Michele Penzer > Latham & Watkins LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Latham & Watkins LLP
1271 Avenue of the Americas
NEW YORK
NY 10020
United States

Work Department

Michèle Penzer is the Managing Partner of the New York office of Latham & Watkins and is a member of the firm’s Finance Department and the Banking and Project Finance Practices. She has built a successful finance practice, navigating clients through some of the most volatile market conditions over the past two decades.  As Managing Partner of the New York office, Ms. Penzer focuses on strategic planning, client relations, recruitment and integration, and diversity. Ms. Penzer is charged with overseeing the firm’s commitment to the New York legal and business community and the firm's sophisticated client base. Ms. Penzer has held multiple leadership roles, including as a former global Co-chair of the Banking Practice, former member of the firm's Executive Committee and former Chair of the firm's Diversity Committee and Associates Committee.

Position

Finance Partner

Career

http://www.lw.com/people/michele-penzer

Lawyer Rankings

United States > Finance > Commercial lending

(Leading lawyers)

Michèle PenzerLatham & Watkins LLP

With high levels of activity on both sides of the market, Latham & Watkins LLP continues to offer top-tier advice to its clients, representing major banks and private credit lenders on the lender-side as well as upper-market private equity sponsors and large corporations on the borrower-side. The practice is reputed for its wide range of work and its ability to advise on investment-grade work as well as on innovative and complex loans, having recently assisted with high-profile leveraged buyouts and asset-based loans. In particular, the team stands out for its unique experience with unitranche and annual recurring revenue (ARR) loan structures – notable recent work includes advising Blackstone on a major ARR financing in connection with the Zendesk acquisition. Out of New York, the team’s commercial lending work is led by Daniel Seale, who offers experience advising banks and direct lenders on acquisition financings, as well as by Joshua Tinkelman, asset-based lending specialist Michèle Penzer, and leveraged finance expert Alfred Xue. Private equity chair Manu Gayatrinath, who has advised on major acquisition financings in the private equity space, and Jason M. Licht are key contacts in Washington DC, while Greg Robins works out of Los Angeles. The team was also recently strengthened by the arrivals of Corey Wright and Lisa Collier from Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP in January 2023.