LATHAM & WATKINS ELECTS 22 NEW PARTNERS

Promotions from counsel include skilled practitioners advising clients across transactional, litigation, and regulatory matters.

NEW YORK, Feb. 20, 2026 /CNW/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that 22 counsel have been elected to the partnership, effective March 1, 2026. The counsel promotions follow the previously announced election of 40 associates to the partnership, effective January 1, 2026.

"We are proud to welcome this incredibly talented and accomplished group to our partnership. They embrace our commitment to client service, teamwork, excellence, and drive, and will strengthen our unparalleled platform and ensure our continued success," said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins.

The counsel who have been elected partners are:

Julian Azran (New York) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice. He represents public and private companies, financial sponsors, and their portfolio companies in corporate transactions, including M&A, joint ventures, leveraged buy-outs, investments, co-investments, and corporate governance matters, with a focus on the entertainment, sports, and media industries.

Sandra Benjamin (New York) is a member of the Executive Compensation, Employment & Benefits Practice. She advises corporate clients on complex labor and employment issues, including risks related to M&A and other transactions, employee and other worker agreements, policies and practices, employee disputes, reductions in force and severance arrangements, and compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.

Erika Brini Raimondi (Milan) is a member of the Banking & Private Credit Practice. She advises private equity sponsors, financial institutions, and portfolio companies on financing transactions, including acquisition and leveraged buyout financings, public takeover financings, private equity and corporate financings, bank loan syndications, debt capital markets, and direct lending and private credit transactions.

Corey Calabrese (New York) is a member of the Securities and M&A Litigation Practice. She represents public companies and financial institutions in securities class actions, shareholder derivative suits, and SEC and other regulatory investigations, and she also represents clients in antitrust and complex commercial litigation matters.

Emily Corbi (New York) is a member of the Public Company Representation Practice. She advises public companies regarding reporting obligations, corporate governance matters, and other issues related to public company status, including compliance with proxy rule requirements, insider reporting obligations, and trading restrictions.

Becky Critchley (London) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice. She advises investment banks, corporate finance houses, regtech and fintech companies, fund managers, lenders, and online trading businesses on UK financial services regulations, particularly relating to consumer protections, structured finance transactions, and benchmark regulation.

Kirstin Scheffler Do (Chicago) is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. She represents healthcare and life sciences companies in government investigations, complex commercial litigation, and regulatory proceedings, including in matters involving the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, and other alleged fraudulent conduct.

Michael Dreibelbis (Los Angeles) is a member of the Environment, Land & Resources Practice. He advises private equity sponsors and other investors and project developers on complex offtake agreements and other investments relating to energy transition, with an emphasis on carbon capture and sequestration, low-carbon fuel supply and certification, California cap-and-trade compliance, and voluntary carbon offset transactions.

Kelly Gelfand Egers (New York) is a member of the Banking & Private Credit Practice. She represents financial institutions in leveraged finance transactions, including private credit facilities, syndicated loans, asset-based financings, cross-border financings, and high-yield debt offerings.

Amanda Fortuna (London) is a member of the Banking & Private Credit Practice. She advises sponsors, financial institutions, and borrowers on multi-jurisdictional financings and strategic transactions in core and hybrid infrastructure, including acquisition and strategic growth financings, platform refinancings, joint ventures, and capital structure optimizations.

Clever Gallegos (New York) is a member of the Banking & Private Credit Practice. He advises investment banks, private credit funds, asset managers, alternative financing sources, and corporate borrowers on complex financing transactions across the capital structure, including acquisition financings, cross-border transactions, asset-based financings, recurring revenue-based financings, GPU financings, as well as restructurings and liability management.

Joachim Grittmann (Frankfurt) is a member of the Connectivity, Privacy & Information Practice. He advises public and non-public clients in regulated industries on all aspects of German public and regulatory law, with a focus on digital and energy infrastructure regulation, environmental and ESG laws, and sanctions and export control.

Delyth Hughes (London) is a member of the Capital Markets Practice. She advises buy-side and sell-side clients on complex cross-border OTC derivative transactions and associated regulation across asset classes, including interest rate, currency, commodity and inflation-linked hedging, structured deal contingent arrangements, repo, total return swap and stock-lending transactions, and Sharia-compliant derivative transactions.

Christopher (Topher) Michail (Los Angeles) is a member of the Structured Finance Practice. He advises asset managers, banks, business development companies, large financial institutions, and borrowers on financing transactions, including collateralized loan obligations, secured and unsecured credit facilities, acquisition financings, structured vehicle financings, asset securitizations, and joint venture origination platforms.

Paul Moura (New York) is a member of the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice. He represents US and international clients in business disputes and high-stakes insurance matters, including coverage disputes, as well as advising on global coverages and the risks associated with emerging technologies, business crises, and corporate transactions.

Matthew Peters (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Securities and M&A Litigation Practice. He represents companies and executives in complex litigation, including securities fraud class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, de-SPAC litigation, SEC investigations, internal investigations, and books-and-records demands.

Seth Richardson (San Diego) is a member of the Project Development & Finance Practice. He advises project sponsors, investors, and lenders on the development and financing of renewable and conventional energy projects, petrochemical plants and liquefied natural gas terminals, data centers, resorts and convention centers, athletic complexes, and other infrastructure projects.

Gloria Ring (Boston) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice. She advises strategic buyers and sellers, as well as private equity firms and their portfolio companies, on acquisitions, dispositions, recapitalizations, joint ventures, auction processes, minority investments and financings, reorganizations, asset and business division carve-outs, and corporate restructurings, with a focus on the life sciences industry.

Tim Scott (London) is a member of the M&A and Private Equity Practice. He represents clients in corporate and transactional matters in the insurance sector, including M&A, funded reinsurance, sidecars, asset structuring for prudential purposes under Solvency II and other regimes, insurer insolvency and resolution, and corporate reorganizations.

Philipp Studt (Brussels) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice. He advises both private equity sponsors and industrial clients in relation to all aspects of antitrust and FDI law, with a particular focus on providing strategic advice to clients on navigating the growing number of FDI regimes globally.

Tara Tavernia (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the Antitrust & Competition Practice. She represents public and private companies and private equity firms in complex antitrust matters, with a focus on strategic mergers and government conduct investigations.

Jude Volek (Washington, D.C.) is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. He advises companies, universities, and other clients on internal investigations, government enforcement actions, regulatory matters, and litigation, including in matters involving civil rights-related issues as well as artificial intelligence and other rapidly advancing technologies.

About Latham & Watkins (lw.com)

Latham & Watkins is a leading global law firm that brings together exceptional legal talent in financial centers around the world to advise on complex transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm's deep market and product knowledge, industry experience, vast scale, and commitment to innovation and excellence help clients navigate their most critical challenges and achieve their goals.

Notes to Editors

¹Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company, in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office, and in Saudi Arabia through a limited liability company.

Contact
Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner, +1.212.906.1650

SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP