Linklaters has made a rare lateral hire to bring Shearman & Sterling private equity partner Ben Rodham back to the firm just three years after leaving the Magic Circle firm.
Rodham (pictured), who left Linklaters as a managing associate at the end of 2012 to make partner at Addleshaw Goddard, has built a strong reputation during his time away from the firm. Highly regarded at Linklaters, Rodham is seen as being part of a golden generation of home-grown private equity lawyers, reuniting with young partners Stuart Boyd and co-head of private equity Alex Woodward as the firm looks to grow its practice.
Rodham joined Shearman just 15 months ago, helping the firm to become one of private equity house Bridgepoint’s go-to advisors in the City. Rodham also counts the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Vitruvian Partners as clients.
On arrival at Shearman, the firm’s co-head of private equity Mark Soundy, said: ‘Ben is clearly one of the brightest rising stars in the UK private equity space’.
Rodham’s return to Linklaters reinforces a private equity team dented by the exit of City corporate partner Roger Johnson to Kirkand & Ellis. Nonetheless, Linklaters has pulled off some significant mandates for key PE clients, including advising Apollo on the €2.95bn acquisition of glassmaker Verallia from Saint-Gobain and South African investment company Brait on the £1.9bn acquisition of clothing retailer New Look from Apax and Permira and its £1.3bn acquisition of gym chain Virgin Active from CVC.
Woodward said: ‘We are really pleased to welcome Ben back to the firm. He has worked on a number of high-profile and complex transactions in recent years and his arrival will help the continued growth of our private equity practice and enable us to meet the strong demand for our services from key financial sponsor clients.’
tom.moore@legalease.co.uk
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