White & Case has bolstered its investment funds practice in London with the hire of a partner from Ropes & Gray. 

Alexandra Chauvin has joined the 2,800-lawyer firm after two-and-a-half years at Ropes, where she led the European secondaries team from London. 

White & Case vice chair, Oliver Brettle, said Chauvin’s hire “supports the build out of our global funds capabilities, which are an integral part of the private equity, sovereign wealth fund, infrastructure, asset management, debt and real estate sectors”. 

He added that for the firm to continue to grow its private equity industry group it was “critical that we establish ourselves as a recognised leader in funds work for global financial sponsor clients”.

Chauvin advises asset managers and institutional investors on all aspects of their operations, with a focus on structuring and executing US and European secondaries transactions in private alternative investment funds. Her experience spans private equity-led solutions including continuation vehicles, fund restructurings, portfolio sales and other liquidity solutions. 

Chauvin was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis before joining Ropes in 2022, making partner late last year. During her time at the firm she worked with clients including AlpInvest and Hamilton Lane.  

Chauvin’s arrival at White & Case follows the firm recruiting funds heavyweight Emily Brown from Ropes in London last November, which it followed up a few months later with the hire of funds lawyer Lavanya Raghavan, who joined as a partner from Ropes, where she had been counsel. 

“The secondaries market has experienced dramatic growth in recent years, with the volume of fund recapitalisations and portfolio transactions rising globally, particularly with the use of continuation funds as an alternative exit option for fund sponsors,” said Brown, who heads White & Case’s investment funds practice. “This growth is expected to continue through 2024 and beyond. To meet this demand we need to continue to build our investment funds practice, specifically in the secondaries market. With deep experience in the US and Europe, Alexandra will strengthen our funds and secondaries capabilities globally and be well-placed to capitalise on a market that is growing at speed.”

Since last November White & Case has also boosted its global funds practice with the hire of partners Phillip Sacks in Dubai from Dechert, Omar Hemady in Boston from the GC role at Pathlight Capital and Linklaters’ Asia funds head, Eriko Sakata, in Tokyo. Meantime in May, Emmanuel Gutton joined the Luxembourg office the firm opened in 2022 to support its European fund formation and management capabilities having been deputy CEO of the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry. 

A Ropes & Gray spokesperson said of Chauvin’s departure: “We thank Alex for her contribution to the firm and wish her all the best with her future career.”

The increasingly lucrative secondaries market has seen a number of US firms adds to their benches in London over the past year. In March, Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom added a trio of funds lawyers from Debevoise & Plimpton, with Delphine Jaugey joining as head of secondaries for Europe alongside two associates. 

Last year Wall Street firm Simpson Thacher & Bartlett also added secondaries expertise with the hire of partners Ed Ford and Sacha Gofton-Salmond from top UK independent Travers Smith.