Key Takeaways
- • Latham & Watkins has hired Jeremy Trinder, formerly the firm's global co-chair of real estate, as a London-based private equity real estate partner, marking a high-profile lateral move within the legal market.
- • The hire represents part of a broader competitive talent realignment in London's elite legal market, with Sidley Austin and Hogan Lovells simultaneously executing moves to attract Latham partners, signaling intensified competition for specialized PE expertise.
- • Trinder's departure underscores ongoing partner attrition at Latham despite the firm's strong financial performance (profits per equity partner exceeded $7 million in 2024), indicating that financial compensation alone may not retain top-tier talent in the current legal marketplace.
- • The move reflects sustained demand among institutional clients for specialized real estate and private equity advisory capabilities, particularly in London's capital markets and transactional practice areas.
Summary
The hire occurs within a competitive talent environment in London's legal market, where multiple elite firms have intensified recruiting efforts targeting Latham partners. Concurrent with Trinder's move, Sidley Austin has been executing its own hiring strategy, bringing over additional Latham partners including capital markets specialist James Inness and corporate transactions attorney, among others. Hogan Lovells has similarly pursued Latham lateral partners during the same period, with reports characterizing 2026 as a year of visible attrition for Latham's London office.
The timing and scope of these departures are noteworthy given Latham's financial strength and market position. The firm's profits per equity partner exceeded $7 million in 2024, positioning it among the most profitable legal partnerships globally. Latham maintains a market-leading private equity practice recognized across multiple industry rankings, with Chambers USA and Chambers UK 2026 noting the firm's exceptional strength in structuring private equity funds, cross-border transactions, and buyout advisory services, particularly for infrastructure and energy-focused vehicles.
Trinder's background encompasses counseling lenders, investors, private capital providers, and corporate clients on transactional matters including loans, structured finance, and real estate transactions—capabilities that align directly with institutional investor demand for specialized PE advisory counsel in the post-2024 market environment. His appointment signals Latham's continued commitment to deepening its London-based real estate capabilities at the partner level, even as the firm simultaneously experiences departures to competing firms.
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