Latham & Watkins has announced the promotion of 19 counsel to its global partnership, effective March 1, 2025. This follows the firm’s earlier promotion of 24 associates to partner, which took effect on January 1, 2025.
The latest round of promotions includes five new partners in London, where the firm experienced a notable string of partner departures in 2024, particularly in the finance sector2. Last year, Latham lost 13 London partners to rival firms, more than double its average attrition rate over the previous four years.
Key points:
- Promotion numbers: The total of 43 new partners (24 associates + 19 counsel) for 2025 represents a decrease compared to previous years. In 2022, for instance, the firm promoted a record 44 associates and 39 counsel to partner4.
- Gender diversity: Of the 19 counsel promoted in this round, five are women, accounting for 26% of the total. This marks a decline from the previous year when women represented 37% of the counsel promotions (7 out of 19).
- London focus: The promotion of five partners in London appears to be a strategic move to reinforce the office following significant departures in 2024, particularly in the finance practice2.
- Global strategy: These promotions reflect Latham & Watkins’ commitment to strengthening its global platform and recognizing talent across various practice areas and offices16.
Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins, emphasized the firm’s commitment to excellence and client service, stating that the new partners’ “impressive experience, industry expertise, and legal skills exemplify our commitment to client service, excellence, and teamwork”.
The promotions come at a time of intense competition for talent among top US law firms in London, with several firms actively expanding their presence and capabilities in the UK market35.
The Latham & Watkins media statement is below –
Promotions from counsel include accomplished practitioners advising clients across transactional, litigation, and regulatory matters.
Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that 19 counsel have been elected to the partnership, effective March 1. The counsel promotions follow the previously announced election of 24 associates to the partnership, effective January 1, 2025.
“We are thrilled to congratulate our newest partners, whose impressive experience, industry expertise, and legal skills exemplify our commitment to client service, excellence, and teamwork. I am proud of their accomplishments, and their leadership and dedication strengthen our firm, helping us build on our success,” said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins.
The counsel who have been elected partners are:
Rachael Astin (London) is a member of the Entertainment, Sports & Media Practice and Corporate Department. She represents clients in transactional and regulatory matters, with a focus on digital media and content distribution. She received her LPC from BPP Law School in 2008 and her LLB from the University of Bristol in 2007.
Santiago Bejarano (New York) is a member of the International Arbitration Practice, Latin America Practice, and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex international commercial and investor-state arbitrations worldwide, under both civil and common law legal systems. He earned his LLM from New York University in 2014 and his LLB from Universidad del Rosario in 2011.
Robert Brown (Houston/Austin) is a member of the Privacy & Cyber Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients across industries on compliance with data privacy and security laws and on the data privacy and security aspects of commercial agreements and complex corporate transactions. He received his JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2012.
Alexander Buckeridge-Hocking (London) is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department. He represents sponsors, governments, and lenders across the capital structure in complex cross-border energy and infrastructure transactions, particularly relating to energy transition industries involving renewable or low-carbon technologies and fuels and infrastructure sectors. He earned his LPC from the College of Law in 2011 and his LLB from the London School of Economics in 2008.
Caitlin Dahl (Chicago) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She represents companies across industries in a variety of litigation matters, including company-threatening business-to-business disputes, trade secret misappropriation cases, mass arbitrations, and class actions. She earned her JD from Notre Dame Law School in 2011.
Andrew Galdes (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He advises clients on compliance and enforcement issues involving US economic and trade sanctions and export control laws and regulations. He received his JD from Duke University School of Law in 2011.
Michael Green (London) is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice, Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) Practice, and Corporate Department. He advises clients on a range of ESG and environmental, health and safety (EHS) matters in the context of transactional work, strategic counselling, and risk management. He earned his LPC from the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice in 2003 and his BA (Law) from the University of Oxford in 2002.
Luda Le Grand (London) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. She advises clients across industries on UK and EU competition laws, with a focus on multi-jurisdictional merger control, as well as market, cartel, and abuse of dominance investigations. She received her Postgraduate Diploma in Economics for Competition Lawyers and her LLM in Competition Law from King’s College London in 2020 and 2010, respectively, her LPC from BPP Law School in 2012, and her LLB from the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in 2009.
Omar Maayeh (Dubai) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients on complex M&A and other corporate transactions, both in the Middle East region and internationally. He earned his LLB from the University of Essex in 2007.
Amit Makker (Bay Area) is a member of the Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He represents clients in complex intellectual property disputes in high-technology sectors before federal and state courts, the US Patent Trial and Appeal Board and the International Trade Commission. He received his JD from the University of Southern California Gould School of Law in 2011, his MS in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 2008, and his BS in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2004.
Hugh Murtagh (New York) is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice and Finance Department. He represents creditors and debtors both in and out of court in disputes and transactions, with a particular focus on bankruptcy litigation. He received his JD from New York University School of Law in 2011.
Tomas Nilsson (Brussels) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice and Litigation & Trial Department. He advises clients on global merger control matters and antitrust investigations. He earned his LLM from New York University School of Law in 2009 and his Master of Laws from Lund University in 2005.
Peter Norris (Riyadh) is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. He advises clients on a broad range of complex banking and finance transactions, both in the Gulf Cooperation Council region and internationally. He received his LPC and LLB from the College of Law in 2008 and 2007, respectively.
Michael Rackham (Singapore) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises private equity investors and corporations on cross-border corporate matters in the Asia-Pacific region, including M&A, disposals, and joint ventures. He earned his LPC from the College of Law in 2011, his BCL from Oxford University in 2010, and his LLB from the University of Exeter in 2009.
Marcela Ruenes (New York) is a member of the Banking Practice, Latin America Practice, and Finance Department. She represents financial institutions, alternative financing providers, corporate borrowers and private equity funds on complex US and cross-border finance transactions, including private credit and syndicated debt transactions. She earned her LLM at Columbia Law School in 2013 and her Degree in Law at Universidad Iberoamericana in 2009.
Misa Schmiederova (London) is a member of the Banking Practice and Finance Department. She represents sponsors, financial institutions, and borrowers on a broad range of complex cross-border banking and finance transactions, with a focus on infrastructure finance. She earned her LPC and Graduate Diploma in Law at BPP Law School in 2006 and 2005, respectively.
Lucas Schweitzer (Düsseldorf) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice and Corporate Department. He advises clients on domestic and cross-border private and public M&A transactions as well as reorganizations and corporate law matters. He earned his Dr. iur. at the Free University of Berlin in 2015, received his LLM at the University of Durham in 2011, completed his Second State Exam at the Higher Regional Court, Düsseldorf in 2010, and completed his First State Exam at the University of Düsseldorf in 2006.
Daniel Splittgerber (Frankfurt) is a member of the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice and Finance Department. He advises clients on complex financial restructurings and special situations, with an emphasis on German and cross-border solutions. He completed his Second German State Exam at the Higher Regional Court, Düsseldorf in 2012 and earned his Dr. iur. and his Executive MBA (Mergers & Acquisitions) at Westfälische Wilhelms-University in 2010, where he also completed his First German State Exam in 2008.
Stephen Yeh (Los Angeles) is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice and Finance Department. He represents financial institutions, corporate investors, sponsors, and developers in all phases of the development and financing of domestic and international energy projects. He earned his JD from the University of Texas School of Law in 2013.
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About Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world’s largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.
