K&L Gates adds a seven-partner team in Pittsburgh to boost its corporate and private equity practice
K&L Gates LLP, an American global corporate law firm, announced that a team of seven corporate and private equity partners
K&L Gates adds a seven-partner team in Pittsburgh to boost its corporate and private equity practice
K&L Gates LLP, an American global corporate law firm, announced that a team of seven corporate and private equity partners has joined the firm's Pittsburgh office through lateral hiring from another Pittsburgh-based law firm Dentons Cohen & Grigsby.
The newly hired partners are known as a respected team of corporate lawyers. They consist of partners Chris Thel, Ron Aulbach, Curt Anderson, John Wingerter, Lauren Crossett, Andrea Steiner, and Jeff Berkey.
They are highly valued for their expertise in private equity, tax, M&A and transactions, and executive compensation and benefits. The partners have experience working with private equity and credit funds with over $4 billion in assets and portfolio companies.
"We are delighted to welcome this group of dynamic, high-quality lawyers, who bring a wealth of capability in key practice areas and fit beautifully with our growing practice and continuing strategic growth," stated Jim Segerdahl, K&L Gates' global managing partner.
"They will be an immediately impactful addition to our Pittsburgh office, and to our broader Corporate and Private Equity practice, which works seamlessly across markets," Segerdahl added.
Both Thel and Aulbach began their legal careers at K&L Gates. While Thel was associated with the firm from 2002 to 2006, Aulbach, had a longer stint lasting 14 years between 1998 and 2012.
K&L Gates' Co-Managing Partner, United States, and Managing Partner of the Pittsburgh office Thomas J. Smith said: "It is a pleasure to add our former colleagues Chris and Ron and the entire group to our firm. The group is a tremendous addition to our Pittsburgh office, and further positions our firm as a premier practice in the city and beyond. We expect that combining this team with our existing teams will immediately position us to expand our service to existing and new clients."
K&L Gates has a large corporate practice, with over 500 lawyers worldwide, working on various types of domestic, international and cross-border transactions.
The firm serves a wide range of clients including large corporations, privately-held companies, venture-backed startups, private equity firms, investment funds, management groups, and entrepreneurs. This broad range of clients and the high level of service provided have earned K&L Gates the distinction of Corporate "Law Firm of the Year" in the US News-Best Lawyers' 2022 "Best Law Firms" report.
"The synergies of this group with our current Private Equity practice and existing and prospective clients in that space across markets are great," commented Rick Giovannelli, a leader of K&L Gates' global Corporate and Private Equity practices. "The group's addition will allow us to better serve and enhance our relationships with many of our private equity funds, portfolio companies, and broader corporate clients."