Key Takeaways
- • Paul Hastings added Amanda Persaud as partner and co-chair of Investment Funds and Private Capital in New York, marking the sixth partner hired to the funds team in 2026 alone.
- • Persaud joins from Ropes & Gray's Band 1-ranked funds practice and brings deep expertise across private equity fund formation, private credit strategies (direct lending, distressed, opportunistic), infrastructure, real estate, and hedge funds, plus asset manager M&A and GP stakes transactions.
- • Persaud's institutional client roster includes Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR, Invesco, New Mountain Capital, and Charlesbank Capital Partners, among others, positioning her as a top-tier practitioner recognized by Chambers.
- • Paul Hastings' funds practice has added 11 partners since the start of 2023—including laterals from Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis—driving practice revenue growth exceeding 70% over that three-year period.
- • The firm was recently recognized as runner-up for Law Firm of the Year in Fund Formation globally by Private Debt Investor, underscoring competitive momentum in the funds advisory market.
Summary
Paul Hastings has expanded its Investment Funds and Private Capital practice by promoting Amanda Persaud to partner and co-chair in its New York office, strengthening the firm's competitive positioning in fund formation and asset manager advisory services. Persaud transitions from Ropes & Gray, where she was embedded in a Band 1-ranked funds practice and earned recognition by Chambers as among the top practitioners of her generation in the field.
Persaud's scope of practice spans the complete lifecycle of private equity sponsor investments, with particular depth in private equity and private credit fund formation across direct lending, distressed, and opportunistic strategies. Her advisory scope extends to infrastructure, real estate, and hedge fund formation, as well as complex asset manager strategic transactions including mergers and acquisitions, GP stakes transactions, succession planning, management buyouts, preferred equity structures, joint ventures, and spin-outs. Her institutional client base encompasses leading global asset managers including Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR, Houlihan Lokey, Invesco, New Mountain Capital, and Charlesbank Capital Partners.
The addition of Persaud represents significant organizational momentum for Paul Hastings' funds platform. She is the sixth partner hire to the funds team in 2026 alone. Since the beginning of 2023, the practice has added 11 additional partners overall, including notable laterals from Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis, driving practice revenue growth exceeding 70% over the three-year period. This expansion strategy directly addresses elevated demand for fund formation and asset manager advisory services in the alternative investment market. Persaud will work alongside existing co-chairs Diala Minott, Michael R. Rosella, and Joshua H. Sternoff in leading the consolidated practice.
The firm's competitive standing was reinforced by Private Debt Investor's recognition of Paul Hastings as runner-up for Law Firm of the Year in Fund Formation globally, validating the strategic build-out of the funds practice at a time when institutional capital deployment through alternative asset vehicles remains elevated.
Persaud's scope of practice spans the complete lifecycle of private equity sponsor investments, with particular depth in private equity and private credit fund formation across direct lending, distressed, and opportunistic strategies. Her advisory scope extends to infrastructure, real estate, and hedge fund formation, as well as complex asset manager strategic transactions including mergers and acquisitions, GP stakes transactions, succession planning, management buyouts, preferred equity structures, joint ventures, and spin-outs. Her institutional client base encompasses leading global asset managers including Apollo Global Management, Blackstone, Carlyle, KKR, Houlihan Lokey, Invesco, New Mountain Capital, and Charlesbank Capital Partners.
The addition of Persaud represents significant organizational momentum for Paul Hastings' funds platform. She is the sixth partner hire to the funds team in 2026 alone. Since the beginning of 2023, the practice has added 11 additional partners overall, including notable laterals from Paul Weiss and Kirkland & Ellis, driving practice revenue growth exceeding 70% over the three-year period. This expansion strategy directly addresses elevated demand for fund formation and asset manager advisory services in the alternative investment market. Persaud will work alongside existing co-chairs Diala Minott, Michael R. Rosella, and Joshua H. Sternoff in leading the consolidated practice.
The firm's competitive standing was reinforced by Private Debt Investor's recognition of Paul Hastings as runner-up for Law Firm of the Year in Fund Formation globally, validating the strategic build-out of the funds practice at a time when institutional capital deployment through alternative asset vehicles remains elevated.
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