Sidley strikes Latham again with move for capital markets co-head

Sidley Austin has landed another senior partner from Latham & Watkins in London, extending its 18-month lateral raid on its US rival in the City.

James Inness was Latham’s co-head of UK equity capital markets. He has joined Sidley as a partner, marking the 12th partner move from Latham to Sidley in London over the past 18 months.

Inness brings a heavyweight ECM track record. His recent experience includes advising security company Verisure on its €13.7 billion IPO on Nasdaq Stockholm - Europe’s largest ever private equity-backed listing - and acting for the banks on Metlen’s €6 billion London listing last year.

He will reunite with former Latham capital markets colleagues David Stewart and Vladimir Mikhailovsky, who both joined Sidley last year. Stewart had been London corporate co-chair at Latham.

A strategic priority

Sidley’s initial London push in late 2024 centred on leveraged finance talent from Latham, spearheaded by partners Jay Sadanandan and Sam Hamilton.

The firm has since broadened the build-out into capital markets. High-yield partners Scott Cowell and Patrick Kwak joined in late 2024, followed by Stewart and Mikhailovsky last year.

Yvette Ostolaza, chair of Sidley’s management committee, said adding another ECM partner in London had been a “strategic priority” for the firm. She added: “We have significantly enhanced our capital markets practice and offering to clients following a number of other recent strategic hires including David Stewart, Vladimir Mikhailovsky, Scott Colwell and Patrick Kwak.”

“With James, and his impressive pedigree as a leading advisor to sponsor clients on UK and EU capital markets, we are now adding the scale necessary to provide the best possible capital markets service to our clients in London and globally,” said Tom Thesing, managing partner of Sidley’s London office.

Before Inness, Sidley’s most recent Latham raid was in January when it recruited real estate finance partner Jeremy Trinder, former global co-chair of Latham’s real estate practice.