Latham lands Gibson Dunn partner as PE real estate hiring heats up

Latham & Watkins has hired private equity real estate partner Jeremy Kenley from Gibson Dunn in London, adding to a notable uptick in corporate real estate hires across the City this year.

Kenley joined Gibson Dunn in 2018 from Mayer Brown and is considered one of London's leading private equity real estate partners. His experience spans advising sponsors and investors across real estate M&A, asset and debt acquisitions, joint ventures and equity and debt funds.

His client list includes Apollo - where he previously served as GC for global real estate - and Brookfield.

The Brookfield connection could prove particularly timely for Latham. On the same day Kenley's move was announced, the asset manager unveiled a $100 billion global AI infrastructure programme with major investment in data centres, now one of the most lucrative asset classes in the wake of the AI boom and a growing source of big-ticket mandates for law firms.

A hot market

Corporate real estate has become one of the most active areas of City law hiring this year as firms look to bulk up benches that have traditionally been underweight.

Among the most high-profile moves, Hogan Lovells recruited Paul Hastings partners Michael James and Edward Meadowcroft in September, with fellow Paul Hastings alum Stephen Nicolas joining Cleary to launch its European real estate practice in October.

Freshfields added Ropes & Gray partners David Seymour and Will Bryant in July, and Mishcon partner Mark Thompson - also with plenty of experience acting for Brookfield - left for Baker McKenzie over the summer.

What they said

Latham's London managing partner Ed Barnett said Kenley is a "star name" whose arrival strengthens the firm's London real estate platform at a time of accelerating demand. He said Kenley brings "an impressive track record advising across the full spectrum of complex transactions."

Global real estate chair Douglas Heitner added that expanding Latham's real estate capabilities in London was a "strategic priority" and pointed to a "transformational period" for the UK market.