Key Takeaways
- • David Walker, 59-year-old corporate partner and co-chair of private equity at Latham & Watkins, is departing the firm after 13 years, expected to leave within approximately six months.
- • Walker joined Latham from Clifford Chance in 2013 as global head of private equity and is credited with architecting the firm's European private equity practice, representing marquee clients including Bridgepoint, EQT, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle, General Atlantic, and Ares Management.
- • The departure signals a generational transition in London's legal market, with Walker exploring board-level opportunities at private equity firms rather than joining a competing law practice.
- • Walker's 2013 lateral move to Latham was considered one of the most significant in the London legal market at the time and symbolized U.S.-headquartered firms' strategic expansion into the U.K. private equity sector.
- • The exit reflects a broader cohort shift in U.K. private equity advisory, where senior partners who shaped the market—including Charlie Geffen (Gibson Dunn) and Jason Glover (Simpson Thacher)—have retired, while contemporaries at peer firms including David Higgins (Kirkland & Ellis), Marco Compagnoni (Weil Gotshal), Adam Signy (Simpson Thacher), and Mike Francies (Sullivan & Cromwell) remain active.
Summary
David Walker, a 59-year-old corporate partner at Latham & Watkins who has served as co-chair of private equity and global vice chair of the firm's corporate department, is leaving the firm after building its European private equity practice over 13 years. Walker is expected to depart within approximately six months and is not joining another law firm, instead exploring board opportunities at private equity sponsors, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Walker's departure marks a significant transition for London's legal market. The partner started his legal career at Clifford Chance in 1991, where he rose to global head of private equity before joining Latham in 2013. His 2013 lateral hire was one of the most prominent moves in the London legal market at that time and symbolized the strategic push by U.S.-headquartered firms to establish dominant positions in the U.K. private equity sector. Over his tenure, Walker acted for leading private equity sponsors including Bridgepoint, EQT, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle, General Atlantic, and Ares Management—representing the core institutional client base that drives advisory revenues.
The move reflects a broader generational shift in the U.K. private equity legal community. Several peers have either retired or are approaching the final stages of their careers, including former Gibson Dunn London head Charlie Geffen and ex-Simpson Thacher London head Jason Glover. Other notable partners—including David Higgins at Kirkland & Ellis, Marco Compagnoni at Weil Gotshal & Manges, Adam Signy at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Mike Francies at Sullivan & Cromwell—remain in practice. Walker's transition from law partnership to board-level roles at PE firms exemplifies how senior legal figures are repositioning themselves in later career stages, potentially reflecting broader changes in how experienced practitioners engage with the private equity ecosystem.
Walker's departure marks a significant transition for London's legal market. The partner started his legal career at Clifford Chance in 1991, where he rose to global head of private equity before joining Latham in 2013. His 2013 lateral hire was one of the most prominent moves in the London legal market at that time and symbolized the strategic push by U.S.-headquartered firms to establish dominant positions in the U.K. private equity sector. Over his tenure, Walker acted for leading private equity sponsors including Bridgepoint, EQT, Hellman & Friedman, Carlyle, General Atlantic, and Ares Management—representing the core institutional client base that drives advisory revenues.
The move reflects a broader generational shift in the U.K. private equity legal community. Several peers have either retired or are approaching the final stages of their careers, including former Gibson Dunn London head Charlie Geffen and ex-Simpson Thacher London head Jason Glover. Other notable partners—including David Higgins at Kirkland & Ellis, Marco Compagnoni at Weil Gotshal & Manges, Adam Signy at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Mike Francies at Sullivan & Cromwell—remain in practice. Walker's transition from law partnership to board-level roles at PE firms exemplifies how senior legal figures are repositioning themselves in later career stages, potentially reflecting broader changes in how experienced practitioners engage with the private equity ecosystem.
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