This year's Private Equity Rising Stars list highlights the best of the up-and-coming talent within the U.K. and European legal industry at a time of unprecedented activity levels for the sector. With a backlog of private equity transactions to deliver on and a glut of dry powder available to be spent post-pandemic, top private equity clients have turned to a new generation lawyers on their market-leading mandates in the past two years. Law.com International spent several months approaching many of the world's largest and most influential private equity houses to seek out recommendations before surveying a wide range of experienced partners for their views on which private practice lawyers aged under 40 they rated most highly. Around 80 lawyer submissions and recommendations were then whittled down to find the top 25 who represent the best of the industry based on the quality of their client base; the scale, significance and complexity of their deals; their client feedback and general market reputation; the standing of their mentor; and any other examples of career success and innovation. Read on to find out why these 25 rising stars were selected for this list.

Mark Aschenbrenner, Clifford Chance
Mark Aschenbrenner, Clifford Chance |
  • Year of birth: 1984
  • Position: Partner, since September 2021
  • Key clients: Cinven, Partners Group, and BC Partners

Mark Aschenbrenner's arrival at Clifford Chance's Munich office from Kirkland & Ellis earlier this year was heralded by one German private equity partner at a rival firm as "the talk of the industry". Recommended for this list by two separate senior German partners, Aschenbrenner's work for private equity behemoths Cinven, Partners Group and BC Partners has caught the attention of several leading figures in the German private equity market. One of the biggest factors in his success, Aschenbrenner says, is "likely the ability to simplify complexity, understand the commercial drivers of a transaction and focus on them", while his advice to his younger self would be to "remember to leave the office early when you can – there will be plenty of opportunities to work hard".

Dominic Blaxill, Debevoise & Plimpton
Dominic Blaxill, Debevoise & Plimpton |
  • Year of birth: 1987
  • Position: Associate
  • Key clients: AltaOne Capital, Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Capital Group Private Markets, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, HarbourVest Partners, Helios Investment Partners, Pantheon, Providence Equity Partners, Temasek

Debevoise associate Dominic Blaxill was "instrumental" in winning the firm a role for Pantheon on one of 2020's highest-profile deals - Pantheon's equity investment as part of the proposed £2 billion takeover by KKR of John Laing Group - according to the U.S. firm. The deal was the first time the client had used the Debevoise team for a U.K. Takeover Code-governed transaction. Described by the firm as being a "lynchpin" of Debevoise's private equity M&A practice in the U.K. and Europe despite his age, Blaxill was also part of the Debevoise team advising Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its complex sale of a minority stake in vehicle glass repair business Belron to Hellman & Friedman, BlackRock and GIC, in a deal that valued the company at €21 billion.

Guillaume Bonnard, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
Guillaume Bonnard, Weil Gotshal & Manges |
  • Year of birth: 1986
  • Position: Partner, since 2021
  • Key clients: Ardian Buyout, Apax Partners, Montagu Private Equity, Sagard and Tethys Invest

Paris-based private equity partner Guillaume Bonnard boasts an enviable client list, including the likes of Ardian's buyout arm, Apax Partners and Montagu Private Equity. Bonnard's rise to the Weil partnership has been rapid, becoming a partner in January 2021 just eight years after qualifying into the firm, and he counts Weil Paris private equity heavyweight David Aknin as a key mentor. The Paris Saint Germain football fan also has a hidden talent as a pastry chef, and in his spare time enjoys contemporary art and running. The best part of being a lawyer, he says, is "solving technical issues and being a cornerstone in the success of our clients' deals"; his least favourite thing is "having to deal with counterparts who, as a matter of principle, adopt aggressive and uncompromising stands during negotiations, while our job is all about finding the right path to reach a fair and balanced deal for all parties".

Jonathan Dillon, Clifford Chance
Jonathan Dillon, Clifford Chance |
  • Year of birth: 1983
  • Position: Senior associate
  • Key clients: Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), KKR

Infrastructure funds lawyer Jonathan Dillon is "at the forefront of the industry", according to a senior corporate partner at Clifford Chance. In 2021 alone, the Magic Circle lawyer has been part of the team advising private equity giants KKR and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan on the acquisition of a 40% interest in electricity distribution business Caruna from First Sentier Investors, and advising CDPQ on its acquisition of a 30% stake in ATC Europe which is part of a new long-term strategic partnership between American Tower and CDPQ valued at over €1.6 billion. Working closely with Clifford Chance private equity infrastructure partner Toby Parkinson, who re-joined the firm from OMERS Infrastructure in 2019, Dillon is cited by peers at rival firms as a rising star in the market and has established a name for himself as "one to watch". The best part about his job, Dillon says, is "working with super-bright, interesting, and motivated people - both clients and colleagues." "As for what I like least," he says, "it's seeing young lawyers in the wider industry burning-out or leaving law for the wrong reasons".

