Debevoise & Plimpton has added Mary Lavelle as a partner in its Private Fund Transactions and Investment Management Groups in London, strengthening the firm’s capabilities across private capital secondary transactions and liquidity solutions.
Lavelle will advise private fund sponsors and investors on transactions including continuation vehicles, limited partner portfolio sales, co-investments, recapitalizations, and other liquidity solutions.
Her appointment expands Debevoise’s London secondaries team at a time when private capital firms and institutional investors are increasingly using secondary-market transactions to generate liquidity, extend ownership periods, reposition portfolios, and provide options to fund investors.
Continuation vehicles have become a particularly important component of that market.
These structures can allow a private equity sponsor to move one or more portfolio companies into a new fund vehicle while giving existing investors the opportunity to sell their interests or continue participating in the underlying investments.
LP portfolio sales provide another liquidity mechanism by allowing institutional investors to sell portfolios of private fund interests to secondary buyers.
Lavelle’s practice will span those transactions alongside co-investments and recapitalizations, giving Debevoise additional senior expertise across both sponsor-led and investor-driven secondaries.
Before joining Debevoise, Lavelle served as Global Co-Head of Private Funds and Secondaries at another leading international law firm.
She completed her legal training at BPP Law School in 2007 and earned a B.A. in Modern Languages and Philosophy from the University of Oxford in 2005.
Debevoise said Lavelle’s addition supports the continued expansion of its multidisciplinary Private Fund Transactions practice.
The firm’s private capital clients operate globally, making coordination among lawyers covering fund formation, investment management, private equity, liquidity transactions, and related regulatory matters increasingly important.
Lavelle’s role will therefore extend beyond individual secondary transactions and include advising clients on the commercial and legal considerations that arise as private market liquidity structures become more sophisticated.
Her experience also strengthens the firm’s ability to advise across geographic markets from London while coordinating with Debevoise attorneys elsewhere.
The appointment comes as private fund sponsors increasingly view secondaries as part of broader portfolio management rather than primarily as a solution used near the end of a fund’s life.
Investors are similarly using secondary markets to manage exposure, rebalance portfolios, accelerate liquidity, and redeploy capital.
For law firms advising the sector, that expansion creates demand for lawyers with experience navigating both the transaction mechanics and the wider fund, regulatory, and governance issues involved.
KEY QUOTES:
“Debevoise is committed to maintaining our decade-long position as a trusted advisor to private capital sponsors and investors across the full cycle of private fund investing, including secondaries. Mary counsels many of the market’s most sophisticated participants, and she will enhance our ability to advise clients on their most complex liquidity transactions.”
Peter Furci, Presiding Partner At Debevoise & Plimpton
“Our client relationships are global, and Mary’s arrival will further enhance our ability to offer integrated, market-informed advice across geographies. She possesses a unique combination of experience and judgment that her clients understandably hold in high regard and we welcome her to firm.”
Rebecca Silberstein, Global Chair Of The Investment Management Group At Debevoise & Plimpton
“The ongoing strategic growth and expansion of our multi-disciplinary Private Fund Transactions practice is greatly enhanced by Mary’s arrival. Her standing in the industry is truly impressive, and we are delighted that this experienced lawyer will be joining our London team.”
Kevin Schmidt, Co-Chair Of The Private Equity Group At Debevoise & Plimpton
“Debevoise has an outstanding global secondaries practice. I look forward to working with my new colleagues in London and globally to help clients navigate the commercial and legal issues presented by liquidity transactions in an ever-evolving market.”
Mary Lavelle, Partner At Debevoise & Plimpton
