Plona Partners’ Post

🚨 "We need to get this across the line pre-Christmas" is a line countless people across the City are hearing at the moment... For Paul Weiss, its pre-Christmas deal is ANOTHER massive double hire to its London office - this time from CC. 🚨 (1 min read) Any guesses as to the areas these two Partners cover? If your immediate guesses are the ultra-profitable world's of PE and LevFin, then, well, you'd be absolutely right! Private equity Partner Chris Sullivan and Leveraged Finance partner Taner Hassan are both set to move to Paul Weiss in the new year. Bonus points for those who might also have thought that these two might have a lean towards Infra assets. Now, apologies if I'm sounding repetitive here, but, this isn't my first and won't be my last post on moves in the Infra space, as this space is seen as both incredibly lucrative and a much safer asset class given the 'real' underlying assets at the heart of the multi-million/billion buy-outs we're seeing. To recap, Paul Weiss have (so far) added 13 Partners in as many weeks to its London office, and have so far only targeted / cherry-picked from Kirkland, Links, and now CC. The calibre of people at the core of PW's London build out is nothing short of World Class - both in terms of sheer quality and client rosters - many of which cross over with one another and will create synergies, such as the new addition of Chris Sullivan whose big client is EQT... just like new London Co-Head, Roger Johnson (ex-K&E). The investment made by PW in its London office build out so far has been HUGE, seriously seriously HUGE. With certain protagonists on c.$20m/year packages (if all targets are met), guaranteed for multiple years, and those more 'junior' / with smaller books still on huge comp packages (guaranteed again), means PW's investment will take a few years to balance out realistically. Some may feel it's too big a price to pay and it's not going to pan out for them, but I for one will not be betting against them given the quality of very strategic hires they've made.

Latest Developments at Paul Weiss – Notable Double Hire and Continued Expansion. Exciting news from Paul Weiss! They've just finalised another significant pre-Christmas deal, marking another substantial double hire for their London office, this time from CC. Can you guess the areas covered by these two new Partners? If you thought of the highly profitable realms of Private Equity (PE) and Leveraged Finance (LevFin), you're spot on! Chris Sullivan, a Private Equity Partner, and Taner Hassan, a Leveraged Finance partner, are both set to join Paul Weiss in the upcoming year. Bonus points if you also suspected an inclination towards Infrastructure assets. Now, we might sound a bit repetitive, but this won't be our last post on moves in the Infrastructure space, given its lucrative nature and the safety it provides as an asset class with real, tangible underlying assets. Paul Weiss has added an impressive 13 Partners in just as many weeks to its London office. They've been strategic in targeting talent from Kirkland, Links, and now CC. The caliber of individuals driving PW's London expansion is truly world-class, both in terms of quality and client rosters. Notably, synergies are expected, with the addition of Chris Sullivan, whose major client is EQT—just like the new London Co-Head, Roger Johnson (formerly at K&E). The investment made by PW in building out its London office has been substantial—truly immense. With certain key figures on packages around c.$20 million/year (if all targets are met), guaranteed for multiple years, and even junior members on significant compensation packages, PW's investment will take a few years to realistically balance out. While some may question the scale of this investment, we, for one, won't be betting against them, given the strategic and high-quality hires they've secured. https://lnkd.in/eeiiJXZJ

#BigLaw is not always for everyone. The demands are high, and personal sacrifices can be taxing. What if I told you that (at least in Sydney), as a corporate associate you could get paid the same, do top quality work, and work hours that are sustainable - as you define it? This may make some people in my network excited. If it does, get in touch to learn more: ✉️ peter.vrljic@deaconsearch.com 📞 0426131622     

Last month Alvarez and Marsal upgraded our Manchester offices taking a 10-year lease for over 15,000 square feet on the top two floors of The Lincoln Building in Lincoln Square.   A&M opened its first Manchester office in December 2018 at that time just offering Restructuring and Turnaround services.    We have since grown to a nearly 80 person strong multidisciplinary team with several key senior hires.    The old place in The Chancery building had served us well but it was getting cramped and when the air-con broke at the start of summer we knew it was time for a move.    Growing the regional A&M practice in the North West region, where most of us have worked for decades, is a major objective for the whole team.    I can say that for me it’s personal - I’ve loved working in the Manchester and North West business community over the last 35 years. It’s where I feel at home. I’ve seen the local community develop and especially the deals market has matured immensely. There are many people now operating as senior leaders in a range of professions and investment funds who I remember joining their firms as graduates or newly qualified professionals! A lot of them have worked for or with me at one time or another!    There is an exceptional cadre of professional advisors based across the city; the corporate business community is vibrant from the buzzing early-stage ecosystem in the city to the well-established industries which have operated in the region for years and finally, there has for years been a  visionary level of cooperation between the business community and local government and NGO bodies which serve the region   What a time to be building this business in Manchester with so many wonderful and like-minded colleagues. I can’t wait to see it flourish!   PS - The new office is amazing. Come and visit us and tell us what you think (coffee is on us)!   #Manchester #CorporateFinance #Tax #DueDiligence #Restructuring #PerformanceImprovement #Multidisciplinary #AlvarezandMarsal

