Mayer Brown Bolsters London Finance Practice with Three-Partner Acquisition from Baker McKenzie

London – Mayer Brown has announced the addition of a prominent leveraged finance and high yield team consisting of Rob Mathews, David Becker, and Ben Bierwirth. The three lawyers have joined the firm as partners within its London Banking & Finance practice, further enhancing the firm’s Leveraged Finance and Private Capital capabilities.

The group forms an established and long-standing team with a proven history of collaboration on complex capital structures. Their arrival represents a significant expansion of Mayer Brown’s Finance team, strengthening its high yield, term loan B, and leveraged finance offerings in London. The additions complement the firm’s existing strengths in syndicated lending, direct lending, restructuring, structured finance, and capital solutions. The team previously practiced at Baker McKenzie.

Their recruitment also reinforces Mayer Brown’s position as a fully integrated platform for New York and English law debt and equity solutions, allowing clients to access coordinated guidance across financing products, capital structures, and jurisdictions through a single global network.

Rob, David, and Ben will provide transatlantic and global expertise to clients across EMEA, the US, and APAC, while adding further breadth and depth to the firm’s Capital Solutions platform.

Alex Dell, Global Co-Head of Mayer Brown’s Banking & Finance practice, said:

“Rob, David, and Ben’s appointments highlight Mayer Brown’s continued momentum in the leveraged finance sphere and our commitment to offering clients exceptional depth and breadth of expertise across borders. We are delighted to welcome them to the firm.”

Rob Mathews joins Mayer Brown as one of the most experienced lawyers in the London market, with decades of experience advising on multinational corporate and financing transactions. He represents global investment banks, financial sponsors, and corporates on high yield and other complex financing matters.

David Becker is a highly regarded lawyer with over 25 years of experience advising across capital markets, high yield, and leveraged finance. He advises banks, private credit and alternative capital providers, borrowers, and issuers throughout the full credit lifecycle, with particular experience in the pharmaceuticals, life sciences, technology, real estate, and hospitality sectors.

Ben Bierwirth has extensive experience advising on complex leveraged finance transactions and cross-border high yield debt offerings. His practice spans syndicated credit facilities, US securities law, restructurings, debt exchanges, tender offers, and liability management transactions, with clients valuing his commercially-minded and meticulous approach.

The team’s appointment adds further high yield and bank-facing capability and scale to Mayer Brown’s Capital Solutions offering. As restructurings and liability management exercises increasingly combine loans, equity, and high yield debt under complex intercreditor and shared-security arrangements, the team’s wide-ranging expertise amplifies the firm’s existing strengths in real estate, structured finance, restructuring, private credit, and private equity, further enhancing Mayer Brown’s ability to advise clients across complex capital structures on a fully integrated basis.

Additionally, these hires deepen Mayer Brown’s transatlantic strength, augmenting the firm’s US capabilities on the ground in London. With substantial experience advising on New York law high yield transactions from London, the team will help connect Mayer Brown’s European client base even more closely with its leading US Finance and Restructuring capabilities.

Dominic Griffiths, London Managing Partner, commented:

“Rob, David, and Ben are market leaders, client-focused, and commercially-minded, adding a wealth of transatlantic experience to the team. We are very pleased to welcome them to Mayer Brown.”

These appointments continue Mayer Brown’s London Finance & Banking expansion, following the arrivals this year and last of Emerging Markets partner James Clarke, Leveraged Finance partners David Miles, Philip Butler, and Sarah Goodwin, Structured Finance partners Chris McGarry and Adam Farrell, and Corporate Trustee partner Kevin Ng.

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