PROMINENT FINANCE AND LIABILITY MANAGEMENT PARTNER JOINS LATHAM & WATKINS IN NEW YORK

• John Sobolewski to serve as the new Global Chair of Liability Management.
• Significant hire further solidifies Latham's dominant, fully integrated finance and capital markets practices.
• Addition follows recent arrival of preeminent Restructuring & Special Situations partners Ray Schrock, Andrew Parlen, Candace Arthur, and Alexander Welch and Structured Finance partner Jim Fogarty.

NEW YORK, Feb. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Latham & Watkins LLP¹ is pleased to announce that John Sobolewski has joined the firm's New York office as Global Chair of Liability Management and a partner in the capital markets and finance practices. Sobolewski has extensive experience representing sponsors and corporates in their most complex financing and liability management transactions. His arrival further enhances Latham's market-leading, fully integrated finance and capital markets practices. 

"John is a leading authority in complex financing transactions and liability management, and we are delighted to welcome him to the firm," said Rich Trobman, Chair and Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins. "John's arrival, following the recent addition of Ray Schrock, Andrew Parlen, Candace Arthur, and Alexander Welch to our restructuring and special situations team, is a powerful testament to our commitment to being the absolute best advisor to our clients throughout their lifecycle, including through their toughest challenges. John will bring tremendous knowledge, experience, and leadership to his role as Global Chair of Liability Management, as we remain focused on delivering unparalleled value to our clients."

"John has earned a stellar reputation for leading many of the market's largest and most complex liability management exercises," said Marc Jaffe, Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins' New York Office. "His deep knowledge and experience will be a tremendous asset to our clients in New York and globally, at a time when demand for our services is growing rapidly in both scale and sophistication."

Sobolewski's practice spans the full spectrum of leveraged finance, including: liability management and special situations, leveraged M&A and LBOs, complex hybrid capital, debt capital markets offerings and exchanges, syndicated and direct loans, NAV loans and capital call facilities, management company financings, and out-of-court workouts. He has advised clients across industries, including technology, communications, media and entertainment, REITS and real estate, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, retail, education, transportation and logistics, and energy.

"John's arrival underscores Latham's unwavering commitment to being the premier firm serving clients across all of their sophisticated financing needs," said Ian Schuman, Global Chair of Latham's Capital Markets and Public Company Representation Practices. "His commercial approach and the scope of his experience are synergistic with the growth strategies of many of our premier practices, including capital markets, hybrid capital, private capital, restructuring, banking, and structured finance."

Sobolewski is the latest highly regarded partner to join Latham in New York. At the end of last year, renowned practitioners: Ray Schrock, Global Chair of Latham's Restructuring & Special Situations Practice; Andrew Parlen, Head of US Restructuring & Special Situations; Candace Arthur; and Alexander Welch joined the Restructuring & Special Situations Practice, while Jim Fogarty joined the Structured Finance Practice.

Ray Schrock, Global Chair of Latham's Restructuring & Special Situations Practice, said: "No firm can match our ability to deploy expertise and resources across interconnected corporate and finance practices to help clients stay ahead of financial distress and achieve their strategic objectives. John is sought after for his critical liability management advice, and his arrival further rounds out Latham's comprehensive and unrivaled platform." 

"John's clear leadership in liability management, an area at the intersection of our dominant finance, capital markets, and private capital practices, further solidifies our position as the market's go-to strategic advisor," said Stelios Saffos, Global Vice Chair of Latham's Capital Markets and Public Company Representation Practices and Global Chair of the Hybrid Capital Practice. "We are laser focused on providing unmatched insight and service to our clients through our scaled platform, with market-leading practices across virtually every jurisdiction and discipline."

"Latham is the premier full-service finance firm," said Sobolewski. "I am thrilled to join the team and offer clients the highest level of liability management and complex financing advice."

Sobolewski joins Latham from Wachtell. He received his JD from Harvard Law School and BA from Boston College.

About Latham & Watkins (lw.com)

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

¹Latham & 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

Marc Jaffe, New York Office Managing Partner, + 1.212.906.1281

Ian Schuman, Global Capital Markets Practice Chair, +1.212.906.1894

Ray Schrock, Global Restructuring & Special Situations Practice Chair, +1.212.906.1285

Stelios Saffos, Global Capital Markets Practice Vice Chair and Hybrid Capital Practice Global Chair, +1.212.906.4520

SOURCE Latham & Watkins