A&O Shearman has lost three London finance partners to Latham & Watkins — real estate finance heads, a structured finance lead and all the market cachet that comes with them. That’s not “normal churn.” That’s a headline in a City still digesting the Allen & Overy–Shearman merger fallout.
Real estate finance partners David Oppenheimer, (pictured) David Varne and structured finance specialist Lucy Oddy all jumped ship to the US giant, strengthening Latham’s London bench just as firms are positioning for whatever the global capital markets decide to do next.
The move is more than lateral recruitment and is a tactical acquisition for Lathams. In a market where deep-pocketed US firms look at the City’s talent bench like a buffet line, real estate and structured finance are premium courses. The optics are not great for a Magic Circle legacy brand hemorrhaging partners while the American powerhouse eats into strategic practice groups like it’s lunch.
If lateral hires are the currency of status, then Latham just minted a fresh batch. For A&O Shearman, it’s a reminder that merger glitz doesn’t inoculate you from attrition. It is clear that reputation still needs swagger-style retention playbooks, not just press releases.
