Paul Hastings continues London hiring spree with A&O Shearman partner

Paul Hastings has hired high yield partner Brad Weyland from A&O Shearman in London, continuing the expansion of its City finance practice.

Weyland advises investment banks, private credit providers and corporate issuers on high yield bond offerings, bridge financings and liability management transactions.

He joins after five years at A&O Shearman, having previously spent more than a decade at Latham & Watkins.

High yield reset

The appointment follows Sullivan & Cromwell's raid on Paul Hastings earlier this year, when it hired partner Patrick Bright to lead its London high yield offering and William Needham, who serves as co-head of its European restructuring practice.

Weyland's arrival helps replace that capability and further strengthens its finance platform, which has been a major strategic focus for the firm.

Paul Hastings chair Frank Lopez said the addition “adds meaningful depth” to its London corporate team and strengthens the firm’s position as a “destination practice for the most complex finance transactions”.

A strong start

Following last year’s loss of 19 London partners - around a third of its local partner base - Paul Hasting has started 2026 strongly. The firm ranked as the joint top London lateral partner recruiter through the first half of this year, alongside Shoosmiths, according to recruitment consultancy Edwards Gibson.

This year the firm has hired M&A partner Mark Zerdin from Slaughter and May, private equity partner Ferish Patel from Cooley, a four-partner private equity and real estate team from Covington & Burling and Reed Smith’s global fund finance chair Leon Leon Stephenson.