Goodwin lands Travers leveraged finance head in latest PE-focused hire

Goodwin has added one of the City’s top leveraged finance partners to its London team, hiring Matthew Ayre from Travers Smith as the US firm continues to invest in its private capital practice.

Ayre, who spent his entire career at Travers, was head of its leveraged finance team and is ranked Band 1 by Chambers for advice on mid-market deals.

He will work closely with fellow leveraged finance partner Tom Roberts - who joined Goodwin from Kirkland earlier this month - as well as Simon Fulbrook and the wider finance team, as the firm builds out its London private equity and private credit offering. On the M&A side, Ayre will be reuniting with ex-Travers colleagues Ian Keefe and George Weavil who joined last year.

Private capital activity

The hire is the latest in a flurry of private capital moves across the London market.

In the past week alone, DLA Piper hired Dechert’s private equity co-head Chris Field, Mayer Brown added three senior Dechert partners including two in leveraged finance, and Freshfields picked up a private equity real estate duo from Ropes & Gray.

What they said

Yash Rana, co-chair of Goodwin’s global private equity practice, said: "Matthew’s deep experience in debt finance, his commercial insight, and his longstanding relationships with private equity clients make him an ideal addition to our team here at Goodwin."

Carl Bradshaw, London partner in Goodwin’s private equity practice, said the firm was focused on attracting "market-leading talent", adding: "Matthew's arrival, alongside our recent hire of Tom Roberts earlier this month, underlines our commitment to building a premier private equity and finance offering in London and across Europe."