Key Takeaways
- • Latham & Watkins hired Samantha McGonigle, former general counsel of private equity firm Hg, as a partner in its London office to strengthen M&A and private equity capabilities with a focus on technology and software transactions.
- • McGonigle brings dual perspective as both in-house counsel and private practice lawyer, with nearly 12 years at Weil (where she made partner in 2013), one year at Paul Hastings, and experience co-founding a growth equity firm focused on technology companies.
- • The hire extends Latham's strategic technology-focused recruitment drive in London, following the May recruitment of Andrew Boyd (former Morrison Foerster managing partner) and technology M&A specialists Gary Brown and Luke Rowland, plus Richard Offord from Travers Smith in June.
- • McGonigle's appointment deepens Latham's existing relationship with longstanding client Hg while adding specialized expertise in leveraged buyouts, minority investments, and strategic transactions within the software and technology sectors.
- • The move reflects Latham's deliberate strategy to build sponsor-side capabilities and attract lawyers who understand private equity clients' broader commercial objectives beyond traditional legal advisory.
Summary
Latham & Watkins has recruited Samantha McGonigle, general counsel of buyout firm Hg, as a partner in its London office, marking the latest addition to the firm's accelerated hiring campaign targeting technology-focused private equity practitioners. McGonigle's appointment strengthens Latham's M&A and private equity practice with direct experience advising sponsors on leveraged buyouts, minority investments, and strategic transactions, with particular emphasis on software and technology-sector deals.
McGonigle's career trajectory demonstrates hybrid expertise valuable to sponsor-side advisory work. After nearly 12 years at Weil, where she achieved partner status in 2013 before departing six years later, she spent a year as partner at Paul Hastings before joining Hg as general counsel in 2024. Between these roles, she co-founded a growth equity firm focused exclusively on technology companies, providing her with investor-side perspective alongside external counsel experience. London managing partner Ed Barnett characterized her as a "widely respected, dynamic dealmaker" capable of handling large and mid-market private equity transactions.
The hire reflects Latham's deliberate strategy to build sponsor-side capabilities in London through technology-sector specialists. In May 2026, the firm recruited Andrew Boyd, former managing partner at Morrison Foerster's London office, alongside technology M&A partners Gary Brown and Luke Rowland—Brown previously served as co-head of MoFo's European M&A practice. That recruitment was followed in June by Richard Offord, a technology and IP partner from Travers Smith, demonstrating sustained focus on acquiring technology-focused dealmakers. McGonigle's appointment deepens an existing relationship with longstanding client Hg while signaling commitment to building capabilities that resonate with modern private equity sponsors' requirements.
In her statement, McGonigle emphasized the importance of external counsel understanding clients' commercial context beyond pure legal mechanics: "Having worked closely with external counsel from the client side, I know how important it is to have advisers who understand the broader context and commercial objectives of today's transactions." This perspective, gained through in-house experience at a major buyout firm, positions her to bridge the gap between legal delivery and strategic transaction objectives—a capability increasingly valued by institutional sponsors managing complex technology-sector investments.
McGonigle's career trajectory demonstrates hybrid expertise valuable to sponsor-side advisory work. After nearly 12 years at Weil, where she achieved partner status in 2013 before departing six years later, she spent a year as partner at Paul Hastings before joining Hg as general counsel in 2024. Between these roles, she co-founded a growth equity firm focused exclusively on technology companies, providing her with investor-side perspective alongside external counsel experience. London managing partner Ed Barnett characterized her as a "widely respected, dynamic dealmaker" capable of handling large and mid-market private equity transactions.
The hire reflects Latham's deliberate strategy to build sponsor-side capabilities in London through technology-sector specialists. In May 2026, the firm recruited Andrew Boyd, former managing partner at Morrison Foerster's London office, alongside technology M&A partners Gary Brown and Luke Rowland—Brown previously served as co-head of MoFo's European M&A practice. That recruitment was followed in June by Richard Offord, a technology and IP partner from Travers Smith, demonstrating sustained focus on acquiring technology-focused dealmakers. McGonigle's appointment deepens an existing relationship with longstanding client Hg while signaling commitment to building capabilities that resonate with modern private equity sponsors' requirements.
In her statement, McGonigle emphasized the importance of external counsel understanding clients' commercial context beyond pure legal mechanics: "Having worked closely with external counsel from the client side, I know how important it is to have advisers who understand the broader context and commercial objectives of today's transactions." This perspective, gained through in-house experience at a major buyout firm, positions her to bridge the gap between legal delivery and strategic transaction objectives—a capability increasingly valued by institutional sponsors managing complex technology-sector investments.
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