Paul Weiss builds City restructuring bench with ex-Kirkland hire

Paul Weiss has added one other companion to its Metropolis restructuring apply with the rent of former Kirkland & Ellis companion Kai Zeng.

This follows the addition of former Akin restructuring companion and Authorized 500 company restructuring and insolvency main particular person Liz Osborne to launch its European restructuring staff again in July.

Zeng spent eight years in Kirkland’s London workplace between 2013 and 2022, turning into a companion within the restructuring staff in 2021. He moved to funding fund Blantyre Capital as counsel in 2022, turning into an funding director earlier this 12 months. 

He brings expertise advising monetary sponsors, debtors, and collectors on cross-border restructurings and distressed transactions. 

Because the information first broke final summer time that Neel Sachdev (pictured) and Roger Johnson had been leaving Kirkland to determine an English regulation apply at Paul Weiss, the pair have expanded the workplace by means of a collection of eye-catching hires from corporations together with Kirkland, Linklaters and Clifford Likelihood.  

These embrace Kirkland fairness companions Matthew Merkle (capital markets) and Timothy Lowe (tax), Linklaters companions Nicole Kar (competitors), Dan Schuster-Woldan (M&A) and Will Aitken-Davies (M&A), in addition to personal fairness star Christopher Sullivan and acquisition finance companion Taner Hassan from Clifford Likelihood. 

Extra lately, Paul Weiss employed TDR Capital normal counsel David Holdsworth, who’s returning to non-public apply after lower than two years on the PE home.

For extra on Paul Weiss, see LB’s characteristic ‘Market forces: Paul Weiss, Kirkland and the struggle for London expertise’ . 

elisha.juttla@legalease.co.uk