Sidley’s Talent Raid
In a move that’s less “talent acquisition” and more “legal talent heist,” Sidley Austin has swiped nine lawyers from A&O Shearman across New York and Washington DC, continuing their apparent mission to collect BigLaw partners like they’re rare Pokémon cards.
The New York haul includes a seven-lawyer finance group led by partner Chris Jackson, a collateralized loan obligation (CLO) specialist who brought along counsel Luke Maiman and five associates – essentially packing up an entire practice group and moving it across town.
Meanwhile, in DC, Barbara Stettner, A&O Shearman’s US head of financial services regulatory, has joined Sidley’s securities enforcement practice alongside counsel C. Wallace DeWitt.
Jackson, a legacy Allen & Overy partner before last year’s merger with Shearman & Sterling, brings substantial CLO transaction expertise, having previously guided clients like Neuberger Berman and Jefferies through transactions involving more than $2 billion in CLO securities.
Sidley’s management committee chair Yvette Ostolaza noted that Jackson’s addition would strengthen their cross-practice support capabilities, while executive committee chair Brian Fahrney highlighted how the hire expands their US platform while creating “synergies” with their London team.
The talent grab comes amid Sidley’s ongoing London hiring spree, where they’ve been raiding Latham & Watkins like it’s a well-stocked refrigerator, adding 10 Latham partners in just nine months. Sources report they’ve recently snagged Latham partner Vladimir Mikhailovsky and a trio of funds lawyers from Weil Gotshal.
Stettner joins Sidley after 14 years at Allen & Overy and A&O Shearman, where she served on the firm’s global board and managed the DC office. Her resume includes stints at the SEC and O’Melveny & Myers before helping open Allen & Overy’s DC office in 2011.
Kristin Graham Koehler, managing partner of Sidley’s DC office, praised Stettner’s addition as allowing them to “broaden our offerings with another marquee partner”.
