Willkie to Establish Capital Markets Practice in Frankfurt with Addition of Partners Simon Weiss and Joseph Marx
New York, NY, May 18, 2022 -- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that leading capital markets lawyers Simon Weiss and Joseph Marx will join the Firm as partners, based in the Firm’s Frankfurt office. Their addition will extend the Firm’s global capital markets platform and establish a Frankfurt- based practice, continuing the Firm’s investment and expansion in the German market. Their move to Willkie will follow more than ten prominent Frankfurt partner and counsel hires in recent years, including partners Anne Kleffmann this year and Jens-Olrik Murach in 2021, as well as internal promotions.
“In the space of only two years we have added a number of new practices to our German offering, including real estate, litigation, restructuring, employment and regulatory law, while continuing to expand our private equity and M&A capabilities,” said Corporate & Financial Services partner Georg Linde, who heads Willkie’s Frankfurt office. “Simon and Joe are well-known and talented practitioners. They will serve as the core of our new German capital markets practice, which will be a valuable resource to the expanding needs of our clients in Germany and across the Firm.”
Simon and Joe will join the Firm from McDermott Will & Emery. Simon focuses his practice on IPOs, capital increases, equity-linked transactions and investment grade and high-yield bond offerings. He regularly advises issuers, underwriters and other key market players in a wide range of complex domestic and cross-border equity and debt transactions. He also provides regulatory advice on capital markets transactions, public M&A and corporate matters. He has worked at leading firms in both Germany and the US.
Joe has over 20 years of extensive experience in international capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, rights issuances, accelerated primary and secondary offerings, Rule 144A transactions, US registered offerings, private placement transactions and debt offerings, as well as cross-border mergers and acquisitions, dual track processes and other corporate transactions. He has worked across a broad range of industries, including chemicals, automotive, life sciences and real estate.
Simon and Joe commented: "We are excited to join Willkie’s outstanding global platform and look forward to working with such a vibrant and successful team. Collaborating with Willkie’s market-leading practice groups, in particular private equity, will enable our clients to benefit from the full breadth of the Willkie platform and provide us with unique opportunities to contribute our experience in advising on complex capital markets transactions."
Willkie’s Frankfurt office handles complex corporate and commercial transactions that demand multifaceted legal experience. Our attorneys are known for providing solution-driven advice innovatively tailored to meet the unique needs of each client. Clients value especially our practical business approach to helping them reach their goals, as well as our cost-effective and streamlined style of transaction management.
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm of approximately 1,000 attorneys with offices in Brussels, Chicago, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, Rome, San Francisco and Washington. The Firm is headquartered in New York City at 787 Seventh Avenue.
Willkie Adds Leading Entertainment Transactions Partner Steve Hurdle in Los Angeles
New York, NY, May 16, 2022 --- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced the addition of Steven E. Hurdle Jr., who has joined as a partner in the Firm’s Los Angeles office. A nationally recognized transactional attorney with particular experience in the media, entertainment and technology industries, Steve’s arrival follows the addition of LA-based partner Sid Fohrman and New York-based partner Jared Bartie to Willkie’s Entertainment, Sports and Media Practice earlier this year.
“Steve is a highly regarded entertainment transactional attorney with broad industry experience and a skilled commercial approach that aligns with our growing platform in Los Angeles,” said Alan Epstein, who chairs Willkie’s Entertainment Transactions Practice and co-led the launch of the LA office. “His focus on complex and innovative transactions at the intersection of media, entertainment and technology will further strengthen our capabilities in these growing areas. I have been opposite Steve on transactions for many years and am thrilled to now have him on our side at Willkie.”
Steve has a diverse practice leading business combinations, equity financings and complex joint ventures for clients across a variety of industries, with a focus on helping entertainment companies, investors, and entertainers in business formation, fundraising, investing and transactions. He regularly represents buyers and sellers of television production companies in cross-border transactions, as well as technology startup founders and entrepreneurs in the creation of new digital media technologies that disrupt the way content is created, consumed, and monetized. Steve was previously a partner and deputy chair of the Capital Markets & Corporate Department at Loeb & Loeb LLP.
Steve commented: “Willkie’s world-class transactional and technology platform, and fast-growing West Coast presence provide an exciting opportunity to work with an innovative and dynamic team of practitioners. I look forward to working with the exceptional attorneys at Willkie to further enhance our capabilities and value to clients in the entertainment, media and technology sectors.”
