White & Case has announced a significant set of promotions for 2026, naming 14 new local partners and 25 new counsel across 21 offices worldwide. The advancement round reflects the firm’s continued investment in senior legal talent at a time when cross-border regulatory, transactional, and dispute activity remains elevated across its global client base. The promotions will take effect on January 1, 2026, and span ten practice areas across the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific regions.
The local partner designation is applied in jurisdictions where it is common market practice, including Mexico, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, the Middle East, Poland, South Africa, Spain, China, Japa,n and Korea. The counsel designation applies across all offices and recognizes senior lawyers with extensive experience in their fields.
The firm noted that this promotion class reflects White & Case’s longstanding focus on developing legal talent across strategically important financial, commercial and regulatory centers, enabling its lawyers to support increasingly complex and interconnected matters across markets. The promotions strengthen capabilities in litigation, international arbitration, mergers and acquisitions, capital markets, antitrust, tax, project finance, financial regulation and structured finance.
Americas (Seven Promotions)
Taylor Akerblom has been named counsel in the Litigation Practice in Los Angeles, representing clients in jury and non-jury trials, appeals, arbitration, mediation, and disputes involving consumer class actions, contract matters, business torts, bankruptcy, trust and probate issues, and employment claims.
John Dalebroux has been named counsel in the International Arbitration Practice in Washington, DC, focusing on international dispute resolution involving sovereigns and Latin America, including investment arbitrations before ICSID and under UNCITRAL rules, as well as commercial arbitration and litigation.
Dylan Fay has been named counsel in the Litigation Practice in Miami, concentrating on complex litigation, cross-border disputes, regulatory matters and bankruptcy litigation on behalf of creditors, committees and estates.
Deland Ji has been named counsel in the Debt Finance Practice in New York, advising investment banks and private credit funds on a broad range of financing transactions.
Brian Schmelkin has been named counsel in the Asset Finance Practice in Miami, focusing on aircraft financing and leasing transactions.
Graham Silnicki has been named counsel in the Debt Finance Practice in New York, advising major financial institutions and corporate borrowers on a wide array of finance transactions and advanced legal technology applications in debt matters.
Shana Vantusko has been named counsel in the Debt Finance Practice in New York, advising lenders, private equity sponsors, and borrowers on leveraged acquisition financings, recapitalizations, asset-based facilities, mezzanine facilities, and restructurings.
EMEA (Twenty-Seven Promotions)
Reem Albakr has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Riyadh, advising on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, restructurings, divestitures, antitrust matters, and foreign direct investment.
Hamzeh Al Rasheed has been named a local partner in the Capital Markets Practice in Dubai, advising corporates, financial institutions, and quasi-sovereign entities on conventional and Islamic equity capital markets transactions.
Phillan Amin has been named counsel in the Capital Markets Practice in London, advising on OTC derivatives, structured finance, repurchase transactions, hedging, regulatory capital transactions, and related regulatory issues.
Edoardo Avato has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Milan, advising private equity sponsors, multinational corporations, and investment banks on mergers and acquisitions and corporate transactions.
Agmal Bahrami has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Frankfurt, advising corporates, financial institutions, and investors on mergers and acquisitions, corporate law, and venture capital transactions.
Peter Becker has been named counsel in the Capital Markets Practice in Frankfurt, advising corporations and financial institutions on bonds, hybrid instruments, structured products, IPOs, capital increases, listings, and company takeovers.
Cornelius Börner has been named counsel in the Antitrust Practice in Brussels, advising on European and German competition law, merger control, abuse of dominance, and vertical and horizontal agreements.
Martina Castrén has been named counsel in the Antitrust Practice in Helsinki, advising on European and Finnish competition law, merger control reviews, global filings, cartel cases, and abuse-of-dominance matters.
Amparo de Leyva has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Madrid, advising private equity firms and infrastructure funds on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, co-investments, and restructurings.
Prema Govind-Hitti has been named a local partner in the Debt Finance Practice in Dubai, advising sovereigns, corporates, and banks on acquisition finance, leveraged finance, trade finance, bank lending, and restructurings.
