Simpson Thacher adds Carlyle’s legal director

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced on May 19, 2025, that it has added Anat Holtzman as a partner in its Private Funds Practice, effective immediately in its Washington, D.C. office. Holtzman joins from The Carlyle Group, where she held the position of managing director in the legal and compliance department and served as head of fund formation for the global investment firm.

Holtzman's appointment strengthens Simpson Thacher's capacity in a critical practice area. The firm has established itself as a leading counsel to private fund sponsors, having served as fund counsel to more than $10 billion in private fund vehicles across multiple asset classes. Her experience in fund formation—the complex regulatory and structural process of establishing and launching investment vehicles—directly complements the firm's existing institutional fund advisory capabilities.

The hire reflects broader market dynamics in which top-tier law firms compete aggressively for senior practitioners from leading asset managers. Carlyle's legal organization has developed deep expertise in fund structuring, compliance, and investor relations across the firm's diverse alternative investment platforms. By recruiting Holtzman to partnership, Simpson Thacher gains not only her technical proficiency but also her substantive knowledge of institutional investor expectations and fund governance frameworks shaped by experience at one of the world's largest alternative asset managers.

Simpson Thacher's Private Funds Practice offers U.S. and English law capabilities, serving sponsors of private funds globally. This geographic and jurisdictional breadth, combined with fresh institutional asset management experience, positions the firm to service complex, multi-jurisdictional fund formations for global sponsors—a growing requirement as limited partners and regulators increase scrutiny of fund documentation, compliance protocols, and governance structures.