Latham hires Clifford Chance’s Kem Ihenacho as private equity partner

Latham & Watkins has hired its third private equity partner from Clifford Chance (CC) in a year, with the appointment of the magic circle’s Africa co-head Kem Ihenacho.

Ihenacho, who joins Latham’s corporate department, advises private equity houses and their portfolio companies on a range of UK and international transactions, with a particular focus on Africa.

He joined CC as an associate in 1999 and was promoted to partner in 2007.

His hire, Latham’s sixth at partner level in London in a year, follows Latham’s recruitment of CC’s global private equity practice head David Walker in April 2013 and partner Tom Evans in October.

The move is a further dent to CC’s corporate team, just as practice head Matthew Layton gears up to step into the global managing partner role in May.

In a statement, Simon Tinkler, head of the firm’s London corporate practice, said: “CC has a leading private equity practice globally. We enjoy the strongest market position in London, with a well-established team of highly-regarded partners and a group of talented associates.

“Given the breadth and depth of our capability and client relationships here, I fully expect that to continue.”

The hire is also likely to further cement Latham’s links with the Carlyle Group, which Ihenacho has advised on its Africa investments in the past.

Ihenacho, whose departure date has not yet been decided, also counts CVC Capital Partners as a major client, having acted for the private equity house on its acquisition of stakes in Skrill Group and Insurer Domestic and General Group Holdings.

He also recently led the CC team advising CVC on its purchase of a 40% stake in Czech antivirus software company Avast a deal that valued the company at $1bn (£612m).

“We are now the only firm in the UK market to have top-ranked bank and bond practices and are building a market leading private equity team to capitalise on this strength,” commented Latham’s office managing partner Nick Cline.

“Kem is a rising star with a great reputation and a broad range of experience that makes him an excellent addition to our private equity team.”

Other partner-level hires in the past year have included Dean Naumowicz from Norton Rose Fulbright, Simon Bushell from Herbert Smith Freehills and Nick Benson from Weil Gotshal & Manges.