Key Takeaways
- • Sullivan & Cromwell LLP announced on October 20, 2026 that Vivek Ratnam will join the firm as a partner in its Tax Group, based in New York.
- • Ratnam advises private equity sponsors and corporations on federal income tax consequences of complex transactions, with clients including Blackstone, KKR, Oaktree, 26North Partners and Nordic Capital.
- • The hire builds on S&C's September 15 announcement of a private equity practice expansion, according to the firm's co-chairs.
- • Tax Group co-heads Davis Wang and Isaac Wheeler described the addition as strengthening the firm's private equity tax capabilities across the investment lifecycle.
Summary
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP said on October 20, 2026 that Vivek Ratnam will join the firm as a partner in its Tax Group in New York. The firm presented the hire as a further enhancement of its tax capabilities and its ongoing expansion of its private equity practice.
Ratnam advises clients on the federal income tax consequences of complex business transactions, including private equity investments, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. According to the firm, he has extensive experience advising leading private equity sponsors and corporations on significant domestic and cross-border deals. His clients have included Blackstone, KKR, Oaktree, 26North Partners and Nordic Capital.
Sullivan & Cromwell Co-Chairs Robert Giuffra and Scott Miller said Ratnam's arrival would strengthen the firm's ability to provide tax counsel to private equity clients across the full lifecycle of their investments. They tied the hire to the firm's September 15 announcement of its private equity practice expansion. Davis Wang and Isaac Wheeler, Co-Heads of the Tax Group, said Ratnam understands how to manage complicated tax issues while keeping transaction commercial objectives central, and that his experience with private equity sponsors would complement existing capabilities.
Ratnam earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his A.B., cum laude, in Economics from Princeton University. The firm, founded in 1879, has more than 1,000 lawyers across offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Palo Alto, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney and Abu Dhabi.
Ratnam advises clients on the federal income tax consequences of complex business transactions, including private equity investments, joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate transactions. According to the firm, he has extensive experience advising leading private equity sponsors and corporations on significant domestic and cross-border deals. His clients have included Blackstone, KKR, Oaktree, 26North Partners and Nordic Capital.
Sullivan & Cromwell Co-Chairs Robert Giuffra and Scott Miller said Ratnam's arrival would strengthen the firm's ability to provide tax counsel to private equity clients across the full lifecycle of their investments. They tied the hire to the firm's September 15 announcement of its private equity practice expansion. Davis Wang and Isaac Wheeler, Co-Heads of the Tax Group, said Ratnam understands how to manage complicated tax issues while keeping transaction commercial objectives central, and that his experience with private equity sponsors would complement existing capabilities.
Ratnam earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his A.B., cum laude, in Economics from Princeton University. The firm, founded in 1879, has more than 1,000 lawyers across offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Palo Alto, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Brussels, Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Melbourne, Sydney and Abu Dhabi.
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