co-Head of the Firm’s Fund Finance Practice as well as a member of the Banking and Credit Practice. Jennifer regularly represents financial sponsors in connection with debt financings for their private equity, real estate, infrastructure, debt and other investment funds. She has extensive experience in complicated financings designed to provide fund-level leverage to facilitate and support investment activities, including subscription facilities, NAV facilities, margin loans, other forms of back-leverage and GP stake investments. Jennifer has represented clients including BlackRock, Blackstone, Carlyle, Centerbridge, JPMorgan, KKR, KSL Capital Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, Silver Lake Partners and Sixth Street Partners.

A leading advisor, Jennifer was recently named among the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2022 “Women of Influence: Attorneys” for her work on novel and complex matters and a “West Trailblazer” by The American Lawyer, which honors practitioners who have moved the needle in the legal industry. In addition, Jennifer has been recognized with the Fund Finance Association’s Annual Contribution to the Industry Award for 2022, an award that aims to recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty during the prior year and demonstrated outstanding overall contributions to the Fund Finance industry, their firms and clients.

David A. Shevlin - Partner Head of Simpson Thacher’s Exempt Organizations Practice, David Shevlin counsels a variety of international and domestic exempt organizations, including all forms of private foundations and public charities. He also advises donors to exempt organizations, such as family offices, as well as the governing bodies of exempt organizations. In particular, David advises universities, foundations, hospitals and cultural institutions on the investment of their endowments. David has particular experience in working with charitable organizations in connection with social enterprise and program-related investments. David also has been involved in assisting governing bodies on internal investigations. David is recognized as a “Hall of Fame” not-for-profit lawyer by The Legal 500 United States. Long active in the bar, David is a past Chair of the ABA’s Section of Taxation—Committee on Exempt Organizations. He has also served on the Board of Doctors Without Borders USA.

Thomas A. Wuchenich - Partner

Tom Wuchenich is the Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Los Angeles office and member of the Executive Committee, the Firm’s highest governing body. Tom represents a broad range of alternative asset management firms in the formation and ongoing operation of their private investment funds and separate accounts across a variety of asset classes. He also has significant experience in strategic transactions for asset management firms. Tom’s regular clients include such sponsors as BOND, Canyon Capital, Charger Investment Partners, CIM Group, Coral Tree Partners,  Hellman & Friedman, KSL Capital Partners, Oaktree Capital Management, Platinum Equity, Prime Group, Revelstoke Partners and True Wind Capital. He has represented Oaktree Capital Group in its initial public and follow-on offerings, in its sale to Brookfield Asset Management and its acquisition of a majority interest in 17Capital, as well as Clearlake Capital Partners and Platinum Equity in their sales of minority stakes to third parties. Tom was named a Fund Formation “MVP” by Law360 (2022). He is regularly recognized as one of the leading private funds lawyers in The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, and was named to the “LA500: The Most Influential People in Los Angeles” by the Los Angeles Business Journal (2019).

Jeff Cohen - Senior Counsel

Ron Ben-Yehuda - Counsel

Ron Ben-Yehuda is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Intellectual Property Practice. Ron advises clients on a wide variety of intellectual property transactional matters, including domestic and international licensing, technology and content development agreements, services agreements, sales, marketing and distribution transactions, as well as joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. In 2021, Ron was recognized as a “Client Service All-Star” by BTI, where clients nominated him and noted he “clearly identifies the issues that most [a]ffect us.”

Elliott Im - Counsel

Elliott Im is Counsel in Simpson Thacher’s Private Funds Practice and advises a broad array of alternative asset management firms and sponsors on the formation, structuring and operation of their private equity and private investment funds. He has represented some of the world’s largest and most high-profile private equity sponsors on the development of vehicles across numerous asset classes, including buyout, real estate, secondaries, credit, co-investment arrangements and separately managed accounts. Elliott’s experience has included representing Blackstone, Platinum Equity, Hellman & Friedman, Rockpoint and Sixth Street.