Dentons has bolstered its high yield and US securities finance capabilities in London with the hire of a partner from Linklaters. 

US-qualified Colin Chang has joined the firm after nearly five years at Linklaters, before which he was a partner at White & Case in Paris. He will join Dentons’ capital markets practice as a partner in January 2025, the firm said. 

Chang represents underwriters, issuers and private equity sponsors in high yield offerings and bridge-to-high yield finance deals in both European and US markets, including offerings by Endeavour Mining, Europcar and Burger King France.

He also has experience in high yield restructurings, having represented high yield issuers Solocal, Novasep, Wind Hellas and Treofan.

Dentons said his hire would boost its capabilities in the UK and internationally, particularly in respect of the growing number of high-value European acquisition financings governed by New York law. 

Paul Jarvis, CEO of Dentons’ UK, Ireland and Middle East region, said Chang’s base of banking and finance clients would enable the firm “to do more of the large, complex deals that require high yield expertise that we see coming into the financial markets”.

“We’re thrilled to add his New York law high yield capability,” he added. 

Chang’s hire means Dentons will have 10 partners in London practising across debt capital markets, including Nick Hayday, head of the firm’s banking and financial services division UK and global co-chair of its banking and finance group. 

Hayday pointed to increasing M&A activity, the looming maturity wall that will require a large number of bond refinancings in 2025-8, growing use of high yield debt to finance private equity deals and the use of high yield bonds as a restructuring tool, which he said meant Chang “is joining Dentons at exactly the right time for our practice”.

“Colin’s appointment also significantly strengthens our US securities offering in London, which covers equity capital markets and debt capital markets products across multiple international jurisdictions and adds bench strength to service our international clients,” he said.  

A Linklaters spokesperson confirmed Chang’s exit, adding: “Colin leaves with our best wishes for this next chapter and we thank him for his contribution to the firm.”

Chang’s move follows leveraged finance partner Dan Peach leaving Linklaters earlier this week to join Simpson Thacher in London. The firm has also seen a number of partners picked off in the City by Paul Weiss over the past year, including M&A heavyweights Dan Schuster-Woldan and Matthew Hearn. News of the latter’s exit in April came on the same day it emerged that financial regulatory partner Sebastian Barling was also leaving to join Skadden.