Former Cahill Executive Committee Co-Chair Ezring Joins Latham

Jennifer Ezring, former executive committee co-chair of Cahill Gordon & Reindel, is returning to her former firm Latham & Watkins in New York, adding to a string of departures from Cahill this year.

Ezring began her career at Latham & Watkins in 1998 before joining Cahill in 2011, where she became the first woman to serve on the firm’s executive committee. She will be a partner in Latham’s banking practice.

Welcoming her back is “as exciting a moment as I’ve had,” Marc Jaffe, managing partner of Latham’s New York office, said in an interview. “She is one of the most talented, broad-based, senior lending, banking partners in the industry.”

Cahill, which specializes in capital markets and banking and finance, has been hit by a slowdown in high-yield debt work and a slew of partner departures in recent months.

Kimberly Petillo-Décossard, co-leader of the firm’s M&A and corporate advisory group, and Ross Sturman, both of whom joined White & Case in March. Brad Bondi, co-head of Cahill’s white-collar practice, left for Paul Hastings, as did debt finance partners Josh Zelig, Marc Lashbrook, and David Barash.

Elai Katz, leader of Cahill Gordon & Reindel’s antitrust and trade regulation group, decamped to McDermott Will & Emery last month. Ezring is reuniting with former Cahill colleagues Lisa Collier and Corey Wright, corporate partners who left the firm for Latham in January.

“We thank Jenn for her service to the firm’s clients and wish her well in her new endeavors,” Cahill said in a statement Tuesday.

Latham Expansion

Ezring focuses her practice on advising commercial and investment banks in leveraged finance and asset-based lending transactions for brands such as Lucid Motors, US Foods and The Gap.

Latham on Tuesday also announced arrival of Fried Frank corporate partners Brian Mangino and Amber Banks. The firm earlier this year added Cooley corporate partner Ian Nussbaum, as well as Cravath Swaine & Moore M&A partner Andrew Elken.

When there are opportunities to add talent critical to the firm, Latham is going to do so, Jaffe said. “Top tier talent is slowly migrating to a handful of top tier firms,” he said.

A key area for the firm is banking, where there’s room to grow, said Daniel Seale, global chair of Latham’s banking practice. The stability from the Federal Reserve allows for the market to continue to stabilize, and private credit isn’t slowing down, he said.

Latham last week represented Golub Capital in a $3.4 billion refinancing deal for Hyland Software.