Tue, Jul 21, 2026
A A A
Welcome Guest
Free Trial RSS pod
Get FREE trial access to our award winning publications
Industry Updates

Latham & Watkins snags private credit duo from Akin Gump

Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Opalesque Industry Update - Latham & Watkins have announced that Fergus Wheeler and Paul Yin will join the London office as partners in the Banking Practice. Wheeler and Yin have substantial experience advising international private credit funds and direct lenders, commercial and investment banks, private equity sponsors, and corporate borrowers on a variety of complex UK, European, and global cross-border debt financing matters, with a particular focus on private credit transactions.

"We are delighted to welcome Fergus and Paul to the firm," said Stephen Kensell, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' London office. "Their vast knowledge and experience of private credit is highly complementary to our existing capabilities in London, and their arrival will add further depth to our practice."

Wheeler and Yin regularly advise on all aspects of acquisition financing, rescue financing, restructurings, liability management solutions and cross-border special situations lending. Their combined experience spans large-cap and mid-market transactions, and they are widely regarded as leading holdco financing lawyers in the City. They also have significant expertise in junior capital investment, including private high-yield and preferred equity financings.

"Private credit funds are playing an increasingly important role in Europe," said Dan Seale, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Banking Practice. "Over the years we have invested significantly in building the preeminent practice and few firms can match Latham's breadth of expertise across leveraged finance, private credit, and private equity. Their experience in the private credit and debt finance arena will bring added strength to our team in London and globally."

Yen Sum, Global Co-Chair of Private Capital at Latham & Watkins, added: "Fergus and Paul enjoy terrific respect in the market for their track record and deep industry knowledge. They are recognized as leaders in the direct lending space and bring a wealth of experience advising the most active credit funds on mid-market and larger cap lending transactions. Private credit is a key strategic focus for the firm, and we are excited to welcome Fergus and Paul to our strong and substantial global team."

Wheeler and Yin join Latham & Watkins from Akin. Wheeler received his LLB from Trinity College, Dublin in 2000. Yin received his Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney in 2009, and his Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice from The College of Law in 2010.

What do you think?

   Use "anonymous" as my name    |   Alert me via email on new comments   |   
Previous Opalesque Exclusives                                  
Previous Other Voices                                               
Access Alternative Market Briefing

 



  • Top Forwarded
  • Top Tracked
  • Top Searched
  1. Other Voices: Nvidia extraordinary growth and the challenge of sustaining demanding valuations over time[more]

    Antonio Di Giacomo, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com, writes: Nvidia has established itself as one of the most extraordinary growth companies in the global technology sector. Over the past two fiscal years, its revenues have risen from levels close to $60 billion annually to well above $120 billi

  2. Secondaries take center stage: What the 2026 PE landscape means for GPs and investors[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The 2026 edition of Dechert's Global Private Equity Outlook - "Signs of a Gradual Thaw" - marks a notable shift in industry sentiment. After years of compr

  3. And, finally: Time to share it with the people[more]

    From Newsoftheweird: Leavenworth, Washington, has become a tourist destination because of the Bavarian theme businesses have adopted there, NPR reported. One shop, the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, houses the world's largest nutcracker collection, thanks to 101-year-old Arlene Wagner. Wagner sta

  4. Opalesque Exclusive: Private Markets Evergreen Funds - An Insider's View[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Private Markets Evergreen Funds: What Investors Need to Know Before They Dive In The democratization of private markets is well underway. Structural barriers t

  5. Opalesque Exclusive: Governance, Scale, and Boutique Resilience in a Consolidating Hedge Fund Industry[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The hedge fund industry has undergone significant consolidation in recent years, with capital increasingly concentrated among large multi-strategy platforms. Yet boutique m