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Fueling European Legal Muscle: Private Equity Firms Revamp Teams
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Jimbo's Weekly Legal Roundup: Tuesday, June 1, 2025, at 7:00 PM
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Private equity powerhouses are beefing up their European legal troops, particularly in London and Luxembourg—two influential hotspots for private equity and investment funds. Here's the scoop on recent moves and trends!
Point A: Heavyweight Hires
- Sidley's London Leveraging Craze Sidley Austin's arrival on the London scene is bolstered by the addition of Ed Gander and a seasoned private funds team. This strategic move indicates the firm's determination to bolster its investment funds practice and cater to over 200 top-tier global sponsors [2]. Alongside Gander come finance, capital markets, technology partners, signifying a wide-scale effort to aid European private equity clients [2]. The firm's leaders spotlight the significance of exceptional talent and in-depth sector wisdom to meet sky-high client expectations for international and intricate fund arrangements.
- Kirkland's Luxembourg Magic in London Kirkland & Ellis kicks off London's expansion by recruiting Thibaut Partsch, a standout Luxembourg funds and regulatory attorney, as a partner within the Investment Funds Group [4]. Partsch's expertise covers private equity, credit, infrastructure, and real asset funds, offering a boost to Kirkland's European fund assortment and enhancing collaboration with Luxembourg legal giants [4]. The move primarily aims to reinforce Kirkland's European offerings and navigate the industry's rising need for regulatory and cross-border expertise.
Point B: Wider Trends and Market Vibes
- Private Equity's MVPs Private Equity News showered accolades on Thomas Forschbach, a London/Paris partner at Latham & Watkins, naming him one of Europe's twenty most impactful private equity lawyers [1]. Forschbach's work encompasses cross-border buyouts and counseling prominent global PE firms, solidifying the need for top-tier legal acumen in crafting and executing complex transactions and fund structures [1].
- Interim Legal Talent Rising Private equity firms are becoming more reliant on interim lawyers and secondments to tackle business emergencies, as the reluctance to commit to full-time hires escalates due to cost control measures [5]. The London secondee market has become fragmented, with soaring demand and costs due to growing salaries at British and American law firms [5]. Onboarding premier interim legal talent, however, can be a slow process, resulting in fierce competition for the cream of the crop.
In summary, private equity heavyweights and their legal allies are actively strengthening their European forces, with a focus on cross-border expertise, regulatory capabilities, and bright minds [2][4][1]. Firms like Sidley Austin and Kirkland & Ellis spearhead the charge, snagging prominent lawyers to support private equity sponsors across intricate deals and fund arrangements [2][4][1]. While the market pulsates with demand for interim legal professionals, attaining top talent can prove to be a competitive race [5].
- The strategic hires of lawyers such as Ed Gander at Sidley Austin and Thibaut Partsch at Kirkland & Ellis demonstrate the growing importance of finance, business, and legal expertise for private equity firms in Europe, particularly in sectors like private equity, credit, technology, and real assets.
- In line with the increasing demand for intricate cross-border transactions and fund structures, private equity firms are actively seeking top-tier legal talent to cater to global sponsors, bolster their European offerings, and navigate complex regulatory landscapes.
