DLA Piper has launched a new Global Capital Solutions Practice with the addition of Partners Ranesh Ramanathan, Alex Cushman, and Daniel Wayte to its global Finance Practice, establishing a cross-border, multi-disciplinary team focused on delivering tailored financing strategies and advising clients on complex, bespoke funding solutions across the capital structure.
Ramanathan and Cushman are based in New York, while Wayte is based in London. The firm said the new team enhances its ability to provide end-to-end counsel on debt, equity, and hybrid investment strategies, with an established presence across the US, London, Hong Kong, Dubai, and other locations in Europe, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, South America, and Africa. The practice is designed to support cross-border investments and creative capital partnerships in both developed and emerging markets.
According to the announcement, the Capital Solutions team will work with sophisticated investment managers across a broad range of opportunities, including unitranche and senior direct lending, opportunistic and hybrid capital, junior capital, mezzanine, preferred equity, convertibles and warrants, spinouts, rollups, rescue financing, fund financing and liquidity facilities, asset-backed financings, and liability management transactions. The team will also advise clients throughout the business lifecycle, from growth-stage financing through IPO and beyond, including PIPEs and public offerings.
Ramanathan will lead the global Capital Solutions team. He advises clients on complex debt and equity matters, hybrid and structured solutions, joint ventures, rollups, and spinouts, and represents several of the world’s largest global asset managers. His nearly 30-year career includes close to 15 years in senior in-house roles, serving as General Counsel to Citi Private Equity and later as a Managing Director and Deputy General Counsel at Bain Capital, as well as General Counsel to Bain Capital’s Credit and Special Situations businesses. He has been nationally recognized by Chambers and Legal 500.
Cushman advises special situations funds, private equity firms, global asset managers, and other strategic investors and their portfolio companies on complex corporate transactions. He began his career with four years at Bain Capital and was recognized as a Rising Star by Private Debt Investor in 2024.
Wayte brings more than 20 years of experience advising global institutional investors, private equity firms, and private credit clients across multiple jurisdictions. His practice spans alternative capital solution transactions, including structured and preferred equity, joint ventures, litigation funding, growth equity, public equity, public takeovers, private M&A, and private equity buyouts, with a focus on financial services, technology, and infrastructure.
The firm said the hires further accelerate growth across its Corporate, M&A, and Finance practices.
KEY QUOTES:
“Capital strategies for companies and funds have fundamentally evolved, and our clients need advisors who understand not only individual financing products, but how to integrate a suite of hybrid capital options and deploy that capital efficiently in changing market environments. Our team’s know-how spans the full range of bespoke capital and liquidity solutions, informed by real-time market insight and a practical understanding of capital provider expectations. Ranesh, Alex, and Daniel’s sophisticated, globally integrated practice seamlessly plugs into this network, further enabling us to execute complex cross-border transactions for clients around the world.”
Matt Schwartz, Chair of the US Finance Practice, DLA Piper
“This team brings clarity to highly nuanced situations, aligns stakeholders quickly, and moves decisively from strategy to execution – helping clients reach outcomes faster and with confidence.”
John Gilluly, US Vice Chair and Head of the Transactional Practices, DLA Piper
“The appointment of Ranesh and Alex in New York, and Daniel in London, marks a significant milestone for our global Finance practice. Their knowledge and experience in alternative capital solutions strengthen our ability to support clients across multiple jurisdictions as they navigate an increasingly complex financing landscape. This global team reinforces our commitment to delivering seamless, cross-border advice to market participants worldwide.”
Colin Wilson, International Group Head of the Finance Practice, DLA Piper
“The last two decades, including 10 years at Bain Capital, found me on the leading edge of an ever-evolving array of complex and customized private capital investment opportunities for companies of all shapes and sizes. Having worked closely with some of the most sophisticated investors in the world, I have come to recognize how much they value a creative global legal team with broad-based knowledge who can seamlessly navigate the web of interwoven issues and opportunities to help find mutually beneficial solutions. I am very excited that we will be plugging into DLA Piper’s truly global footprint and wide breadth of leading practices, which will create a unique offering to meet these client needs.”
Ranesh Ramanathan, Partner and Global Capital Solutions Leader, DLA Piper
