Paris, France – In a significant move within the legal sector, Proskauer Rose’s Paris office has enhanced its team by acquiring an eight-member lawyer group specializing in fund formation and secondaries from Simmons & Simmons. The team is led by seasoned partners Agnès Rossi and Marcela Moraru, who bring a wealth of experience, having collaborated for over two decades on major international fundraising and transactional operations for private investment funds across France, the U.K., and Luxembourg.
Rossi and Moraru’s joint expertise spans the structuring and establishment of various types of investment funds, including mid-market and large private equity funds, infrastructure funds, real estate funds, and private credit funds among others. Their roles also encompass intricate knowledge in deal structuring relating to carried interest and co-investment arrangements and secondary transactions.
Their extensive experience and known market standing are likely to leave a significant imprint on Proskauer’s operations not just in Paris but across Europe. Xavier Norlain, managing partner at the Paris office, emphasized the strategic significance of the French capital in the broader private equity space within continental Europe. Norlain noted that the firm is poised to significantly benefit from Agnès and Marcela’s experience in tandem with market growth in this sector.
"Their insight will be highly beneficial to our clients and our firm’s growth strategy," Norlain said. Co-head of Proskauer’s private funds group, Nigel van Zyl, also expressed enthusiasm about the bolstering of their European private capital offerings, linking this expansion to broader capabilities across their M&A, private credit, and funds finance teams.
Prior to their recent move, Rossi and Moraru had collaborated at SJ Berwin and later, at King & Wood Mallesons following a merger. Rossi also brought additional experience from a secondment at AXA Investment Managers Real Assets, where Moraru served as an attorney. Notably, Moraru also interned with Proskauer, adding another layer of continuity and familiarity to this transition.
Proskauer has not only been making strategic hires in Paris but has also been fortifying its London office. Recent additions there include Philip Bowden, former co-head of private capital at A&O Shearman, leveraged finance expert Megan Lawrence, capital markets partner Jake Keaveny, and Warren Newton in leveraged finance, all joining from Cahill Gordon & Reindel.
On the flip side, Simmons & Simmons expressed their gratitude toward Rossi and Moraru for their contributions. While acknowledging the setback of losing such key team members, the firm remains committed to its investment funds practice. The Paris office, being the second largest with over 150 staff members, is poised for significant expansion despite the recent departures.
Simmons plans to substantially build out its funds team, which maintains three core members, aiming to uphold and possibly enhance its service capabilities in the region.
As the legal market continues to evolve with these strategic shifts in personnel, the impact on fund management and investment across Europe will be noteworthy. Clients and competitors alike will be watching closely as these developments unfold in one of the continent’s key financial hubs.
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