ESTEEMED FINANCE AND PUBLIC M&A PARTNERS JOIN LATHAM & WATKINS IN NEW YORK, ADDING MORE ELITE CAPABILITIES TO TOP-RANKED PRACTICE

Addition of highly regarded and accomplished partners, Emily Johnson and Mark Stagliano, further enhances the firm's premier, fully integrated corporate and finance practice.

With an outstanding track record of advising on the most sophisticated and transformative transactions, partners bring many complementary strands to our corporate ambitions in New York and globally.

NEW YORK, Feb. 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that Emily Johnson and Mark Stagliano have joined the firm as partners in the New York office. Johnson joins the Banking & Private Credit and Capital Markets Practices, while Stagliano joins the Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice. Johnson's practice focuses on all financing aspects of complex corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and spin-offs, with particularly deep experience in company-side, issuer-focused financings. Stagliano's practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities matters, and company representation work, including corporate governance. The addition of these prominent partners further elevates Latham's elite, fully integrated corporate and finance practice and marks a major expansion of the firm's industry-leading capabilities.

"Emily and Mark are among a select group of highly experienced and incredibly talented practitioners, and we are delighted to welcome them to our firm," said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins. "Their market-leading practices directly support our strategic focus to advise our clients on complex transactions across the capital structure and high-profile public company M&A. No other firm combines our excellence and scale — nor our ambition — and Emily and Mark joining us is another major milestone for our firm."

Marc Jaffe, Managing Partner of Latham's New York office, said: "We are thrilled to add partners of Emily's and Mark's stature to our practice in New York and globally. They are well-respected senior counselors with enormous credibility in boardrooms. Having led numerous sophisticated and transformative transactions over many years, their range of skills and sought-after expertise significantly expands our already strong and growing platform and the best-in-class counsel we provide to our clients."

Johnson's practice focuses on advising public companies, corporate borrowers, and strategic acquirers on the design and execution of debt and capital structures that advance strategic objectives and remain durable across market cycles. Her experience spans investment-grade and leveraged financings, bank and direct lending, public and private capital markets transactions, and liability management, including corporate separations, carve-outs, and transformational M&A transactions, as well as distressed acquisitions, divestitures, and restructurings. Johnson's practice also involves close, ongoing engagement with boards of directors, senior management teams, and corporate treasury functions to balance financing certainty, ratings considerations, disclosure obligations, and execution risk.

"Emily is an incredible addition to our top-ranked practice at the intersection of complex financings, capital markets, and liability management," said Stelios Saffos, Global Chair of Latham's Capital Markets and Public Company Representation Practices and Global Chair of the Hybrid Capital Practice. "She further expands our unparalleled reach across private credit providers, banks, bond investors, and capital markets participants, and enhances the scaled advice we deliver to clients through our fully integrated practice. Her experience leading complex transactions that require coordinated advice across multiple disciplines — often under heightened board, investor, and public market scrutiny — carries tremendous credibility among public company boards and senior management teams. We are thrilled that Emily is joining our team, further expanding our capacity in an area where client demand is robust and expected to grow." 

Stagliano's practice focuses on public company and sponsor-side mergers and acquisitions, securities matters, and corporate governance. He advises companies in a variety of industries on a wide range of matters, including domestic and cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures, IPOs, and other capital markets and private equity transactions, as well as shareholder activism, takeover defense, and proxy contests.

Alex Kelly, Global Co-Chair of Latham's Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice, said: "Mark's breadth of experience further enhances our world-class M&A practice, and he brings many complementary strands to our corporate ambitions in New York and globally. His impressive track record leading landmark transactions — including high-profile strategic combinations, corporate governance matters, and contested situations — bolsters our capabilities, and it is exactly the kind of integrated, cross-practice advice that sophisticated boards and management teams need in today's increasingly competitive market. Mark has earned a standout reputation for being extremely hard-working, entrepreneurial, and an outstanding team player, and his arrival reinforces Latham's position at the forefront of the practice."

"Latham is well-known for excellence across financial products, industries, and jurisdictions, and I am delighted to join the firm and contribute to its long-term growth," said Johnson. "Latham's unique 360-degree view of the public and private markets provides a powerful platform to help boards and senior management teams navigate increasingly complex financing decisions, combining strategic insight with execution across the full range of capital solutions — from traditional syndicated and capital markets to the expanding private credit ecosystem."

Stagliano said: "Latham is a transactional powerhouse that is exceptionally well positioned to capitalize on the increased activity in public M&A. I am delighted to join the firm's all-star team, and excited to be part of Latham's ongoing success and growth in New York and beyond."

Johnson and Stagliano join Latham & Watkins from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz. Johnson received her JD from Duke University School of Law and BA from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Stagliano received his JD from Harvard Law School and BA from University of Pennsylvania.

About Latham & Watkins (lw.com)

Latham & Watkins is a leading global law firm that brings together exceptional legal talent in financial centers around the world to advise on complex transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm's deep market and product knowledge, industry experience, vast scale, and commitment to innovation and excellence help clients navigate their most critical challenges and achieve their goals.

Notes to Editors
¹ Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in Israel through a limited liability company, in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office, and in Saudi Arabia through a limited liability company.

Contacts
Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner, +1.212.906.1200
Marc Jaffe, New York Office Managing Partner, + 1.212.906.1281
Stelios Saffos, Global Chair, Capital Markets and Public Company Representation Practices; Global Chair, Hybrid Capital Practice, +1.212.906.4520
Alex Kelly, Global Co-Chair, Mergers & Acquisitions and Private Equity Practice, +1.212.906.4615

SOURCE Latham & Watkins LLP