The Legal 500

Latham & Watkins is a leading international law firm serving multinational companies, start-ups, investment banks, private equity funds, venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, governments and other organisations.

The firm: The firm’s global platform spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, and consists of internationally recognised practices across a wide spectrum of transactional, litigation, corporate and regulatory areas. Latham’s attorneys offer unrivalled legal resources and strategic commercial thinking to provide clients with innovative solutions to complex business and legal matters.

Types of work undertaken: Central to the firm’s international strength, Latham & Watkins boasts a full-service London office which is recognised for its handling of complex cross-border matters for world-leading clients. The London attorneys represent corporates, investment banks, private equity houses and governments, both in the UK and throughout the world.

Banking and leveraged finance: Latham has a leading finance practice, with unparalleled expertise across all parts of the capital structure. The group regularly advises arrangers, lenders, underwriters, sponsors and borrowers on all types of leveraged finance, whether senior, mezzanine, bond, ‘bank and bond’, or other hybrid products.

Capital markets: Latham is one of the world’s most active capital markets firms. The group has vast experience representing underwriters and issuers in debt and equity financing transactions, and is recognised as a market leader in high-yield debt work. Latham’s lawyers handle rights offerings, IPOs, eurobond financings, senior note offerings, high-yield, senior secured debt, and other global equity and debt-related issues.

EU and competition: with a premier competition law team that operates at EC and member state levels, Latham is one of the few firms with experienced, local attorneys, expert in all aspects of European competition law. In London, the group has unsurpassed expertise in EC marketing practices and distribution regulation.

Litigation: Latham’s London litigation capacity sets it apart from other US-heritage firms, providing clients with full-service international litigation solutions. With a core team of commercial litigation, arbitration, ADR, IP and public international law specialists, the firm can handle even the most complex international disputes.

M&A and private equity: the group is at the centre of M&A and investment activity, representing dealmakers in complex and time-sensitive transactions. Latham’s private equity practice advises on all aspects of investments, representing fund sponsors and investors.

Project finance: consistently ranked amongst the world’s top projects firms, Latham’s attorneys have represented sponsors, lenders and governments in more than 1,000 projects during the last 20 years.

Restructuring and insolvency: the top-ranking practice represents debtors and creditors on workouts, restructurings and insolvencies. Latham is one of the few firms to combine finance capabilities with an in-depth knowledge of the high-yield bond and private placement markets, with comprehensive cross-border restructuring expertise.

Structured finance: a diverse practice advises financial institutions and companies on a wide range of transaction structures and asset types, including CDOs, structuring and documenting conduits, SIVs and asset-backed securities, and Basel II and the new Basel III framework.

Tax: Latham offers integrated, multi-jurisdictional tax capabilities, developing practical solutions to complex international tax problems, including advising on cross-border M&A and securities offerings, planning for multinationals and international tax controversies.

Technology and outsourcing: recognised for the strength of its legal and commercial expertise in IT and outsourcings, the team counsels leading clients in relation to the acquisition, development, protection, exploitation, licensing and sale of technology.

Other offices: Abu Dhabi, Barcelona, Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Doha, Dubai, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Houston, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Orange County, Paris, Riyadh, Rome, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo, Washington DC

Number of UK fee-earners 218

The firm

Latham & Watkins is a leading international law firm serving multinational companies, start-ups, investment banks, private equity funds, venture capital firms, sovereign wealth funds, governments and other organisations. The firm’s global platform spans Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US, and consists of internationally recognised practices across a wide spectrum of transactional, litigation, corporate and regulatory areas. Latham’s lawyers offer unrivalled legal resources and strategic commercial thinking to provide clients with innovative solutions to complex business and legal matters.

Areas of practice

Central to the firm’s international strength, Latham & Watkins boasts a full-service London office which is recognised for its handling of complex cross-border matters for world-leading clients. The London lawyers represent corporates, investment banks, private equity houses and governments, both in the UK and throughout the world.

Banking and leveraged finance: Latham has a leading finance practice, with unparalleled expertise across all parts of the capital structure. The group regularly advises arrangers, lenders, underwriters, sponsors and borrowers on all types of leveraged finance, whether senior, mezzanine, bond, ‘bank and bond’, or other hybrid products.

Capital markets: Latham is one of the world’s most active capital markets firms. The group has vast experience representing underwriters and issuers in debt and equity financing transactions, and is recognised as a market leader in high-yield debt work. Latham’s lawyers handle rights offerings, IPOs, eurobond financings, senior note offerings, high-yield, senior secured debt, and other global equity and debt-related issues.

EU and competition: with a premier competition law team that operates at EC and member state levels, Latham is one of the few firms with experienced, local lawyers, expert in all aspects of European competition law. In London, the group has unsurpassed expertise in EC marketing practices and distribution regulation.

Litigation: Latham’s London litigation capacity sets it apart from other US-heritage firms, providing clients with full-service international litigation solutions. With a core team of commercial litigation, arbitration, ADR, IP and public international law specialists, the firm can handle even the most complex international disputes.

M&A and private equity: the group is at the centre of M&A and investment activity, representing dealmakers in complex and time-sensitive transactions. Latham’s private equity practice advises on all aspects of investments, representing fund sponsors and investors.

Project finance: consistently ranked amongst the world’s top projects firms, Latham’s lawyers have represented sponsors, lenders and governments in more than 1,000 projects during the last 20 years.

Restructuring and insolvency: the top-ranking practice represents debtors and creditors on workouts, restructurings and insolvencies. Latham is one of the few firms to combine finance capabilities with an in-depth knowledge of the high-yield bond and private placement markets, with comprehensive cross-border restructuring expertise.

Structured finance: a diverse practice advises financial institutions and companies on a wide range of transaction structures and asset types, including CDOs, structuring and documenting conduits, SIVs and asset-backed securities, and Basel II and the new Basel III framework.

Tax: Latham offers integrated, multi-jurisdictional tax capabilities, developing practical solutions to complex international tax problems, including advising on cross-border M&A and securities offerings, planning for multinationals and international tax controversies.

Technology and outsourcing: recognised for the strength of its legal and commercial expertise in IT and outsourcings, the team counsels leading clients in relation to the acquisition, development, protection, exploitation, licensing and sale of technology.

Contact Nick Cline (managing partner)

Languages
Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin)
Danish
English
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Norwegian
Portuguese
Russian
Serbo-Croatian
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
Urdu

Other offices
Abu Dhabi
Barcelona
Beijing
Boston
Brussels
Chicago
Doha
Dubai
Frankfurt
Hamburg
Hong Kong
Houston
Los Angeles
Madrid
Milan
Moscow
Munich
New Jersey
New York
Orange County
Paris
Riyadh
Rome
San Diego
San Francisco
Shanghai
Silicon Valley
Singapore
Tokyo
Washington DC

Number of lawyers 2,000+

at this office 218