Debevoise hires Kirkland partner

Debevoise & Plimpton has poached a Kirkland & Ellis partner who will relocate from San Francisco to London.

Matt Dickman joined on Monday as an international counsel with the funds/investment management group, according to a statement from the firm. He will advise on the formation, management and reorganisation of private equity funds, secondaries transactions and GP stake sales, among other areas.

“[Dickman’s] experience advising funds on both sides of the Atlantic over a number of years will be a significant benefit to our clients,” said Geoffrey Kittredge, partner and chair of the European funds/investment management group. “As we see some trends from the US continue to develop in Europe, Matt’s perspective on both markets will be of particular relevance.” Dickman also brings recent experience advising technology and venture capital funds, Kittredge added.

Dickman’s appointment follows the promotion in May of John Rife to partner. Rife ranked 18th in Secondaries Investor‘s 2017 list of the top secondaries professionals under 36.

In January, secondaries-related lawyers Cate Bae, Allison Lee and Zahra Khosrovi Sowder were also promoted to counsel.

At Debevoise an international counsel is a non-US-based salaried partner, the firm noted. Those based in the US are known simply as counsel. Those with the title partner are equity only.

Debevoise’s funds/investment management group has advised sponsors or investors in relation to more than 2,100 private investment funds with committed capital of more than $2.7 trillion, according to the statement.

Debevoise & Plimpton worked on $1.9 billion of secondaries transactions in 2017, all involving private equity, according to Secondaries Investor‘s annual legal tally. Most of its work involved advising GPs on stake sales by limited partners.