Two Sidley Austin private equity partners are leaving the firm’s London office for a US-led rival, with no signs of a summer slowdown for moves in the city.
Private equity partner duo Lyndsey Laverack and Jade Williams-Adedeji will join Covington & Burling July 1 in the latest moves in a frothy market.
Laverack had been a partner at the firm since 2019 and counts KKR Real Estate as a client. Williams-Adedeji was promoted to partner in 2021.
The additions mark a concerted push into European private equity by Covington this year. The firm hired Paul Hastings partner Adrian Chiodo
to lead the firm’s leveraged finance practice in Europe in March.
“The arrivals of Lyndsey and Jade mark a step change in the continuing growth of our EMEA private equity capabilities, following the appointment of Adrian Chiodo, who joined us earlier this spring,” Covington private equity practice head Mark Thompson said in a statement.
Sidley private equity partner Fatema Orjela left for another US rival, McDermott Will & Emery, in April.
The Sidley exits follow the arrival of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison private equity partner duo Ramy Wahbeh and Kaisa Kuusk in June 2023. Sidley grew its London revenue that year by 12.4% to hit $209.7 million, a firm spokesperson said. The firm did not comment on the partner exits.
Other US firms have continued to build ranks in a non-stop hiring market in London this year.
Latham & Watkins has hired finance partner trio Jonathan Brownson, Joydeep Choudhuri and Prue Criddle from Cahill Gordon & Reindel, according to a source with knowledge of the situation, while also hiring returning partner John Guccione from UK elite outfit Linklaters. Guccione left Latham in 2023, spending just 14 months at Linklaters.
Paul Hastings has grown its office further, meanwhile, with the addition of Weil Gotshal & Manges partner Reena Gogna.
