Leadership

Reed Smith: Bryan Ikegami Added As Partner For Private Equity Capabilities Expansion In Southern California

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 4:18 PM

Global law firm Reed Smith has expanded its private equity capabilities in Southern California with the addition of partner Bryan Ikegami to its Global Corporate Group. Based in the firm’s Century City office, Ikegami brings extensive experience advising private equity funds and portfolio companies on complex transactions, reinforcing Reed Smith’s continued investment in the region.

Norton Rose Fulbright: Corporate M&A Leaders John Bonnet III And Mark Pendleton Join Dallas Office

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 4:14 PM

Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced the addition of prominent partners John Bonnet III and Mark Pendleton to its Dallas office, continuing the expansion of its corporate, M&A, and securities practice. The pair are joined by senior counsel Larry McFarland and associate Hannah Choi, strengthening the firm’s capabilities in private equity, healthcare, and energy transactions.

Babst Calland: Peter Landau Joins As Associate In Corporate And Emerging Technologies Groups

By Amit Chowdhry ● Yesterday at 4:12 PM

Babst Calland announced that Peter J. Landau has joined the firm’s Pittsburgh office as an associate in its Corporate and Commercial and Emerging Technologies practice groups. In this role, Landau will advise clients across a range of industries on corporate and commercial legal matters, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial contracts, corporate structuring and governance, and general business counseling.

Davis Polk Launches In Los Angeles, Welcoming Leading Litigator Jason Russell

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Davis Polk has announced the opening of a Los Angeles office — its first in Southern California — led by prominent litigator Jason Russell, who joins the firm as a partner in the Civil Litigation practice. The office will also be home to partner Rob Morrison, who joined Davis Polk in 2025 to extend the firm's global finance practice to California. Permanent office space in Century City is expected to officially open in 2027, with further team buildout planned in the months ahead.

Torys Welcomes Two New Litigation Partners Alongside Planned Vancouver Office Opening

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Torys has announced that Michael Feder, K.C. and Deborah Templer are joining the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution practice as partners, coinciding with the planned opening of a new Torys office in Vancouver. The additions strengthen the firm's national litigation platform at a time of increasing dispute complexity and growing class action activity across Canada.

Dentons Canada Welcomes Scott McLeman And Alexandra Fox As Partners In Calgary Banking And Finance Group

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Dentons Canada has announced that Scott McLeman and Alexandra Fox are joining the firm as partners in the Banking and Finance group in Calgary, expanding the firm's transactional capabilities in one of Canada's most active financial and energy markets. The appointments were announced by John Cusano, Managing Partner of the Calgary office, who described the additions as representative of the kind of growth the firm is actively building toward.

SightMD’s Dr. Eric Rosenberg Becomes First Surgeon To Perform Cataract Surgery Using Apple Vision Pro Mixed Reality

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

SightMD, a leading ophthalmology practice serving patients across the greater New England area and beyond, has announced a historic milestone in surgical innovation: Dr. Eric Rosenberg, DO, MSE, has become the first surgeon in the world to successfully perform cataract surgery using the Apple Vision Pro, powered by ScopeXR, a spatial computing surgical platform he co-developed. The initial procedure was completed in October 2025, and since then, Dr. Rosenberg and his team have performed hundreds of additional cases using the platform, demonstrating both its clinical scalability and real-world impact.

Wolfspeed Announces Two Executive Appointments To Strengthen Legal Affairs And Communications Capabilities

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Wolfspeed, a global leader in silicon carbide technology, has announced two executive appointments as the company accelerates global expansion and deepens engagement with policymakers, customers, and investors. Brad Kohn will rejoin the company as Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Global Affairs Officer, effective May 11, 2026, while Sonja Burfeind has been appointed Vice President, Communications, effective July 1, 2026.

DLA Piper Appoints Leading LNG Partner Nikki Van Der Meer In Perth

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

DLA Piper has appointed Nikki van der Meer as a Projects partner in its Perth office, effective June 2, 2026, strengthening the global law firm's Energy and Natural Resources team at a pivotal moment for the Australian LNG sector and the broader energy transition.

