Jones Day banking and finance partner Matthew O'Meara has joined Mayer Brown in Chicago as head of the firm's global private credit group.

“I'm thrilled to be here at Mayer Brown,” O'Meara said. “I obviously think the world of Jones Day [but] I'm so excited to be here and looking forward to the future.”

The move is a homecoming of sorts for O'Meara, whose mother, Anna O'Meara, has been a longtime partner in Mayer Brown's employee benefits and executive compensation practice. Joining forces with that familial connection was an added benefit in switching firms.

“Having a family connection to the firm, I knew what a great place this was,” the younger O'Meara said. “The personality and character of the firm [is at] the top of its game in terms of the types of people that practice law here.”

O'Meara leaves Jones Day after nearly five years at the firm, which he joined in 2013 from Winston & Strawn. O'Meara began his career at Winston & Strawn in 1996, spending roughly 17 years at the firm.

For more than 20 years, O'Meara has represented asset managers, banking institutions, financial services companies, private credit funds and other clients on all aspects of transactional debt financing, including acquisition finance, cross-border finance and restructuring.

O'Meara said that Mayer Brown's global financial capabilities and market lending finance practices such as fund finance and general lending capabilities are ideal compliments to his private credit fund practice, which really drove his decision to join the firm from Jones Day.

In his new position as head of Mayer Brown's global private credit group, O'Meara said that his biggest goal is to advise existing clients at his new firm, as well as his own, on a broad array of issues that affect different areas of their business.

“Whether it's fund formation, fund finance, lending or structured finance, being able to offer the whole complement of different practice areas on a global basis is really compelling, both for the existing clients that I've worked with over the years and [existing] private credit clients of Mayer Brown,” O'Meara said.

Mayer Brown, which saw its gross revenue and partner profits rise in 2017, has been busy on the lateral recruitment trail so far this year. The firm picked up two new lawyers in Tokyo after opening an office in the city late last year. In Beijing, the firm welcomed White & Case finance partner Hallam Chow to serve as its regional head of projects, while Mayer Brown's Hong Kong office hired Debevoise & Plimpton counsel Brian McKenna as a corporate partner.

In New York, Mayer Brown recently reeled in Ropes & Gray corporate partner Iliana Kirova, Allen & Overy banking and finance partner Scott Zemser, Bracewell white-collar defense chair Glen Kopp and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom counsel Kristine Koren as a partner for its corporate and securities group. New York was also where Mayer Brown brought on a high-profile capital markets team in February from Morrison & Foerster that included five partners, three counsel and several associates.

Unfortunately for Mayer Brown, one of those new partners was James Tanenbaum, who abruptly resigned from the firm earlier this month as a result of allegations of sexual misconduct stemming from his time at Morrison & Foerster.

O'Meara, Mayer Brown's newest hire, is inspired by more positive news.

Having earned both his undergraduate and law degrees from Loyola University Chicago, O'Meara is rooting hard for the Ramblers along with its No. 1 fan, 98-year-old nun Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt, as the school prepares for a long-awaited rematch with the University of Michigan in the NCAA men's basketball Final Four this weekend.

“I'm just thrilled with what's happening and can't wait for Saturday,” O'Meara said about his alma mater's upcoming game. “[I'm] hoping to see them win everything. Go Sister Jean.”