Latham & Watkins has hired Joseph “Joe” Alexander, a corporate dealmaker who last year was given the title “advisor to the chair” at his previous firm, DLA Piper.
Alexander had been at DLA Piper for nearly 15 years, where he served in leadership roles including vice chairman, global co-chair of its corporate and private equity practice, and a member of the firm’s US executive and management committees.
He will join Latham in New York as a partner, where the firm said in a statement he will represent financial and strategic investors, including private equity firms and public corporations, on mergers and acquisitions and other financing matters.
The move is at least the second major hiring announcement this year for Latham’s corporate practice, even after a down year for mergers and acquisitions and initial public offerings, products where the firm is usually a leader.
Latham brought aboard two Cahill Gordon & Reindel corporate partners in New York last week, Corey Wright and Lisa Collier. Like Alexander, Wright was formerly a member of his previous firm’s executive committee. The firm also hired former US district court judge Gary Feinerman in Chicago.
Marc Jaffe, Latham’s New York office managing partner, in a statement called Alexander a “nationally renowned M&A and private equity lawyer.”
“His arrival brings tremendous value to our clients in New York and throughout the East Coast, as well as across the US and worldwide,” Jaffe said
Last year, Alexander lauded DLA Piper’s hiring of 25 middle-market private equity partners from Honigman. At the time, he said the move was “just the beginning” of efforts to bolster its private equity practice in major markets. Alexander received the “advisor to the chair” role just months later.
A DLA Piper spokeswoman said the firm appreciates Alexander’s contributions and wishes him the best.
“Our private equity team remains focused on our strategy and delivering excellent service to clients around the world, as evidenced by our strong performance and continued growth,” the firm said in a statement.
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