NEW YORK – Further strengthening its Chambers Band 1-ranked banking & finance and private credit platforms, Paul Hastings LLP announced today that premier finance lawyer Ismael Duran has joined as a partner in New York.

Duran represents financial institutions, direct lenders, corporate borrowers, and financial sponsors in complex bank-syndicated leveraged financings, as well as acquisition, asset-based, bridge, and other commercial lending transactions. Duran joins from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, where he was a partner.

“Ismael has an exceptional reputation among top-tier financial institutions in the leveraged finance and investment-grade markets, and his practice is highly synergistic with our leading finance and private credit clients,” said firm Chair Frank Lopez. “He’s another strong addition to our team that positions our leading global finance and private credit platform to capture even more market share with our existing client base, which includes virtually every major bank and direct lender in the world.”

With preeminent clients including JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, Citi, and Barclays, Duran’s recent transactions have included representing Goldman Sachs in the committed debt financing for Liberty Media Corporation's agreement to acquire the exclusive commercial rights holder to the MotoGP World Championship; representing JPMorgan in providing up to $5.425 billion in committed financing for II-VI Incorporated’s Coherent acquisition; representing Citi in debt financing for Vertiv’s $1.8 billion acquisition of E&I Engineering Group; representing JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs in several financing transactions for Formula One, the group of companies responsible for the promotion of the FIA Formula One World Championship; and representing the lead arrangers in the multi-billion committed financings related to Capri's and Michael Kors’ acquisitions of Versace and Jimmy Choo.

Paul Hastings was recently named “Banking Law Firm of the Year” at the Chambers USA Awards 2024 and is Band 1-ranked for both Banking & Finance and Private Credit.

“Paul Hastings has a tremendous global finance platform, and I look forward to working with the lawyers there to capitalize on the many collaborative opportunities that my practice brings to the firm while also being able to better serve existing clients,” said Duran. ”The firm’s ability to attract top-tier lawyers while working with a growing roster of premier clients makes the opportunity to join particularly compelling.”

Building out its finance and private credit practices globally, Paul Hastings has added top-tier talent across multiple markets, including, in New York, a premier three-partner finance team from Cahill, a Band 1 private credit team from King & Spalding led by Jennifer Daly, elite finance partner Morgan Bale from Weil, and Stephen Gruendel from Shearman; in London, leading high-yield partner Patrick Bright with a Band 1 team and premier finance lawyer Reena Gogna from Weil, and a Band 1 leveraged finance team from Latham; and, in Texas, an elite eight-partner, 25-lawyer Band 1 finance team from Vinson & Elkins.

About Paul Hastings

With widely recognized elite teams in finance, mergers & acquisitions, private equity, restructuring and special situations, litigation, employment, and real estate, Paul Hastings is a premier law firm providing intellectual capital and superior execution globally to the world’s leading investment banks, asset managers, and corporations.