Braeden Donnelly, Ashurst
Braeden Donnelly, Ashurst |
  • Year of birth: 1988
  • Position: Partner, since 2019
  • Key clients: Agilitas, CapVest, Liberty Hall Capital Partners, CBPE, EMK Capital and Sprints Capital

A mentee of Ashurst private equity veterans David Carter and Karen Davies, Ashurst partner Braeden Donnelly plays a key role in maintaining strong relationships with leading mid-market private equity firms Agilitas, EMK Capital and Liberty Hall Capital Partners. Upon his election to the partnership in 2019, Donnelly was the youngest partner in the firm, though a handful of private equity experts in the U.K. legal market cite his reputation as a proficient dealmaker against lawyers sometimes twice his age. As for why he entered the legal profession, Donnelly says "the deciding factor was that I was too squeamish to begin - let alone finish - my medical degree... I'm still afraid of blood to this day and thankfully that is not something I have to encounter as a lawyer!"

Patrik Erblad, White & Case
Patrik Erblad, White & Case |
  • Year of birth: 1985
  • Position: Partner, since 2020
  • Key clients: EQT Partners, Triton, Hanover Investors and Bridgepoint

A former computer programmer, one of White & Case's Patrik Erblad's hobbies is finding ways to "optimise mundane tasks in my life by coding them away". But there is nothing mundane about Erblad's reputation for advising some of the biggest players in the competitive Nordic private equity market. He is a go-to adviser for local buyout giant EQT Partners, and last year advised the firm on its $1 billion acquisition of shares in Nasdaq Stockholm air conditioning business Beijer Ref. Boasting a pedigree from working at local firms Hannes Snellman and Vinge, Erblad joined White & Case in 2017 and made partner three years later, making him one of the U.S. firm's youngest-ever partners. His advice to his younger self would be to "Think big, go global", adding: "My years at White & Case have really shown me the benefits of an international mind-set and that transacting is global."

Federico Fruhbeck, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher
Federico Fruhbeck, Gibson Dunn & Crutcher |
  • Year of birth: 1983
  • Position: Partner, since 2021 (promoted to partner at Vinson & Elkins in 2018)
  • Key clients: KKR, Groupe Bruxelles Lambert, Asterion Industrial Partners, The Blackstone Group, Apollo Global Management, Stonepeak Industrial Partners, and Värde Partners

Making the list for a second time in two years, key KKR and Blackstone adviser Federico Fruhbeck recently joined the London office of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher from U.S. rival Vinson & Elkins as part of a three-lawyer team move. Taking on the mantle of European head of private equity at his new firm, Fruhbeck is recognised by peers as a leading practitioner across several markets including Spain, Italy, Germany and Greece. Fruhbeck's advice to his younger self would be: "Don't be afraid of recognising your own mistakes and asking for help. Everyone makes mistakes, and the experience you gain from fixing mistakes is the best way to learn the profession. And be nice to others – you will enjoy the profession more, and clients and peers want to work with amicable people, there is nothing cool about being unpleasant."

Steven Hannah, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom
Steven Hannah, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom |
  • Year of birth: 1982
  • Position: Partner, since 2021
  • Key clients: Castik Capital, Hg, H.I.G. Capital, I Squared Capital, Montagu Private Equity, Sovos Compliance

Highly rated by some of the most senior figures in the U.K.'s private equity market, Skadden's Steven Hannah acts for major private equity firms Castik Capital - a longtime client - and H.I.G. Capital on key transactions from the past year. A leading figure in the firm's private equity practice, he works alongside major private equity names such as Richard Youle and Katja Butler, while a lawyer at a rival firm described Hannah as a "class act and a solid practitioner". Hannah co-led on a transaction for H.I.G. Capital on the complex carve out of the plumbing and heating division of Travis Perkins earlier this year, shoring up a relationship with the firm's relatively new client. In 2021 alone, Hannah has already worked on 10 successful transactions for various clients, and across different sectors and regions. The worst thing about working in private practice, Hannah says, is the long and unpredictable hours which "mean there are times when I don't get to spend as much time with my family as I would want to". He adds, however: "For those willing and able to put in the hours and apply themselves, it is a real meritocracy".

Tom Hartwright, Travers Smith
Tom Hartwright, Travers Smith |
  • Year of birth: 1987
  • Position: Partner, since 2021
  • Key clients: Livingbridge, TA Associates, Inflexion, Equistone Partners Europe, Kester Capital

With tech-literate private equity lawyers in high demand across the European private equity market, Travers Smith's Tom Hartwright has gone some way to carve a niche for himself by advising on a raft of complex deals for several of the mid-market's most tech-ambitious private equity firms. As well as advising TA Associates and management on a mandate to sell a majority stake in analytics software business ITRS Group to Montagu Private Equity earlier in 2021, Hartwright recently took on a high-profile role for Travers client Inflexion on its majority investment sale of one of the U.K.'s largest veterinary clinics, MediVet, in a deal worth around £1 billion. He was praised by one client as being "outstanding" on his "judgement on materiality, his work ethic and his grasp of the issues and solutions".

Ignacio Hornedo, Allen & Overy
Ignacio Hornedo, Allen & Overy |
  • Year of birth: 1982
  • Position: Partner, since 2018
  • Key clients: Intermediate Capital Group, Aurica Capital, One Equity Partners, and Asia Pacific Land

Recommended for this list by a London private equity lawyer at a rival firm and two other market onlookers, Madrid-based partner Ignacio Hornedo boasts a reputation as a rising star in the European private equity market. As the son of a GC at a large listed law firm, Hornedo credits his early interest in a career in law to enjoying discussions and arguments with his father. But Hornedo's advice to his younger self would be to "be open and honest about your desires", saying: "That does not mean you will always get what you want - you may get less, but sometimes you may also get more." And Hornedo is encouraged by the prospects for junior lawyers at such a dynamic time for the private equity industry. "The busier the markets are, the more chances for new and successful careers for advisors," he says. "New generations are certainly more open about their aim to achieve a work-life balance, but just as private equity houses attract young, talented, hard workers, so does a law firm."

Jordan Hurwitz, Proskauer Rose
Jordan Hurwitz, Proskauer Rose |
  • Year of birth: 1986
  • Position: Associate
  • Key clients: Ardian

Sitting in the London office of Proskauer Rose's private equity funds team, associate Jordan Hurwitz has had an impressive start to his legal career, taking on a raft of high-profile mandates for major European private equity player Ardian in recent years. Described by Proskauer as "a natural leader and influencer", Hurwitz was the lead associate advising Ardian on one of the largest secondaries deals in the market to date - the private equity firm's acquisition of a circa $5 billion portfolio from the Norinchukin Bank. Outside of work, Hurwitz spends much of his time with his three children - two very lively little boys and a newborn baby girl. "I'm also the proud owner of a relatively large Newfoundland called Lenny that many mistake for a bear, so most of my spare time these days is spent doing some form of kid-related activity or walking the dog," Hurwitz says.

Lawale Ladapo, Cleary
Lawale Ladapo, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton |
  • Year of birth: 1983
  • Position: Senior associate
  • Key clients: TPG Capital, TPG Growth and The Rise Fund, The Evercare Group, Sixth Street Partners and two leading Middle East-based sovereign wealth funds

Cleary London senior associate Lawale Ladapo's work in private equity-related ESG matters sets him apart from his peers, as does his role as a trusted adviser to leading Cleary private equity clients such as TPG and Sixth Street. Since joining Cleary in 2010, Ladapo has spent time in the firm's New York and Abu Dhabi offices and completed a secondment with TPG. "I think private equity advisers will continue to expand capacity to meet the increasing levels and scope of private equity transactions," he says. "The wealth of expertise that has coalesced around ESG, as this has become an area of increasing importance for private equity sponsors, is a case in point." Much of Ladapo's practice focuses on deals involving in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is being heavily targeted by private equity investors looking to build up their portfolio in the region. Senior private equity figures in the region describe him as being "very client-focused and commercially savvy".

