Akin Gump has announced the addition of high-profile special situations lawyer Ranesh Ramanathan to the firm. Together with partner Dan Fisher, Ramanathan will co-lead the special situations and private credit group, adding significant leadership depth to a practice widely recognized as a global powerhouse in advising leading asset managers across the entire spectrum of funds, finance, M&A and restructuring transactions. Ramanathan joins from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.
Prior to joining Kirkland, Ramanathan spent more than a decade as managing director of Bain Capital and general counsel to Bain Capital’s Credit and Public Equity businesses, where he established a strong reputation for excellence in negotiating, structuring and managing complex transactions for one of the world’s leading credit investors. Prior to Bain, he was general counsel of Citi Private Equity.
“This is a unique opportunity to be part of an extraordinary team that is well positioned as a global ‘one-stop shop’ for the most sophisticated clients deploying capital in the credit and alternative capital spaces,” said Ramanathan. “Having spent more than 10 years at Bain Capital, I have a good understanding of the breadth and depth of client needs in today’s market, and Akin Gump’s experience with cutting-edge creative capital deployment is unparalleled.”
Ramanathan has deep and diverse experience advising global asset managers on a wide variety of matters, as well as advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies in a range of traditional large cap and middle-market acquisition and financing transactions.
“Ranesh is an exceptional dealmaker and pace-setting leader in the alternative capital space and an ideal fit for our firm,” said Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith. “Our core asset manager clients are increasingly looking to us to advise them on structuring sophisticated credit and creative capital investments while taking a 360-degree view of how these investments may develop over time. Ranesh is a significant addition to our team’s ability to advise clients in these critical areas, and I am thrilled to welcome him to the firm.”
Ramanathan’s arrival builds on the firm’s considerable growth over the past two years. Since 2020, the team has added 37 corporate partners globally, including 13 special situations and private credit partners.
“Ranesh’s arrival underscores our position as one of the top special situations and private credit teams in the market. Our clients will benefit tremendously from his knowledge and experience in the credit space as they look to deploy flexible capital in an uncertain economic environment,” said Dan Fisher, co-leader of Akin Gump’s special situations and private credit group.
“Ranesh’s skill set is a natural fit for our market-leading restructuring practice, and we look forward to working with him to ensure our clients get the benefit of our firm’s comprehensive experience,” added Ira Dizengoff, senior partner in the firm’s financial restructuring group.