Sidley’s Law Star London Swoop
Ben Thomson, LawFuel contributor
Five key members of Latham & Watkins’ finance division in London have moved to Sidley Austin, including notable Latham partners Jayanthi Sadanandan and Sam Hamilton, alongside three other partners whose identities have not yet been disclosed.
The move is another ‘partner poaching’ move that exemplifies the competitive nature of big law in major markets and the desire to acquire major legal talent to build business.
Jayanthi Sadanandan is a key figure at Latham, recognized for her influence in private equity. The Legal 500 UK 2024 and ranked in Band 1 for Banking & Finance by Chambers UK 2024. She has high-profile clients such as CVC, Blackstone, Permira, Hellman & Friedman, and PAI Partners.
Earlier this year, she was highlighted as one of the most influential lawyers in private equity mandates. Industry insiders have noted her increasing involvement in management roles over direct deal-making, although she remains a key player in high-profile sponsor-side work.
Her clientele included major private equity firms such as Permira, Blackstone, and CVC, highlighting her influence and the depth of her relationships in the private equity sector and will be a major, strategic loss for Lathams.
The surprise move comes on the heels of another significant departure from Latham, where a team of six lawyers specializing in alternative investments joined Milbank’s London office, where Law.com reported on Milbank’s ‘swoop’ upon the Latham team.
The lateral movements among the prestige law firms in London have seen major activity in recent years, evidencing the increasing aggression of the mainly US-based big law firms.
This team was led by Alex Martin, who had been with Latham for three years. Despite these departures, Latham has bolstered its finance team by adding three partners from Cahill Gordon & Reindel in May, including Jonathan Brownson, Joydeep Choudhuri, and Prue Criddle.
Sidley Austin’s London office has been experiencing growth, with revenue increasing by over 12 percent this year, surpassing the $200 million mark for the first time. They have also significantly increased their NQ lawyer pay, as we reported recently.
The firm has been actively expanding its team, having previously recruited a top-tier private equity M&A team from Paul Weiss last summer.
