Key Takeaways
- • DLA Piper has hired three senior lawyers from Latham & Watkins, Jesse Sheff, Seung-Ju Paik and Preeta Paragash, all joining as partners to expand its capital solutions practice, according to Bloomberg.
- • Sheff, who spent 16 years at Latham & Watkins and has advised Apollo Global Management and BlackRock, is reportedly set to lead the new group.
- • The hires extend DLA Piper's private credit, leveraged finance and strategic capital advisory build-out, which began with the March 2026 launch of its capital solutions practice under Ranesh Ramanathan, formerly of Akin Gump.
- • Latham & Watkins was the leading legal adviser to lenders on US leveraged loans in 2025 by both deal count and transaction value, per Bloomberg data.
- • DLA Piper is expected to recruit several additional teams before the end of 2026.
Summary
DLA Piper has hired three senior lawyers from Latham & Watkins to expand its capital solutions practice and strengthen its private credit offering, according to a report by Bloomberg. The hires are Jesse Sheff, Seung-Ju Paik and Preeta Paragash, who will all join DLA Piper as partners. Sheff is reportedly set to lead the group. He spent 16 years at Latham & Watkins, where he was a partner, and has advised major asset managers including Apollo Global Management and BlackRock. Paik and Paragash held counsel positions at Latham.
The appointments form part of DLA Piper's broader expansion into private markets. The firm is building its advisory capabilities across private credit, leveraged finance and strategic capital transactions. The move highlights the competition among large law firms for private credit talent, a segment where lender-side legal mandates have become a significant source of fee income.
Bloomberg data cited in the report ranks Latham & Watkins as the leading legal adviser to lenders on US leveraged loans in 2025, measured by both deal count and transaction value. That ranking makes the recruitment of its senior private credit lawyers a notable development for DLA Piper.
DLA Piper launched its capital solutions practice in March 2026 under Ranesh Ramanathan, former head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's special situations and private credit business. The firm also recruited Alex Cushman and Daniel Wayte from Akin as part of that launch. According to the report, DLA Piper is expected to recruit several additional teams before the end of 2026 as it continues to build out its private credit and capital solutions business.
The appointments form part of DLA Piper's broader expansion into private markets. The firm is building its advisory capabilities across private credit, leveraged finance and strategic capital transactions. The move highlights the competition among large law firms for private credit talent, a segment where lender-side legal mandates have become a significant source of fee income.
Bloomberg data cited in the report ranks Latham & Watkins as the leading legal adviser to lenders on US leveraged loans in 2025, measured by both deal count and transaction value. That ranking makes the recruitment of its senior private credit lawyers a notable development for DLA Piper.
DLA Piper launched its capital solutions practice in March 2026 under Ranesh Ramanathan, former head of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld's special situations and private credit business. The firm also recruited Alex Cushman and Daniel Wayte from Akin as part of that launch. According to the report, DLA Piper is expected to recruit several additional teams before the end of 2026 as it continues to build out its private credit and capital solutions business.
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