SPACs - USA
What the team is known for
Latham & Watkins houses a deep bench of highly regarded practitioners, offering coast-to-coast expertise on the full range of capital markets matters. The attorneys are regularly sought by managers for counsel on a variety of equity transactions and possesses significant experience advising issuers from a variety of industries. With a comprehensive debt practice, Latham offers expertise in convertible debt and has a particular skill in handling high-yield offerings.
Strengths
"Latham is able to cover all subjects but has a unique number of experts in important albeit specific practices."
"The group is one of the leading experts on an array of capital markets transactions and is able to distill the complexities of these subjects."
"The team is seamless and high-quality. They are responsive and go the extra mile."
Work highlights
Latham & Watkins represented Amplitude in its USD1.77 billion direct listing of 35,398,389 shares of class A common stock listed on Nasdaq.
Notable practitioners
William Finnegan continues to garner praise for his longstanding securities law practice. His work encompasses the comprehensive range of transactions, including high-value debt offerings, IPOs, follow-ons, and related financings. "An extremely talented attorney with a tremendous breadth of experience."
Michael Chambers is widely respected for his capital markets practice, offering market-leading expertise in high-yield and investment grade debt issuances. "Michael is excellent. His years of experience covering the energy sector makes him one of the most sought-after lawyers for energy high-yield deals." "He's got a very loyal client following and a strong practice."
Marc Jaffe stands out for his talent in handling debt transactions on behalf of issuers and underwriters and he is also particularly adept at representing global clients in major IPOs. "An omnipresent attorney in capital markets who has handled some of the largest and most significant IPOs." "He's very smart and personable, just a really thoughtful sounding board."
Richard Kline's capital markets practice covers both issuer and underwriter-side transactions, displaying particular strengths in handling IPOs by technology companies. "Rick is a great lawyer and his clients trust him tremendously."
Ryan Maierson's broad capital markets practice runs the full gamut of debt and equity securities offerings. He often represents issuers, underwriters and private equity sponsors, with a particular focus on transactions in energy industry. "Ryan is commercial, collaborative and very knowledgeable." "His depth and breadth in the market is exceptional, he is consistently impressive."
Ian Schuman acts for issuers and underwriters in a wide range of transactions, with notable experience in debt matters, including high-yield debt offerings. He also maintains a busy equity practice and he is regularly chosen to counsel clients on IPOs. "Ian is an outstanding attorney who works on complex transactions."
Shayne Kennedy impresses clients with his ability to handle complex debt and equity securities offerings. He is particularly experienced at advising on IPOs in the life sciences and technology industries. "Shayne brings many years of seasoned experience and is excellent at communicating on all levels."
Steven Stokdyk is a distinguished figure in the California legal market. He focuses his practice on the representation of issuers and underwriters in transactional securities matters, such as IPOs and debt offerings. "Steve is a very strong capital markets attorney."
Tad Freese is especially active in the technology market, advising banks and companies on their debt and equity transactions. "A thoughtful and insightful lawyer." "Tad is a very strong practitioner."
Cheston Larson maintains a robust practice, which sees him advising issuing companies, and their underwriters, on diverse capital markets transactions. He is notably adept at providing counsel to organizations in the pharmaceutical sector.
David Miller advises on a broad range of capital markets transactions ranging from IPOs to high-yield debt offerings. "David isn't just an excellent lawyer, but he has great interpersonal skills. He knows how to command a room, but has great demeanor." "He brings his diverse experience to bear in each transaction, resulting in a superior outcome for his clients." "He is very timely in his responses and goes the extra mile for his clients."
Greg Rodgers displays strengths across a broad range of debt and equity offerings, gaining market attention for his specialist knowledge of direct listings and convertible debt. "He has a strong knowledge base and ability to work through incredibly complicated transactions."
John Greer has experience in debt and equity transactions across a range of industries, with a particular strength in the energy sector. "John is extremely experienced and knows capital markets transactions inside and out."
Michael Benjamin has a great reputation for his work on capital markets transactions, representing companies and investment banks in varied debt and equity offerings. "Michael is incredibly responsive, very commercially savvy and sophisticated." "His insights are numerous and his commitment is unwavering."
Partner in charge in Austin, Mollie Duckworth is a popular choice for clients in the energy industry seeking guidance on debt and equity offerings.
Stelios Saffos has established his market standing as a force in the New York capital markets space, displaying strengths in IPOs and high-yield debt, as part of a wide transactional skill set. "He has a wealth of knowledge and a vast network to draw on to get things done." "He is highly intelligent and able to handle complex situations well. Importantly, given his leadership in the market, he has a full grasp of the most cutting-edge concepts." "Stelios is a very bright, savvy and skilled attorney who has an encyclopedic knowledge of his area of expertise."
Cochair of the LA corporate department, Lewis Kneib has considerable strength in the capital markets space. He is adept at handling transactions in the hospitality and real estate sectors.
Nathan Ajiashvili comes particularly recommended for debt and equity transactions in the biotech and healthcare sectors. "Nathan is an outstanding attorney who knows the industry extremely well."
Nick Dhesi has extensive experience advising clients on a range of capital markets transactions including IPOs, high-yield debt offerings and preferred financings. "Nick is incredibly intelligent. He has excellent judgment and his communication skills are off the charts." "He is a great resource."
Peter Handrinos draws widespread praise for his extensive experience advising on IPOs and other high-value capital markets transactions. He counts global financial institutions and pharmaceutical companies among his clients. "Peter is a very good and very practical attorney."
Sarah Axtell handles the full range of capital markets transactions, with clients including companies in the technology market and major investment banks. "Sarah is terrific, she is a very smart and very talented attorney."
Senet Bischoff has a broad capital markets practice, acting for issuers, underwriters, and private equity sponsors on diverse securities transactions.
Corey Wright is frequently called upon to advise on underwritten debt offerings, with experience spanning high-yield and investment grade offerings.
Erika Weinberg is a respected capital markets attorney with a comprehensive securities practice. "She manages deals really well and is a collaborative and talented lawyer."
Alison Haggerty is a rising star in equity capital markets, regularly advising issuers and underwriters on IPOs. "Alison is strong within this market."
Benjamin Cohen advises on both debt and equity transactions, including complex IPOs and direct listings.
Brett Cassidy is a leading high-yield practitioner who regularly advises a mixture of corporates and financial institutions across a spectrum of transactions. His practice is market-leading and he routinely works on the largest deals in the space.
US-qualified partner Jeffrey Lawlis offers expertise in sustainable, PIK and high yield bonds. He mainly acts for financial entities such as bank consortiums.
Jocelyn Seitzman is a prominent player in the high-yield space and often represents issuers on high-yield bonds issuances.