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Rising Star: Debevoise's Katherine Durnan Taylor

Reported by Law360
Aug 18, 2026· 2 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Katherine Durnan Taylor of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has been recognized as a Law360 Rising Star for her work on multibillion-dollar transactions, demonstrating exceptional deal experience under age 40 in the private equity law space.
  • • Taylor advised CD&R on a nearly $9 billion acquisition of healthcare technology company R1, one of the largest healthcare technology deals in recent market activity.
  • • Taylor served as counsel to Warner Bros. Discovery on a $110 billion transaction with Paramount Skydance, representing one of the largest media and entertainment transactions on record.
  • • Her recognition underscores the strategic importance of specialized M&A counsel in navigating complex, high-value private equity and media transactions in competitive institutional deal markets.
Summary
Katherine Durnan Taylor of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has established herself as a leading private equity and M&A attorney, earning recognition from Law360 as a Rising Star among private equity law practitioners under age 40. Her career trajectory reflects significant exposure to some of the largest transactions in contemporary deal markets, positioning her among elite legal counsel serving institutional investors and alternative asset managers.

Taylor's transaction portfolio includes advising CD&R, a major private equity firm, on the nearly $9 billion acquisition of R1, a healthcare technology company. This deal exemplifies the scale of healthcare sector consolidation activity and the complexity of leveraged acquisitions in regulated industries. Her additional role as counsel to Warner Bros. Discovery on a $110 billion transaction with Paramount Skydance further demonstrates her experience navigating transformational media and entertainment M&A, where regulatory approval, shareholder considerations, and complex deal structuring present heightened execution risk.

Her recognition by Law360 reflects the competitive landscape for institutional deal counsel, where demonstrated success on mega-cap transactions serves as a primary credential for attracting premier client relationships. For hedge funds, family offices, and alternative investment professionals monitoring private equity and media sector consolidation trends, Taylor's involvement in these transactions signals both the transaction activity levels in these sectors and the specialized legal expertise required to execute multibillion-dollar acquisitions successfully.

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Law360 Rising Star: Debevoise's Katherine Durnan Taylor