Willkie represents leaders of every kind across the entertainment, sports and media industries. Willkie’s deep bench of talented attorneys provides seamless transactional, intellectual property and litigation services to A-list talent, athletes, industry executives, leagues and teams, management and production companies, established networks and streaming platforms, and virtually any organization operating in the entertainment/media space. Willkie’s transactional attorneys represent the interests of management companies, production studios, networks and streaming services, music brands, gaming and esports developers, virtual and augmented reality companies, social media and metaverse platforms, and virtually any organization involved with developing, producing and monetizing audio/visual content or digital works, both domestically and internationally.
Launched in September 2021, Willkie’s Los Angeles office now includes more than 60 attorneys in the areas of corporate and M&A transactions, private equity, music and entertainment, asset management, private wealth, litigation, and tax.
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm of approximately 1,000 attorneys with offices in Brussels, Chicago, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, Rome, San Francisco and Washington. The Firm is headquartered in New York City at 787 Seventh Avenue. Tel: 212.728.8000.
Willkie Adds Leading Private Equity Lawyer Kris Agarwal As Partner in Houston
New York, NY, May 9, 2022 --- Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that leading private equity lawyer Kris Agarwal has joined the Firm as a partner. Based in the Houston office, he brings immense industry knowledge and client experience and bolsters Willkie’s significant private equity capabilities in the Texas market and beyond. Kris is the fifth private equity partner to join Willkie this year, with others joining in Los Angeles and San Francisco.
“Kris has been a fixture in the private equity market and the Houston business community for decades. His arrival is the latest demonstration of the attractiveness of our platform to talented practitioners across the U.S. and in Europe,” said Willkie Chairman Thomas Cerabino. “His time serving as general counsel at two major private equity firms gives him a unique perspective on client needs and legal services that we think will be of great value to our clients.”
He continued: “In Houston, Kris will be a key component of building out our private equity and energy business. We have a number of other discussions underway to supplement our Houston-based private equity and energy practices.”
Archie Fallon, a Managing Partner of the Houston office, commented: “Kris is well known to Willkie’s corporate and funds practice, having worked with a number of our partners across offices. He has an innovative perspective on advising sponsors and their companies, leveraging deep relationships in Texas, New York and California. We view him as a proven leader and a catalyst for expansion of our Houston office.”
Kris has more than two decades of experience across the full spectrum of private equity advisory work, including in private practice and at top global private equity firms. He served as Principal and General Counsel of Platinum Equity Advisors, where he advised senior management on the overall strategy of the organization, and oversaw corporate governance matters, material litigation and regulatory matters for more than 35 portfolio companies. Prior to this, he was Managing Director and General Counsel of private equity firm Lime Rock Management for 10 years, where he built out the legal and compliance department, and oversaw the execution of the firm’s investments and portfolio company management.
He has significant experience advising on venture capital and growth/buyout fundraising initiatives, deal structuring, deal execution, and portfolio company oversight related to investments in a variety of sectors, including energy, media, technology, cybersecurity and cryptocurrency. Earlier in his career, he spent time in private practice.
Kris commented: “Willkie is well known in the Houston market as having the premier global private equity platform with deep transactional, fund formation and regulatory experience. I’m thrilled to be joining the Firm and look forward to working closely with my talented colleagues in Houston and around the world.”
Willkie has developed a 360° platform to provide comprehensive advice to private equity sponsors and portfolio companies, advising on everything from fund formations, platform acquisitions, tuck-in acquisitions and joint ventures, to bank credit and other debt financings, IPOs, follow-on offerings, SPACs, PIPEs and ultimate exits. Because of this approach, clients regularly grow with Willkie over time. Our Private Equity Practice Group handles transactions and cross-border matters worldwide, with attorneys practicing in 13 key market centers across the United States and Europe.
Opened in 2014, Willkie’s Houston office extends the Firm’s prominent private equity, M&A and restructuring practices to sponsors in the region that focus on investments in the energy, industrial, manufacturing and financial services sectors. Lawyers in the Houston office leverage the integrated capabilities of the Firm to provide representation across a broad range of sophisticated matters. Willkie also supports a range of charitable organizations and pro bono efforts and is committed to the Houston community.
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP is an international law firm of approximately 1,000 attorneys with offices in Brussels, Chicago, Frankfurt, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Palo Alto, Paris, Rome, San Francisco and Washington. The Firm is headquartered in New York City at 787 Seventh Avenue.