Broadfield continues build-out with Sidley and Cooley partners in New York

Broadfield has continued its expansion drive with two partner hires in New York.

Michiel Visser has joined from Sidley Austin as head of private equity for Broadfield US and a member of the firm’s executive committee, while leveraged finance partner Patrick Flanagan arrives from Cooley.

US growth

Visser advises private equity sponsors, sovereign wealth funds, family offices and corporates on cross-border M&A, joint ventures, restructurings and governance matters. He is dual-qualified in New York and England & Wales.

Flanagan specialises in leveraged finance and acquisition financings, advising private equity sponsors and financial institutions on domestic and cross-border financings.

Broadfield US managing partner Chris Hagenbuch said the pair would strengthen the firm’s ability to deliver “partner-led execution” for private equity clients across both M&A and financing work.

The appointments take Broadfield’s lateral partner hires to 12 in the past seven months, underlining the pace of the firm’s expansion efforts.

Building the Broadfield model

The latest additions follow a sweep of hires across the UK and US, including former Pillsbury global energy and infrastructure head Gavin Watson, who joined in March.

Last year the firm also recruited lawyers from Sidley and Kirkland & Ellis in Hong Kong as it continued building out its international team. It launched in New York last year with a team of five partners - including Hagenbuch who joined from Dentons.

Broadfield launched in the UK in 2024 through a partnership between regional firm BDB Pitmans and SHP Legal Services, a subsidiary of Alvarez & Marsal’s parent company, creating a new challenger firm focused on mid-market private capital and corporate clients.

The firm has pitched itself as a different kind of mid-market player, with operational and consulting support through its Alvarez & Marsal links, alongside a broader focus on technology and alternative pricing models.

We sat down with John Hutchinson, managing partner of the UK business, on the podcast recently to find out more about the model. Listen here.