Mary Lavelle, Akin Gump
Mary Lavelle, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
  • Year of birth: 1982
  • Position: Partner, since 2019
  • Key clients: Coller Capital, GIC, Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, and Intermediate Capital Group

Akin Gump's Mary Lavelle is carving a reputation among private equity clients as a key adviser in the European secondaries funds market. A mentee of London funds heavyweight John Daghlian, Lavelle has built up solid relationships with major private equity firms Coller Capital, GIC and Quinbrook. Indeed, she has acted for Coller on approximately 40 transactions over the last eight years and has built up strong relationships with individuals at the private equity outfit - Lavelle co-founded the 'Women in Secondaries' network with Coller investment partner Louise Boothby. Having grown up in rural Worcestershire, Lavelle says that the corporate world was initially "alien" to her, but she says that "resilience and self-belief have been key to my success, as well as the realisation that I didn't need to fit any specific mould to do this job well, which was something I was probably too worried about at the start of my career when the private equity industry was a lot less diverse". "It's much more important to be yourself and let your performance do the talking," she adds.

Shimin Lee, Clifford Chance
Shimin Lee, Clifford Chance |
  • Year of birth: 1990
  • Position: Senior associate
  • Key clients: Cinven, BlackRock Long Term Private Capital, Elliott Advisors, Partners Group, and The Hut Group

The youngest person to make this year's list, Clifford Chance's Shimin Lee is described by a partner in the London office as "a brilliant lawyer" with very strong relationships at key Clifford Chance client Cinven, to which she had previously been seconded. But beyond her Cinven connections, Lee is credited as a driving force behind the firm's growing relationships with some of the private equity practice's biggest clients, BlackRock and Elliott Advisor. Lee says that the current heavy workloads for corporate legal advisers will be "sustainable only if everyone within the team supports each other so people are working hard when they need to, but also making sure to get some down time when it really matters to them". The mother-of-two adds: "Ultimately, we need to respect the value of each other's personal time but as a quid pro quo give our 100% when we are required to do so."

Daniel Lloyd, Simpson Thacher
Daniel Lloyd, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
  • Year of birth: 1984
  • Position: Partner, since 2020
  • Key clients: Apax Partners, Astorg, Bridgepoint, Carlyle, Charterhouse, Cinven, CVC Capital Partners, and EQT Partners

Simpson Thacher London-based private funds partner Daniel Lloyd has advised on fundraisings ranked in the top 10 largest in Europe every year between 2016 and 2020, and took a leading role on the largest fundraising of 2020 to advise CVC Capital Partners VIII on its €21.25 billion raise. As well as counting some of the world's largest private equity firms among his core clients, Lloyd sits on the firm's business development team. "It has certainly been a busy couple of years," Lloyd says of the market. "We have been staffing up - and continue to do so - in order to meet client demands and manage workloads. However, I don't think it will have an adverse effect on the number of lawyers progressing through the ranks. Ultimately, you have to work hard in the legal profession and being busy and getting exposure to a variety of work is the best way to learn."

Daniel Moeritz, Hengeler Mueller
Daniel Moeritz, Hengeler Mueller |
  • Year of birth: 1983
  • Position: Partner, since 2018
  • Key clients: EQT Partners, Bain Capital, PAI, First Sentier Investors, and Trill Impact

"He's going to own the market," says one high-profile German private equity partner at a U.S. firm of Hengeler Mueller's Daniel Moeritz. Another partner in the German market adds that Moeritz has "a great reputation" as a top dealmaker on cross-border European matters, despite only being made partner at the elite German firm in 2018, while another Hengeler lawyer describes him as a "superstar". Recent deals for Moeritz include acting for PAI Partners on the acquisition of Apleona from EQT Partners in a €1.6 billion deal last December, and advising EQT on a minority investment in drug delivery systems manufacturer SHL Medical. He also took a role advising German capital markets company Deutsche Boerse on its majority acquisition of responsible investing platform ISS for $1.8 billion at the start of 2021.

