Sidley Adds Private Equity Duo From Akin Gump in New York

Sidley Austin hired two partners from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld as the firm expands private equity work.

David D’Urso, the head of Akin’s US private equity and mergers and acquisitions practice, and Elazar Guttman are joining Sidley in its mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice in New York, the firm announced on Monday.

Chicago-founded Sidley has been building its private equity practice, which now has roughly 500 lawyers across the globe. The firm advised on 109 global private equity deals worth more than $42 billion in 2023, according to Bloomberg data.

The private equity market faces high interest rates and economic uncertainty after deal activity fell in 2023. However, Brian Fahrney, global co-leader of Sidley’s M&A and private equity practice group, said the firm remains committed to the space. “This is the long game and we’re continuing our investment,” he said in an interview.

D’Urso, who joined Akin in 2006 from O’Melveny & Myers, has represented clients including private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, financial institutions and family offices. He led the Akin team that represented Alden Global in its $633 million acquisition of Tribune Publishing Co. in 2021. He has also advised the likes of Bessemer Investors LLC and TPG Angelo Gordon over a nearly 28-year career.

D’Urso said it was Sidley’s depth in personnel and across key practice areas such as finance and tax, and in the regulatory space, that drew him to the firm.

“As the clients have been getting more sophisticated, it’s helpful to be able to tap into that depth and that breadth,” D’Urso said.

Guttman joined Akin in 2019 from Kirkland & Ellis. He has worked with clients including Altaris Capital Partners, Brookfield Asset Management, Computershare Limited, Kinderhook Industries, Sawmill Capital, and Sentinel Capital Partners.

Sidley’s commitment to private equity and M&A and its capabilities at the large and middle market levels is “very exciting,” Guttman said, noting that the duo is keen to add “our energy and our contributions to it.”

The pair’s move to Sidley was brokered by Sabina Lippman, partner and co-founder of global legal recruitment firm Lippman Jungers.

Sidley picked up Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison partners Ramy Wahbeh and Kaisa Kuusk in London as well as a four-lawyer private equity group from the firm in New York late last year.