Paul Hastings Adds Leading High Yield Finance Partner in London

October 03, 2014

London, UK – Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that prominent high-yield finance lawyer Peter Schwartz will join the London office as a partner in the Corporate practice. Mr. Schwartz will join the firm from Milbank, where he is a partner in the Global Securities team.

Mr. Schwartz specializes in high-yield bonds, leveraged loans and general securities advice, including both debt and equity capital markets products. His addition significantly strengthens Paul Hastings’ capital markets and leveraged finance capability in Europe.

“Peter will be a tremendous addition to our Leveraged Finance practice, both personally and professionally,” said William Schwitter, chair of the Leveraged Finance practice at Paul Hastings. “His understanding of the European high-yield product, and his relationships with investment banks including Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America as well as a range of issuer clients, will be highly accretive to our global leveraged finance platform. Peter’s addition is a critical step in the roll out of a fully integrated bank/bond leveraged finance team in London, covering EMEA.”

“As we continue to strengthen and diversify our London offering, attracting a partner of Peter’s reputation and experience to lead our Capital Markets and Leveraged Finance practices is a great step for us,” said Ronan O’Sullivan, chair of the London office. “Peter will support leveraged finance transactions for our French, German and Italian offices, as well as complement our European growth markets initiative in both high-yield and equity capital markets.”

Mr. Schwartz is regarded as one of a select group of elite U.S. high-yield lawyers in London. Underscoring his success is the trust his clients have consistently placed in him for his business judgment, responsiveness, creativity in problem solving and affability. Mr. Schwartz has been recognized as a leading individual in the top tier of all high-yield bond lawyers in London by each of Chambers and Legal 500. Chambers Global states “In London, Peter Schwartz is a key figure in the high-yield market” and Chambers UK describes Mr. Schwartz as "just an incredible all-round excellent lawyer, who is devoted to his clients, and always available." Legal 500 recognizes Mr. Schwartz as one of its “Leading Individuals” maintaining that he is “considered ‘one of the best.’ ” He has also been named one of the UK’s “Hot 100” lawyers by The Lawyer magazine.
Mr. Schwartz’s hire continues the strong trajectory of the London office, following the addition of capital markets partner James Cole in 2013, real estate partner David Ryland and payment systems and financial services partner Ben Regnard-Weinrabe in 2014.

Paul Hastings’ European capital markets team comprises partners located in its London, Paris, Frankfurt and Milan offices, and counts CVC, Goldman Sachs, Citi, Société Générale, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank among its clients. ‎The firm’s growing London capital markets practice has represented underwriters and issuers in landmark equity capital markets transactions in Europe in the past year, including the underwriters on Electrica's privatisation - the largest IPO ever conducted in Romania, SEC registered IPOs of technology companies Materialise and voxeljet; and CVC Credit Partners on its novel London listed equity placing programme. It has also advised on ‎seven debt offerings during this period.

Paul Hastings' Leveraged Finance practice in New York is at the forefront of the market, following the firm's significant recent investment in the practice through the hire of a number of the leading lawyers in the New York market. The practice has earned top rankings in Thomson Reuters LPC’s league table, the premier global provider of information on the syndicated loan and high yield bond markets, with #1 and #2 spots in the league tables for U.S. Lender Law Firm Bookrunner and U.S. Overall Law Firm, in the first quarter of 2014.

Paul Hastings is a leading global law firm with a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Through a collaborative approach, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to client service, the professionals of Paul Hastings deliver innovative solutions to many of the world’s top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies.