Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom has announced the hiring of J. Christian Nahr, the former head of Fried Frank’s global finance practice, as the firm seeks to bolster its banking practice. Nahr will join Skadden as a partner in its banking group based in New York, adding significant expertise in complex cross-border and domestic financing transactions, including advising private equity sponsors, corporations, hedge funds, and investment banks.
Nahr’s notable achievements include leading the Fried Frank team that advised Transcendia Holdings, Inc. on a recapitalization deal involving $114 million in new equity capital and the elimination of over $200 million in debt, and also participation in the advisory roles for Sterling Check Corp. on its $2.2 billion sale to First Advantage Corp. These accomplishments were highlighted by Jeremy London, Skadden’s executive partner, who noted Nahr’s handling of some of the most significant financing transactions in recent years.
The strategic hire comes at a time when competition for top legal talent is intensifying among leading U.S. law firms. Last month, Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison brought on David Hepp and Matthew Collin from Skadden, while Skadden itself has added significant hires such as Adam Cohen and Mark Chorazak earlier in the year. According to Seth Jacobson, global head of Skadden’s banking group, the firm is focusing on scaling its sponsor finance capabilities to meet growing demand that reflects an uptick in M&A activity.
For more details, see the original Bloomberg Law article.