Latham & Watkins announced it will add three partners to its London office, hiring real estate finance practitioners David Oppenheimer and David Varne and structured finance partner Lucy Oddy from A&O Shearman as the firm continues to expand its City platform across real estate finance, structured finance, and private capital.
The firm said Oppenheimer and Varne are regarded as leading real estate finance partners in Europe, advising lenders, private equity funds, and other investors on transactions across a range of real estate products, including working alongside Oddy on CMBS and back leverage structures. Oddy, who will rejoin Latham, brings more than 20 years of experience advising financial institutions, funds, private equity firms, and corporates on asset-backed finance transactions, with a particular focus on real estate, and also advises on cross-border debt portfolio disposals and related financings.
The hires follow a series of recent London investments cited by the firm, including the addition of real estate private equity partner Jeremy Kenley, the promotion of real estate private equity lawyer Chris Cox to partner, and the build-out of structured finance capabilities with partners Franz Ranero and James Smallwood, who joined as part of an 11-lawyer CLO team in summer 2025.
Latham said the incoming partners’ experience at the intersection of real estate, structured finance, and private capital supports its strategy to advise private equity firms, investment banks, investors, growth companies, and public companies on complex, high-value transactions in London and across Europe.
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“We are delighted to welcome David and David to our team and to have Lucy rejoin us. Each partner is exceptionally talented in their field, and their track record and deep sector knowledge have earned them a reputation as being among the best. Their extensive experience at the cutting edge of the practice, particularly at the intersection of real estate and private capital, aligns well with our practice strengths. We are excited to welcome them to our firm and to add their knowledge and expertise to our strong and growing team in London and globally.”
Rich Trobman, Chair And Managing Partner, Latham & Watkins
“Adding both Davids and Lucy is another significant development for our London practice. With years of leadership under their belts, they are exceptional additions to our team in the City. We are uniquely positioned to guide private equity firms, investment banks, investors, growth companies, and PLCs through their most complex, high-value transactions, and adding this group to our platform adds even more heft to our capabilities. David, David, and Lucy’s expertise matches our key growth areas not only in London but also across Europe and globally, and their arrival builds on previous additions to the practice, including real estate partner Jeremy Kenley and structured finance partners Franz Ranero and James Smallwood.”
Ed Barnett, London Office Managing Partner, Latham & Watkins
“We are building the preeminent global real estate practice. David and David are at the very top of the debt market in Europe, widely respected for their expertise, track record, and work on innovative real estate finance deals. They fit into our team-first culture and will be looked to as current and future leaders of our practice, globally. The real estate market presents immense opportunities for growth, and our platform at Latham is built for it.”
Douglas Heitner, Global Chair, Real Estate Practice, Latham & Watkins
“The recent investments we’ve made in our Structured Finance Practice globally have given us tremendous momentum in the market. Lucy is an outstanding practitioner with first-class technical skills and an impressive track record advising on some of the most sophisticated asset-backed finance transactions, including working closely with David and David on some of the largest and most complex recent issuance of CMBS in the European market. Her incredible experience at the intersection of structured finance and real estate complements our market-leading capabilities. We are thrilled to have her rejoin our team, as she will be a tremendous asset to our clients and a key contributor to the growth of our practice.”
Jeremiah Wagner, Global Co-Chair, Structured Finance Practice, Latham & Watkins
