DLA Piper hires Latham & Watkins trio to expand private credit practice
DLA Piper has hired three senior lawyers from Latham & Watkins to expand its capital solutions practice, as the law firm strengthens its private credit offering, according to a report by Bloomberg.
The hires include Jesse Sheff, Seung-Ju Paik and Preeta Paragash, who will all join DLA Piper as partners. Sheff, who spent 16 years at Latham & Watkins, has advised major asset managers including Apollo Global Management and BlackRock, will reportedly be leading the group, according to Bloomberg.
Sheff was previously a partner at Latham, while Paik and Paragash held counsel positions.
The appointments form part of DLA Piper’s broader expansion into private markets, with the firm building its advisory capabilities across private credit, leveraged finance and strategic capital transactions.
Latham & Watkins was the leading legal adviser to lenders on US leveraged loans in 2025, ranked by both deal count and transaction value, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
DLA Piper launched its capital solutions practice in March 2026 under Ranesh Ramanathan, the 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 the launch.
DLA Piper is expected to recruit several additional teams before the end of 2026 as it continues to expand its private credit and capital solutions business, according to the report.