Key Takeaways
- • Debevoise & Plimpton hired Neal Reenan and Ian Bushner, the global co-head and US head of Freshfields' private capital group, respectively, as M&A partners in New York, strengthening the firm's private equity capabilities.
- • The lateral hires mark Debevoise's fourth major private capital recruitment since June, including Mary Lavelle (Freshfields global co-head of private funds and secondaries), Karen Chao (Weil Gotshal & Manges), and Andrea Hwang (Ropes & Gray), signaling an aggressive platform expansion in the sector.
- • Reenan and Bushner have advised leading sponsors including Bain Capital Private Equity, TPG Capital, and H.I.G. Capital, and recently led CVC's $925 million carve-out acquisition of Therakos from Mallinckrodt in 2025 and CVC's acquisition of Marathon Asset Management.
- • Reenan and Bushner represent the third firm transition for the pair in four years: Kirkland & Ellis (2014–2020, where they founded the Boston office) → Latham & Watkins (2020–2024) → Freshfields (2024–2026) → Debevoise (2026).
- • Debevoise, historically conservative about lateral partner recruitment, is aggressively building out its private equity M&A practice to compete for complex sponsor transactions in an increasingly crowded BigLaw market.
Summary
Debevoise & Plimpton has completed a significant lateral hire of top private capital talent, recruiting Neal Reenan and Ian Bushner from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer as partners in the firm's M&A group. Reenan served as global co-head of Freshfields' private capital group, while Bushner led the firm's US private capital practice. Both partners will be based in New York and bring a deep client roster including Bain Capital Private Equity, TPG Capital, and H.I.G. Capital.
The move is part of a broader private capital platform expansion at Debevoise, a firm that has historically been cautious about lateral partner recruitment. Since June 2026, Debevoise has added Mary Lavelle (Freshfields' global co-head of private funds and secondaries), Karen Chao (from Weil Gotshal & Manges' private funds practice), and Andrea Hwang (from Ropes & Gray's finance group). This concentrated recruitment effort signals a deliberate strategic pivot toward deepening the firm's private equity M&A capabilities.
Reenan and Bushner have established credentials in complex sponsor transactions. The pair recently advised CVC on its $925 million global carve-out acquisition of Therakos from Mallinckrodt in 2025 and on CVC's subsequent acquisition of Marathon Asset Management. Their practice spans buyouts, take-private transactions, carve-outs, cross-border acquisitions, strategic investments, and spin-offs. Bushner emphasized the appeal of the move, stating that Debevoise offers "quality at Debevoise and depth in key areas" to continue serving "sophisticated sponsors on their most important complex matters."
The Reenan-Bushner lateral represents the second major firm transition for the pair in recent years. They joined Freshfields in 2024 from Latham & Watkins, following a tenure at Kirkland & Ellis that began in 2014, where they served as founding partners of the firm's Boston office. The rapid movement underscores both talent mobility in BigLaw's private capital sector and the competitive pressure on white-shoe firms to invest in sponsor-side advisory capabilities.
The move is part of a broader private capital platform expansion at Debevoise, a firm that has historically been cautious about lateral partner recruitment. Since June 2026, Debevoise has added Mary Lavelle (Freshfields' global co-head of private funds and secondaries), Karen Chao (from Weil Gotshal & Manges' private funds practice), and Andrea Hwang (from Ropes & Gray's finance group). This concentrated recruitment effort signals a deliberate strategic pivot toward deepening the firm's private equity M&A capabilities.
Reenan and Bushner have established credentials in complex sponsor transactions. The pair recently advised CVC on its $925 million global carve-out acquisition of Therakos from Mallinckrodt in 2025 and on CVC's subsequent acquisition of Marathon Asset Management. Their practice spans buyouts, take-private transactions, carve-outs, cross-border acquisitions, strategic investments, and spin-offs. Bushner emphasized the appeal of the move, stating that Debevoise offers "quality at Debevoise and depth in key areas" to continue serving "sophisticated sponsors on their most important complex matters."
The Reenan-Bushner lateral represents the second major firm transition for the pair in recent years. They joined Freshfields in 2024 from Latham & Watkins, following a tenure at Kirkland & Ellis that began in 2014, where they served as founding partners of the firm's Boston office. The rapid movement underscores both talent mobility in BigLaw's private capital sector and the competitive pressure on white-shoe firms to invest in sponsor-side advisory capabilities.
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