Latham & Watkins announced real estate finance partners David Oppenheimer and David Varne, along with structured finance partner Lucy Oddy, will join the firm’s London office from A&O Shearman, bolstering Latham’s real estate and structured finance capabilities in the City and across Europe.
The firm said Oppenheimer and Varne are widely regarded as leading real estate finance advisers, representing real estate lenders, private equity funds, and other investors across Europe on cross-border transactions spanning the full range of real estate products. Latham added that the pair has worked closely with Oddy on matters including CMBS and back leverage transactions.
Oddy brings more than two decades of experience advising financial institutions, funds, private equity firms, and corporates on asset-backed finance transactions, with a focus on the real estate sector, the firm said. Her practice also includes advising buyers and sellers on cross-border debt portfolio disposals and related financings across multiple European jurisdictions.
Latham framed the hires as part of a broader buildout of its London platform over the past year. The firm recently added real estate private equity partner Jeremy Kenley and promoted real estate private equity lawyer Chris Cox to partner, while its structured finance expansion included the addition of Franz Ranero and James Smallwood as part of an 11-lawyer CLO team that joined in summer 2025.
The incoming partners’ academic backgrounds include Oppenheimer’s LLB from the University of Leeds and LPC from Nottingham Law School; Varne’s BA/LLB from the University of Western Australia and GDL from the College of Law Western Australia; and Oddy’s BA from the University of Oxford and LPC from Nottingham Law School.
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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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
Jeremiah Wagner, Global Co-Chair, Structured Finance Practice, Latham & Watkins
