Sidley Austin adds team of PE lawyers in London and Munich

Sidley Austin LLP added six new partners to its private equity and corporate practice in London. The six new hires, who have worked together as a team several years, primarily represent private equity sponsors operating in Europe.

The hires include corporate partners Erik Dahl, Christian Iwasko, Sava Savov, and Fatema Orjela.  Leveraged finance partner Bryan Robson and tax partner Oliver Currall are also joining Sidley.

Dahl’s practice has a German focus and Sidley is in the process of establishing an office in Munich, which he will lead.

PRESS RELEASE

London – Sidley Austin LLP announced today that it will be significantly strengthening its existing private equity and corporate practice with the addition of six new partners in London. All six, who have worked together as a team for a number of years, primarily represent private equity sponsors operating in Europe. Corporate partners Erik Dahl and Christian Iwasko have worked together for over 13 years and advise private equity sponsors on all aspects of their business, as do corporate partners Sava Savov and Fatema Orjela. Leveraged finance partner Bryan Robson and tax partner Oliver Currall, who are also joining Sidley, are an integral part of the group’s client relationships. A substantial part of Erik Dahl’s practice has a German focus and Sidley is in the process of establishing an office in Munich, which he will lead. The addition of this exceptional team marks the continuation of Sidley’s strategic growth trajectory, particularly as it relates to the expansion of services for private equity clients.

“The addition of this talented and very close-knit group is a significant milestone towards building out Sidley’s private equity practice,” said George Petrow, Sidley’s managing partner for the European region. “These talented lawyers will be valued additions to our increasingly distinguished group of lawyers both here in London and globally, and share our ambition to expand our private equity offering in Europe, the United States and the Asia-Pacific region. They will be joining our existing 120-lawyer London team, which has deep expertise in restructuring, corporate, real estate, regulatory, financial services and insurance, investment funds, structured finance, life sciences and technology.”

The arrival of this group, from the London office of Kirkland & Ellis, follows that of several other notable additions over the last two years in Sidley’s private equity practice across multiple markets including Los Angeles (Century City), New York, Dallas, Houston and Singapore.

“We have been focused on growing our private equity capabilities for quite a while,” said Carter Phillips, chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee. “This cohesive team is accomplished, energetic and driven, exactly the kind of lawyers we look for and clearly the kind of lawyers clients look for, too. The team has built a substantial practice and a loyal following that any law firm would consider itself lucky to have.”

Brief Biographical Information for each of the six partners follows:

Erik C. Dahl – Corporate partner Erik Dahl is a distinguished private equity lawyer who has led numerous high-profile, cross-border leveraged buyouts and financial restructurings. Erik is recognized in Chambers Global as a “World’s Leading Lawyer” in Corporate/M&A. He received a B.A. from the United States Military Academy, West Point, and served as an officer in the U.S. Army for four years. He received his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School, cum laude and received a Masters in Finance from the London Business School.

Christian A. Iwasko – Christian Iwasko is also an accomplished private equity lawyer who focuses on advising both European and U.S. sponsors in all aspects of their business including leveraged buyouts, debt and equity restructurings, fund formations and management of equity plans. He received his B.S. in Physics from the University of Michigan and law degrees from Columbia Law School (J.D.) and University College London (LLM)

Sava Savov – Sava Savov is an experienced corporate partner whose practice encompasses all aspects of private equity, including leveraged buyouts, restructuring, management equity, platform investments, fund formation and general corporate advice. From 2012 to 2015, Sava was a member of Oaktree’s European Private Equity team. Sava received his B.A. with honors from Brown University and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, cum laude.

Fatema Orjela – Fatema Orjela is a versatile corporate partner who places specific emphasis on providing strategic counsel to private equity sponsors on all aspects of their business, including leveraged buyouts, M&A, joint ventures, equity and debt restructurings, and management of equity plans. Notably, Fatema has been actively involved in diversity initiatives across the City, including her role as a co-founder of “Women in Law, London” (a 1700+ member network). Fatema received her B.A. in Jurisprudence, Law from Brasenose College, Oxford University, and completed law school at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice.

Oliver Currall – Tax partner Oliver Currall advises clients on complex tax issues relating to UK and cross-border private equity and M&A transactions, restructuring transactions and private fund structuring. Oliver received his B.A. from the University of Cambridge, and completed law school at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice. Oliver is a Chartered Tax Adviser as well as a lawyer.

Bryan Robson –Bryan Robson is highly experienced and skilled advising financial sponsors, credit funds and other lenders in matters related to leveraged finance including syndicated lending, leveraged acquisitions, distressed transactions and financial restructurings. Bryan received his B.A. from University College London and his Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP University Law School.