Key Takeaways
- • Latham & Watkins hired Jeremy Kenley, a private equity real estate partner from Gibson Dunn's London office, as corporate real estate litigation intensifies across major law firms in 2026.
- • Kenley brings 8+ years of PE real estate expertise, including prior service as General Counsel for Apollo's global real estate division and advisory relationships with Brookfield, positioning Latham to capture infrastructure and data center mandates.
- • Brookfield's concurrent announcement of a $100 billion global AI infrastructure programme—with significant data center investment—signals strong alignment between Kenley's hire and near-term client opportunity in a high-growth asset class.
- • Corporate real estate has emerged as one of London's most competitive hiring sectors in 2026, with major firms including Hogan Lovells, Cleary, Freshfields, and Baker McKenzie all executing senior partner acquisitions to strengthen benches.
- • Latham's London managing partner Ed Barnett described Kenley as a "star name" whose arrival strengthens the firm's real estate platform amid accelerating transaction demand.
Summary
Latham & Watkins has bolstered its London private equity real estate practice with the hire of partner Jeremy Kenley from Gibson Dunn, marking a significant addition to what has become one of 2026's most active lateral hiring markets in the City. Kenley joined Gibson Dunn in 2018 from Mayer Brown and has established himself as a leading PE real estate strategist with deep expertise in M&A, asset and debt acquisitions, joint ventures, and fund formation across both equity and debt structures.
His client portfolio includes institutional heavyweights Apollo and Brookfield. Notably, Kenley previously served as General Counsel for Apollo's global real estate division, a relationship that reinforces Latham's institutional investor credentials. The timing of his move carries particular strategic significance: on the same day Kenley's hiring was announced, Brookfield unveiled a $100 billion global AI infrastructure programme with substantial commitments to data center development—one of the most lucrative and fastest-growing asset classes in real estate following the AI infrastructure boom. This convergence positions Latham to capture material mandates in a sector generating increasingly substantial legal fees.
Latham's London managing partner Ed Barnett characterized Kenley as a "star name" whose arrival strengthens the firm's real estate platform at a moment of "accelerating demand," highlighting the competitive intensity surrounding PE real estate talent acquisition. The broader market context underscores this urgency: corporate real estate has become among the most active hiring zones in London legal markets this year, with firms deliberately expanding benches traditionally underweight in this practice area. High-profile competitive moves include Hogan Lovells' September recruitment of Michael James and Edward Meadowcroft from Paul Hastings; Cleary's October launch of a European real estate practice led by Paul Hastings alumnus Stephen Nicolas; Freshfields' July acquisition of Ropes & Gray partners David Seymour and Will Bryant; and Baker McKenzie's recruitment of Mishcon partner Mark Thompson, who similarly brings substantial Brookfield advisory experience.
This wave of lateral hiring reflects both sustained institutional demand for sophisticated real estate financing and transaction capability, and the structural reallocation of legal talent toward infrastructure and alternative asset classes as traditional M&A volumes moderate.
His client portfolio includes institutional heavyweights Apollo and Brookfield. Notably, Kenley previously served as General Counsel for Apollo's global real estate division, a relationship that reinforces Latham's institutional investor credentials. The timing of his move carries particular strategic significance: on the same day Kenley's hiring was announced, Brookfield unveiled a $100 billion global AI infrastructure programme with substantial commitments to data center development—one of the most lucrative and fastest-growing asset classes in real estate following the AI infrastructure boom. This convergence positions Latham to capture material mandates in a sector generating increasingly substantial legal fees.
Latham's London managing partner Ed Barnett characterized Kenley as a "star name" whose arrival strengthens the firm's real estate platform at a moment of "accelerating demand," highlighting the competitive intensity surrounding PE real estate talent acquisition. The broader market context underscores this urgency: corporate real estate has become among the most active hiring zones in London legal markets this year, with firms deliberately expanding benches traditionally underweight in this practice area. High-profile competitive moves include Hogan Lovells' September recruitment of Michael James and Edward Meadowcroft from Paul Hastings; Cleary's October launch of a European real estate practice led by Paul Hastings alumnus Stephen Nicolas; Freshfields' July acquisition of Ropes & Gray partners David Seymour and Will Bryant; and Baker McKenzie's recruitment of Mishcon partner Mark Thompson, who similarly brings substantial Brookfield advisory experience.
This wave of lateral hiring reflects both sustained institutional demand for sophisticated real estate financing and transaction capability, and the structural reallocation of legal talent toward infrastructure and alternative asset classes as traditional M&A volumes moderate.
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