Simpson Thacher poaches Kirkland private equity partner in London

Simpson Thacher has hired private equity partner Nick Appleton from Kirkland in London.

Appleton joined Kirkland in 2017 and made partner in 2023, also spending time on secondment with key client Bain Capital. His practice spans M&A and corporate work for major private equity sponsors including Advent, KKR and Oakley Capital.

From one PE powerhouse to another

The move sees Appleton swap one of London’s most active private equity platforms for another. Alongside Kirkland, Simpson Thacher is considered one of the top players in the European sponsor market.

Recent mandates include advising Nordic Capital on its $250 million acquisition of UK market data business BMLL, and acting for Blackstone on the sale of £1 billion of logistics assets to listed REIT Tritax Big Box.

European managing partner Wheatly MacNamara said Appleton’s arrival "will complement our robust and thriving European M&A practice," while European M&A co-head James Howe described him as "an extremely talented and highly regarded lawyer with a wealth of experience advising top-tier financial sponsors."

More movement at Kirkland

For Kirkland, the move extends a run of London partner departures to rivals in recent months. Earlier in October, private equity partner Hamesh Khatkar left for Willkie, following exits from the firm’s finance and competition teams, including Sally Evans to Paul Hastings and Kon Asimacopoulos to Sullivan & Cromwell.

It also comes shortly after it emerged that Kirkland’s 2025 partner promotions round was its largest on record - though notably, the Chicago-headquartered giant chose not to make the list public for the first time in at least two decades in a move that raised eyebrows across the market.