Legacy Capital Appoints Chris Bradford To Advisory Board

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 3, 2026

Legacy Capital Advisors, a boutique sell-side advisory firm headquartered in Naples, Florida, specializing in business transitions and succession planning for closely-held middle-market companies, has appointed Chris Bradford to its Advisory Board. The addition strengthens the firm's bench of expertise as demand for sophisticated transition planning continues to grow among privately held businesses navigating generational ownership changes and evolving market conditions.

Cliffwater Appoints Sean Murray As Head Of Retirement Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Cliffwater, a leading private markets interval fund manager with $44.5 billion in net assets across its platform as of March 31, 2026, has appointed Sean Murray to its distribution team as Head of Retirement Solutions.

KKR Appoints Lauren Goodwin As Chief Investment Strategist For Global Wealth Solutions

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

KKR, a leading global investment firm listed on the NYSE under the ticker KKR, has appointed Lauren Goodwin as Managing Director and Chief Investment Strategist for its Global Wealth Solutions business. Goodwin, an experienced economist and portfolio strategist, will lead efforts to develop practical tools for financial advisors and adapt KKR's market insights for wirehouses, RIAs, private banks, and independent broker-dealers.

Owens Corning Promotes Todd Fister To Executive Vice President And Chief Financial And Operating Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Owens Corning, a branded building products leader listed on the NYSE under the ticker OC, has promoted Todd Fister to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Operating Officer, effective immediately. The expanded role reflects the company's focus on operational discipline and integrated execution to accelerate organic growth, enhance margins, and strengthen its market-leading positions following its recent portfolio transformation. Owens Corning will conduct an external search for a dedicated Chief Financial Officer.

PayPal Announces Strategic Reorganization Into Three-Business Operating Model To Accelerate Growth

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

PayPal Holdings, listed on Nasdaq under the ticker PYPL, has announced a strategic reorganization of its business and executive leadership team into a simplified three-business operating model: Checkout Solutions and PayPal, Consumer Financial Services and Venmo, and Payment Services and Crypto.

Coco Robotics Appoints Ralf Wenzel To Board Of Directors To Support Global Expansion

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Coco Robotics, the world's largest urban robot delivery platform, has appointed Ralf Wenzel to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. The appointment reflects Coco's strategy of building an operationally experienced board as the company scales its autonomous fleet and expands into new cities and geographies.

Embark Appoints Russell Weaver As Chief People Officer To Drive Talent Strategy

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Embark, a leading management and financial consulting firm operating in 26 U.S. markets with more than 500 employees, has appointed Russell Weaver as Chief People Officer. With more than 25 years of experience leading recruitment and talent functions across global markets, Weaver brings deep expertise in talent acquisition transformation, workforce innovation, and scaling the people infrastructure that high-growth organizations require.

Therabody Appoints Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali As First-Ever Chief Dermatologist

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Therabody, the global wellness technology leader, has appointed Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, known widely as Dr. B, as its first-ever Chief Dermatologist. A board-certified dermatologist and laser surgeon, Dr. Bhanusali will also join Therabody's Scientific Advisory Board, contributing clinical insights to inform the development of effective consumer-facing wellness and beauty technologies.

Newmark Appoints Jack Fuchs As President Of Global Asset Services And Member Of Executive Committee

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Newmark Group has named Jack Fuchs as President of Global Asset Services, expanding his responsibilities to lead the firm's Investor Solutions capabilities in asset performance, operational oversight, and strategic advisory across the full real estate lifecycle.

SK Capital Partners Appoints Jason Grapski As Managing Director Of Portfolio Excellence

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

SK Capital Partners, a private investment firm focused on the material sciences, specialty ingredients, and life sciences sectors managing funds with more than $8.5 billion in aggregate commitments, has appointed Jason Grapski as Managing Director of Portfolio Excellence. In the role, Grapski will lead the firm's approach to portfolio company improvement, focusing on enhancing execution and accelerating the realization of each company's strategic, operational, and financial objectives.

Purple Innovation Appoints Robert Lucian As Chief Financial Officer

By Amit Chowdhry ● May 1, 2026

Purple Innovation, the comfort innovation company behind the GelFlex Grid mattress technology listed on Nasdaq under the ticker PRPL, has appointed Robert Lucian as Chief Financial Officer, effective April 27, 2026. Lucian succeeds Todd Vogensen, who is departing the company on May 1, 2026.