Schulte Roth & Zabel’s (SRZ’s) 80-strong top-tier transatlantic funds practice is set to grow after the US firm announced this week it is to move to bigger premises in the City on the back of increasing demand from its European clients.
The firm aims to grow its international practice focusing on cross-border insolvencies, restructurings, distressed mergers and acquisitions, distressed investing and debt trading.
The new office will occupy the fourth floor at the Crown Estate’s One Eagle Place, which also houses investment firm Haymarket Financial and is the future headquarters of financial services company Virgin Money.
SRZ’s existing London office opened in September 2002 and added 50 new funds clients in the past year. London head Christopher Hilditch said: ‘Our new, expanded office is the direct result of our team’s many successes in the London legal market, particularly in serving the world’s finest investment management firms.’
The firm gave indications in September last year that it was building its European presence with the announcement that it had hired Simmons & Simmons funds partner Steven Whittaker as a partner in the investment management group.
Whittaker’s arrival this month follows the lateral hire of former Dewey & LeBoeuf global private equity partner James McNally, who joined SRZ in 2012, while Kerrie Walsh and Nicholas Fagge were both promoted to partnership in London in 2012.
The City base provides advice on both UK and US law to a wide variety of funds and managers located in the UK, US, Continental Europe, the Middle East, Southern Africa, Asia (Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan) and Australia. SRZ’s London office is ranked tier one for investment funds by The Legal 500 UK 2013.
jaishree.kalia@legalease.co.uk
