Latham & Watkins announced that Franz Ranero and James Smallwood will join the London office as partners in the Structured Finance Practice. Ranero and Smallwood regularly advise investment funds, financial institutions, and asset managers on complex, cross-border structured finance and structured products transactions, focusing on collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and various funding solutions.
Ranero and Smallwood are known as leaders in the CLO market, with decades of experience advising arrangers and managers across the full spectrum of transactions, such as public CLO transactions, warehouse financings, fund financings, and asset-backed loan transactions. They also advise on balance sheet management and regulatory capital matters. Ranero is a prominent advisor in the social finance and impact investing sphere, including external non-executive positions and counselling wholesale participants on market infrastructure.
Ranero and Smallwood join Latham from A&O Shearman. Ranero received a Bachelor of Business and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Technology, Sydney, and his Master of Laws from the University of Tasmania. And Smallwood has an LLB from the College of Law Moorgate and a BA from the University of York.
KEY QUOTES:
“Franz and James are market-leading practitioners with a wealth of experience advising on sophisticated transactions that are the hallmark of our practice. Their arrival will further strengthen our capabilities and will solidify our position in the market as the premier firm for cutting-edge structured finance transactions.”
- Ed Barnett, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins’ London office
“Franz’s and James’s extensive technical knowledge and reputation in the structured finance arena, particularly in CLOs and fund finance, will add significant firepower to our already strong global team. Expanding our capabilities in Europe and the US is a key priority for the firm, and Franz and James will be instrumental in helping us achieve our ambitious goals for the practice.”
- Jeremiah Wagner, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s Structured Finance Practice and Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Fund Finance Group
“Latham’s purpose-built finance platform gives clients an unrivaled 360˚ view and unmatched depth across the entire finance landscape — in London, across Europe, and globally. Franz and James are innovative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative practitioners with decades of experience advising at the forefront of this dynamic market. Their experience complements our existing top-tier capabilities in private capital, leveraged finance, capital markets, restructuring, and real estate, among other areas, and we will be delighted to welcome them to the firm.”
- Jennifer Brennan, Global Vice Chair of Latham’s Finance Department