Thomas Killeen has been named counsel in the Capital Markets Practice in Helsinki, advising on US and European securities law and complex cross-border financings.
Dimitar Kondev has been named counsel in the International Arbitration Practice in Paris, focusing on construction disputes across commercial development, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
Sarah Kouchad has been named counsel in the Tax Practice in Paris, advising on tax structuring for private equity transactions, mergers and acquisitions, financings, reorganizations, tax litigation, and estate planning.
Arnold Krutilins has been named a local partner in the Financial Services Regulatory Practice in Dubai, advising alternative investment funds, asset managers, investment firms, technology companies, and government entities on regulatory, licensing, compliance, fintech, data protection, and employment matters.
Salvia Matonyte has been named a local partner in the Capital Markets Practice in Dubai, advising on structured finance matters including sukuk, securitizations, warehouse financings, asset-based lending, and loan portfolio transactions.
Fabian Mayer has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Berlin, advising on mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures in energy, infrastructure, and technology sectors.
Miriam Gyun-Mie Meixner has been named counsel in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Frankfurt, advising private equity firms on mergers and acquisitions and equity investments across industries.
Malerato Motloung has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Johannesburg, advising on public and private mergers and acquisitions, capital markets matters, renewable energy projects, rights offers, unbundlings, schemes of arrangement, and listings.
Kai Neumann has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Frankfurt, advising clients on mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, and corporate law.
Aleksandra Orzeł-Jakubowska has been named counsel in the Litigation Practice in Warsaw, advising clients on arbitration, mediation, and litigation involving post-merger disputes, construction, technology, and legal malpractice.
Amitaben Patel has been named professional support counsel in the Debt Finance Practice in London, overseeing legal developments, know-how, training programs, client alerts, and innovation initiatives.
Olivier Poinsignon has been named a local partner in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Luxembourg, advising on fund formation and structuring for private equity, real estate, debt, and infrastructure funds.
Julius Schrader has been named a local partner in the Litigation Practice in Berlin and Frankfurt, advising technology companies on product, litigation, and regulatory matters, including intellectual property.
Miles Tonkin has been named counsel in the Project Development and Finance Practice in London, advising banks, investors, sponsors, and corporates on energy, natural resource, and infrastructure financings.
Xuefeng Wu has been named counsel in the Project Development and Finance Practice in London, advising mining and natural resources clients on project development, financing, joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and dispute resolution.
Man Hay Yip has been named counsel in the Debt Finance Practice in London, advising on banking and finance transactions, including cross-border acquisition finance and general bank lending.
Agnieszka Zarówna has been named counsel in the International Arbitration Practice in London, representing private individuals, companies, and states in investment treaty arbitrations under ICSID, UNCITRAL, ICC, LCIA, and SCC rules.
Asia-Pacific (Five Promotions)
Yu Babasaki has been named counsel in the Litigation Practice in Tokyo, representing multinational clients in the tech, construction, and renewable energy sectors in litigation and disputes.
Mark Burrows has been named counsel in the Mergers and Acquisitions Practice in Melbourne, advising corporate and state government clients on real estate transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, subdivisions, easements, leasing, and land due diligence.
Kibbeum Kim has been named a local partner in the Debt Finance Practice in Seoul, advising private equity funds, portfolio companies, lenders, and financial institutions on leveraged and acquisition financings, direct lending, special situations, refinancings, and restructurings.
Anna O’Reilly has been named professional support counsel in the Project Development and Finance Practice in Melbourne, monitoring legal developments, managing know-how, supporting training programs, and providing governance support.
Cherry Zhou has been named counsel in the Debt Finance Practice in Beijing, advising Chinese and international sponsors and banks on private credit investments, acquisition finance, corporate financ,e and project finance.
KEY QUOTE:
“Our competitive edge is in how we collaborate across borders and practices. These lawyers are thriving at White & Case because they tap deeply into these connections to deliver exceptional results for our clients. We are proud of all they have achieved in their careers to date and excited by what they will contribute in the future.”
Heather McDevitt, Chair, White & Case