Leanne Moezi, Hogan Lovells
Leanne Moezi, Hogan Lovells |
  • Year of birth: 1981
  • Position: Partner, since 2020
  • Key clients: Pantheon; Grosvenor Capital Management, Eurazeo, Alantra, Investindustrial, Hayfin, Inter Fund, and Cranemere

Having re-joined Hogan Lovells in 2020 as a partner after a stint at U.S. firm Paul Hastings, Leanne Moezi has gained a reputation as a key dealmaker in the private equity secondaries market in London. One private equity partner at a rival firm said Moezi is "a real superstar", while another added that he had been "seriously impressed" by Moezi while acting opposite her on a deal. She has been instrumental in growing Hogan Lovells' burgeoning secondaries practice alongside fellow partner Ed Harris. As the mother of two toddlers, aged two and four, Moezi enjoys photography and singing - "when I'm not being a chaperone, taxi driver, cheerleader and children's entertainer". On associate hours and the levels of activity within the legal sector, Moezi says: "Burnout happens far too frequently in our profession. It is ultimately up to partners to ensure that deals are staffed appropriately and to be mindful of their team's workloads. Post-lockdown, there is now a more balanced approach between time in the office versus working from home, which mitigates a little against the negative effects a large workload can have on your home life."

Katie Peek, Latham & Watkins
Katie Peek, Latham & Watkins |
  • Year of birth: 1989
  • Position: Associate
  • Key clients: EQT Partners, The Carlyle Group, Hellman & Friedman, Goldman Sachs, One Equity Partners, Partners Group, Platinum Equity, and BDT Partners

Latham & Watkins associate Katie Peek is commended by her peers for her expertise in advising some of the firm's biggest clients, including EQT Partners and Carlyle, "not only with exceptional legal skill, but with calm, charm, and humour". Counting private equity veterans David Walker and Kem Ihenacho as key mentors, as well as previous Rising Stars Huw Thomas and Farah O'Brien, Peek represents the next generation of private equity talent in the London legal market. She also regularly contributes to the firm's corporate thought leadership and pro bono efforts. Outside of work, Peek enjoys running, "primarily because I completely switch off and get lost in a podcast or some music – showtunes can be surprisingly motivational on a long run!" Her advice to her younger self would be to "worry less about what other people are doing and focus on yourself, and don't sweat the small stuff".

Julien Rebibo, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Julien Rebibo, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer |
  • Year of birth: 1984
  • Position: Partner, since 2021
  • Key clients: Charterhouse, Cinven, General Atlantic, and Marlin Equity Partners

A newly-promoted partner in Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer's Paris office, Julien Rebibo was recommended for this list by two senior private equity market specialists. Rebibo stands out from his peers for the breadth of his practice, as well as the calibre of his clients, with his expertise in advising on both buy-out transactions and also growth investment and venture-like transactions in tech companies. The latter, which represents a growing area of interest for private equity firms seeking profitable investments in growing tech businesses, has meant that Rebibo has carved a solid niche for himself at a good time for the industry. As one market onlooker puts it, Rebibo's "position within that market, combined with the types of elite clients he has access to at Freshfields, means he is building up a very good practice". For Rebibo, the best and worst part of the job is the unpredictability. "It can be the best as every day is different and brings its batch of surprises, but can also turn to be less enjoyable where surprises land over the week-end or in the middle of holidays," he says.

Christine Renner, Dechert
Christine Renner, Dechert |
  • Year of birth: 1984
  • Position: Senior associate
  • Key clients: Golding Capital, StepStone Group, Kieger, EarlyBird East's Digital East Fund, and MTIP

Luxembourg-based Dechert lawyer Christine Renner works at the forefront of the European funds industry, a market she describes as "ever-changing". "We've seen a wave of regulatory initiatives too numerous to count, along with several important mergers of firms involved in the market, and a number of new entrants, so there has been a lot of stimulating change". The trilingual lawyer advises asset managers and sponsors on the formation of Luxembourg-domiciled private funds, a growing area of interest for private equity firms looking to navigate the post-Brexit regulatory landscape, and she counts leading Luxembourg Dechert funds partner Patrick Goebel as a key mentor. Renner first became interested in a career in law by reading legal novels as a child, but adds that over time she "discovered the business aspect of private practice— and I've grown to like it more than I could have imagined". "It's like being a business owner, but with the added bonus of being able to bounce ideas off like-minded individuals and bring in different experts to get the job done," she says.

Seema Shah, Simpson Thacher
Seema Shah, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett |
  • Year of birth: 1982
  • Position: Partner, since 2016
  • Key clients: Apax Partners, BC Partners, Coller Capital, CVC Capital Partners, and CVC Credit Partners

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett partner Seema Shah says that the biggest factors in her success have been her mentors - "the partners I have worked with since I was a trainee and always steered me in the right direction," which includes London office managing partner and funds heavyweight Jason Glover, "and clients, who have really invested in my career and afforded me opportunities to work on complex and challenging matters". Shah was recently the lead partner advising London-based Apax Partners in the formation of its Apax X fund, which closed at its hard cap of $11 billion, and advising Coller Capital in raising its eighth secondaries fund, Coller International Partners VIII, at a final cap of $9 billion. With an 18-month secondment at Apax under her belt, Shah looks set to continue the firm's growth in the secondaries space.

