A&O Shearman is taking decisive steps to bolster its private equity practice with the addition of key hires from Sidley Austin’s London office. The firm announced on Monday that it has brought on board Dan Graham and Paul Dunbar as partners. Both lawyers have a track record of representing prominent clients, such as The Carlyle Group, Buckthorn Partners, and funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management.
The merger between Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling, which was finalized on May 1, has resulted in a new legal powerhouse with annual revenues surpassing $3.5 billion and a roster of approximately 4,000 lawyers. While the newly formed A&O Shearman is a behemoth in the legal industry, it is actively seeking to enhance its foothold in the private equity sector, a critical revenue source for elite firms.
London has become a hotbed of competition for high-level deals partners, largely driven by the strategic focus of major US firms on the UK market. Before their stint at Sidley Austin, Dunbar and Graham had been associated with Vinson & Elkins.
As part of its strategic expansion, A&O Shearman made other significant hires this August, including high-yield financing partner Alyssa Simon, formerly an executive director at Morgan Stanley. This followed the addition of private capital partner Parisa Clovis from Kirkland & Ellis, who is now leading sponsor side fund finance in Europe.
In contrast, A&O Shearman has also seen departures. Davis Polk & Wardwell recently hired A&O Shearman’s long-time private equity partner Gordon Milne, who joined Davis Polk’s expanding London office. Milne’s departure marks the end of his more than twenty-year tenure at Allen & Overy.
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