Key Takeaways
- • Pillsbury Winthrop strengthened its New York venture capital and emerging companies practice with the addition of partners Mike Flynn and Saarah Woodby, both joining from competitor firms in the venture capital sector.
- • James Eakin (intellectual property attorney, age 50) and Kerry Smith (corporate securities lawyer) joined Pillsbury's Silicon Valley office as partners on April 16, 2026, both departing from McDermott Will & Emery.
- • Jeff Norton, former Chair of Corporate Finance at O'Melveny & Myers, joined Pillsbury in New York as a private credit and finance partner, bringing decades of experience in leveraged finance, acquisition finance, and cross-border transactions across UK, European, Asian, and Latin American markets.
- • Pillsbury has accelerated partner recruitment significantly, adding 34 new partners in 2025 and 51 partners since the start of 2024, demonstrating aggressive expansion across practice areas including venture capital, private credit, and M&A.
- • Norton's client base overlaps with existing Pillsbury relationships, positioning the firm to deepen ties with financial sponsors, corporations, and institutional investors across multiple financing disciplines.
Summary
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman expanded its venture capital, emerging companies, and private credit practices in April 2026 through multiple partner additions from competing law firms. The moves reflect the firm's broader growth trajectory and strategic focus on high-demand practice areas serving alternative investment professionals and institutional clients.
In its New York office, the firm announced that Mike Flynn and Saarah Woodby joined as partners in the emerging companies and venture capital practice. Concurrently, the firm strengthened its Silicon Valley presence with the arrival of James Eakin, an intellectual property attorney age 50, and Kerry Smith, a corporate securities lawyer—both departing McDermott Will & Emery on April 16. These hires underscore Pillsbury's competitive positioning in West Coast technology-focused transactional work.
Most significantly for institutional capital, Pillsbury recruited Jeff Norton as a partner in its private credit and finance practice. Norton, formerly Chair of the Corporate Finance practice at O'Melveny & Myers, brings extensive expertise across leveraged finance, acquisition finance, private credit, structured finance, capital markets, fund finance, project finance, and restructuring. His practice encompasses sophisticated cross-border transactions with particular depth in UK, European, Asian, and Latin American markets. Mark Lessard, Pillsbury's Global Head of Finance & Restructuring, highlighted that Norton's existing client relationships overlap with Pillsbury's institutional base, creating immediate expansion opportunities with financial sponsors and fund managers already engaged with the firm.
Pillsbury's partner recruitment activity reflects sustained growth momentum. The firm added 34 new partners during 2025 and 51 partners since the start of 2024, indicating an acquisition-focused expansion strategy targeting specific practice capabilities and client relationships. According to firm leadership, Norton's track record in sophisticated financing transactions and his prior leadership roles at both O'Melveny & Myers and Linklaters position him to build and expand Pillsbury's private credit capabilities for institutional clients navigating complex financing environments.
In its New York office, the firm announced that Mike Flynn and Saarah Woodby joined as partners in the emerging companies and venture capital practice. Concurrently, the firm strengthened its Silicon Valley presence with the arrival of James Eakin, an intellectual property attorney age 50, and Kerry Smith, a corporate securities lawyer—both departing McDermott Will & Emery on April 16. These hires underscore Pillsbury's competitive positioning in West Coast technology-focused transactional work.
Most significantly for institutional capital, Pillsbury recruited Jeff Norton as a partner in its private credit and finance practice. Norton, formerly Chair of the Corporate Finance practice at O'Melveny & Myers, brings extensive expertise across leveraged finance, acquisition finance, private credit, structured finance, capital markets, fund finance, project finance, and restructuring. His practice encompasses sophisticated cross-border transactions with particular depth in UK, European, Asian, and Latin American markets. Mark Lessard, Pillsbury's Global Head of Finance & Restructuring, highlighted that Norton's existing client relationships overlap with Pillsbury's institutional base, creating immediate expansion opportunities with financial sponsors and fund managers already engaged with the firm.
Pillsbury's partner recruitment activity reflects sustained growth momentum. The firm added 34 new partners during 2025 and 51 partners since the start of 2024, indicating an acquisition-focused expansion strategy targeting specific practice capabilities and client relationships. According to firm leadership, Norton's track record in sophisticated financing transactions and his prior leadership roles at both O'Melveny & Myers and Linklaters position him to build and expand Pillsbury's private credit capabilities for institutional clients navigating complex financing environments.
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