Olga Stürmer, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer
Olga Stürmer, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer |
  • Year of birth: 1983
  • Position: Partner, since 2021
  • Key clients: Permira, Bridgepoint, Warburg Pincus, Hellman & Friedman, CVC, and Partners Group

A key adviser to Freshfields core client Permira, Olga Stürmer was recommended as a rising star by three private equity partners in Germany, all of whom work at rival firms. Indeed, Stürmer is the relationship partner for Permira in Germany despite having only been promoted to the firm's partnership this year, and has led on virtually all of Permira's outbound German work. She also holds solid relationships with other major Freshfields clients including Warburg Princus and Hellman & Friedman, with a London-based partner saying that she is "very impressive". Freshfields describes Stürmer as having an "excellent reputation as a calm and effective transactional lawyer with a commercial mind-set, great client and project management skills, a non-showy style and a deep knowledge of every angle of leveraged buyouts and other private equity transactions." Kiev-born Stürmer is an active member of animal protection organisations in the Ukrainian capital and, outside of work, spends time with her husband and three-year-old daughter.

John Svenson, DLA Piper
John Svenson, DLA Piper |
  • Year of birth: 1984
  • Position: Partner, since 2020
  • Key clients: ABN AMRO Energy Transition Fund, Polaris Equity Partners, Nordic Eye, The Lundbeck Foundation, and other leading private equity firms

Copenhagen-based DLA Piper partner John Svenson is a veteran of M&A legal rankings in the Nordics, consistently ranking as one of the most prolific dealmakers in the region. After an unconventional start to his career - he had previously been an officer in the Danish army and was deployed to Afghanistan - Svenson sought to pursue a more academic path and a career in the corporate world. A year-long stint working in the New York office of Winston & Strawn in 2019 also gave Svenson an insight into M&A and complex cross-border transactions before he joined DLA in 2020 as a partner. Activity in the Nordics has had a tumultous year, Svenson says. "With the pandemic, many foresaw a rise in distressed M&A opportunities which we can now see haven't been the case. Instead many private equity titans are now turning to Europe and the Nordics for larger-deals and we see that the market is at an all-time high when it comes to valuations, number of deals, ticket sizes, etc."

Jacob Traff, Kirkland & Ellis
Jacob Traff, Kirkland & Ellis |
  • Year of birth: 1985
  • Position: Partner, since 2017
  • Key clients: Bain Capital, Apax Partners, Vista Equity Partners, Cinven, and ABRY Partners

Kirkland & Ellis's Jacob Traff wanted to become a lawyer since the age when most children want to become astronauts. He says the job has always been a natural fit for him. But it is his relationships with major private equity firms such as Bain Capital, Apax and Vista that makes him really stand out, with three senior private equity partners - including two at rival firms - saying that Traff's deal list and easy-going manner warrants him a spot on this list. Traff recently took a leading role to advise Bain on its €1.7 billion acquisition of ITP Aero from Rolls-Royce, and worked alongside experienced Kirkland private equity partners Adrian Maguire and Rory Mullarkey on Bain and Cinven's acquisition of Lonza Specialty Ingredients for CHF4.2 billion ($4.45 billion).

Adam Wollstein, Paul Weiss
Adam Wollstein, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison |
  • Year of birth: 1986
  • Position: Partner, since 2021
  • Key clients: KKR, General Atlantic, Blackstone Growth, BC Partners

London-based partner Adam Wollstein took on a leading role for key Paul Weiss client KKR at the height of the pandemic. He led a challenging but innovative transaction for the private equity giant, advising on its much-scrutinised joint venture with Telecom Italia to create a new business, FiberCop, which has a total enterprise value in excess of €10 billion. The deal provided Italy with a fiber-optic network suitable to provide crucial ultra-fast internet access at a time when the country was moving to widespread remote working due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Outside of work, Wollstein enjoys cooking, checking out new restaurants and travelling. "The quick weekend away to Paris, Rome or Madrid is something that I am eager to get back into the habit of in the post-COVID world."