Key Takeaways
- • Mayer Brown adds Justin Hewett as partner in its Global Leveraged Finance and Private Capital Group in Houston, recruiting from DLA Piper to expand the firm's Texas finance capabilities.
- • Hewett's practice encompasses private credit fund representation, institutional lending, acquisition and growth capital financing, restructurings, and complex cross-border debt transactions with experience in sponsor-backed and non-sponsor deals.
- • The hire reflects Mayer Brown's strategic prioritization of leveraged finance and private capital expansion in Houston as private credit continues to increase its share in corporate financing structures.
- • Hewett's expertise includes equity-linked structures (convertible debt, warrants, preferred equity), collateral arrangements, and intercreditor structures—capabilities the firm identified as critical for serving lenders, sponsors, and financial institutions.
Summary
Mayer Brown has strengthened its Global Leveraged Finance and Private Capital Group by recruiting Justin Hewett as a partner in its Houston office, effective August 24, 2026. Hewett transitions from DLA Piper, where he built an established practice advising private credit funds, commercial banks, and institutional lenders on complex financing transactions.
Hewett's practice scope spans growth capital financing, acquisition financing, corporate lending, and restructurings across domestic and cross-border transactions. His transaction experience includes sponsor-backed deals, non-sponsor structures, and arrangements involving complex collateral frameworks and intercreditor arrangements. Additionally, he advises on equity-linked instruments commonly deployed in growth financing, including convertible debt, warrants, and preferred equity instruments.
The addition signals Mayer Brown's intentional expansion strategy in Houston's leveraged finance market. According to Andrew Vouziers, Co-Leader of Mayer Brown's Global Leveraged Finance and Private Capital Group, "Justin's depth of experience further strengthens our ability to support private credit funds, banks, and other institutional lenders on a variety of complex transactions." Neil Wasserstrom, Managing Partner of Mayer Brown's Houston office, characterized the hire as part of a key priority: "Expanding Mayer Brown's Leveraged Finance and Private Capital Group is a key priority for the firm in Houston."
The timing reflects broader market dynamics. As private credit increasingly substitutes for traditional bank lending in corporate financing structures, law firms are augmenting senior expertise to serve the growing institutional investor base and sponsors navigating complex debt markets. Hewett's cross-border experience and technical depth in collateral and equity-linked structures position him to address the sophistication required in contemporary private credit transactions.
Hewett's practice scope spans growth capital financing, acquisition financing, corporate lending, and restructurings across domestic and cross-border transactions. His transaction experience includes sponsor-backed deals, non-sponsor structures, and arrangements involving complex collateral frameworks and intercreditor arrangements. Additionally, he advises on equity-linked instruments commonly deployed in growth financing, including convertible debt, warrants, and preferred equity instruments.
The addition signals Mayer Brown's intentional expansion strategy in Houston's leveraged finance market. According to Andrew Vouziers, Co-Leader of Mayer Brown's Global Leveraged Finance and Private Capital Group, "Justin's depth of experience further strengthens our ability to support private credit funds, banks, and other institutional lenders on a variety of complex transactions." Neil Wasserstrom, Managing Partner of Mayer Brown's Houston office, characterized the hire as part of a key priority: "Expanding Mayer Brown's Leveraged Finance and Private Capital Group is a key priority for the firm in Houston."
The timing reflects broader market dynamics. As private credit increasingly substitutes for traditional bank lending in corporate financing structures, law firms are augmenting senior expertise to serve the growing institutional investor base and sponsors navigating complex debt markets. Hewett's cross-border experience and technical depth in collateral and equity-linked structures position him to address the sophistication required in contemporary private credit transactions.
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