Law firm Reed Smith has appointed Tom Whelan as private equity partner to its London office.
Joining the firm’s global corporate group, Whelan was formerly at McDermott Will & Emery (MWE), where he was a partner and head of the private equity and corporate transactions group.
Whelan is experienced at advising private equity sponsors, multi strategy funds, private capital investors and corporates. His skillset spans a broad spectrum of transactions, encompassing buyouts, co-investments, mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, refinancings, and exits, as well as advising on management incentive plans.
Mike Young, Reed Smith partner and chair of the firm’s regional corporate practice, said the firm had made significant investments in its private equity practice, which included hiring senior private equity lawyers Dr. Germar Enders, Dr. Nikolaus von Jacobs, and Christian von Sydow – all in Germany and also from from MWE – and François Feuillat in London from Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
He said the latest hire would enhance offerings across the firm’s five key industry sectors – energy and renewables, entertainment and media, transportation, life sciences and health care, and financial services – as well as real estate and technology.
Whelan’s began his three-decades career at Ashurst in 1991, before joining DLA Piper as a partner in 2002. Whelan has also worked at Hogan Lovells, prior to his previous role which he started in 2019.