Do you have access to Best Practices and Benchmarks - which the TOP10 Largest Family Offices using? Do you have ever considered to gain this kind Knowledge and Experiences and sit down with an Family Office Executive behind closed doors and hear how they run a Family Office? The C100Global Family Office Board Room give selected Family Office Executives and Principals that kind of Opportunity! You can’t buy this kind of Knowledge at Amazon and you can’t google this Exeperiences! If you interested on more Information- pls drop me a PN! C100Global #centimillionaire #familyoffice #C100Global

It’s said you can’t be what you can’t see. I think there is a sufficient amount of evidence proving that you can BE! (anything & with excellence) Unfortunately, what exists is mounting evidence who can’t STAY. Corporate cultures of BElonging are what’s needed to provide environments where excellence can be realized. That’s really how #weallwin 🧡 🎥 IG: @tionnatells 📍 I’m Michelle 🙋🏾♀️ recovering corporate lawyer & exited coworking space owner. I curate safe spaces where you f̶e̶e̶l̶ ARE seen. Here to build legal careers that don’t need recovery! If your legal team—whether junior or seasoned colleagues—would benefit from connection and business development skills, then let’s chat!

Smaller Family Companies: Unexpected Innovation Powerhouses Imagine a world where the most innovative companies aren’t big tech giants but family-run businesses. This is not a fantasy; it's reality. A recent global analysis of research into family-owned firms shows that smaller family companies lead the charge in innovation, especially in legal environments with strong property rights. Analyzing 193 studies from 1996 to 2022, the research found that small and medium-sized family companies in countries like Finland, Switzerland, and Australia—nations with strong property rights—are the most innovative. These companies outpace large family businesses and non-family-run businesses of all sizes. Why does this matter? When property rights are protected, businesses have a greater incentive to innovate, investing in research and development, business process improvements, and new product creation. Smaller family businesses, driven by the need to compete and grow, as well as the desire to pass the business to future generations, thrive in such environments. This insight emphasizes the importance of property rights protections for business growth, particularly for small and medium-sized family-run businesses. #Innovation #FamilyBusiness #PropertyRights #BusinessGrowth #ResearchInsights #DavidHaigAssociates

The concept of a third-party turnkey 'Managed' office is nothing new anymore, but at one point of time it was a left field concept, one which The Instant Group pioneered off the back of various requests from our infrastructure clients in London. This sector had very reactive needs that were specific to a time frame, location and TCO. Back then however large flex solutions were not a thing, the industry was catering to small requirements almost exlusively to SMEs and start-ups. Fast forward to 2024 and the market has developed with many players offering a bespoke end-to-end delivery of space and experience, contrasting to the off-the-shelf products of the flex market. Like many industries, the innovators of products and solutions may not turn out to be the biggest, but having two decades of experience will certainly hold claim to being one of the best. Don't believe me? Check out our latest project in #Madrid below from Hogan Lovells to hear from themselves what a top-tier delivery partner can do

Every week I have to run a DD over a 'family' office rep that I have never heard of to find that it is an imposter. Either the family office does not exist, or it is does exist but does not really manage funds as it should or the person claiming to represent it is not real. (Also why I dun connect with people who do not post on LinkedIn as a rule, and if they post I judge - what can I say I am not a LION okay) 'As Edoardo Collevecchio was getting ready to speak at a conference in Singapore, he recognized the family office that employed a fellow panelist. But as they exchanged small talk, Collevecchio noticed something was off — the executive couldn’t answer basic questions about his firm and didn’t even recognize the name of an owner. It soon became clear the ‘executive’ had never worked for the family office directly, and had misrepresented his status. An awkward snip later, the panel went ahead — minus one speaker." Well they found out in time. "“The entry barrier is low, founders’ wealth is often private information, and it’s hard to do due diligence,” said Joe Qiao, chief investment officer of Globaltec Capital, an office for the Yeh family of Taiwan chip designer Realtek Semiconductor Corp. “There are chances for misrepresentation and scams.”" You know what? It is the same in the ESG space. And also reality programmes. (See the link below on David Yong, the Singaporean featured in Super Rich in Korea) "Industry players say the ruse can take many forms. In some cases, as Collevecchio discovered, these alleged imposters exaggerate their role within a legitimate family office to gain access and trust. Other times, they set up a new firm with little money backing it — call it cosplay family office executives — with scant or questionable sources of wealth." 'For Ming Yan, managing director at Cambridge Associates, a key test is how willing an office is to set up direct meetings with wealth creators and family. Failing to share the origins of that money is a “non-negotiable standard” for doing business." And the wealth creators also need to pass the smell test. In Brunei and Malaysia, there are many princes - real princes; and fake ones. But not that many with real money. So cross-checking is also vital. "For now, Oppenheimer’s Collevecchio says there’s no systemic risk in Asia’s family office space, nor does he think more regulation would help. For those trying to separate truth from fiction, it pays to spend time with relevant partners and other families, while hiring great staff for due diligence." Look if you know how to ask the right questions diplomatically, I am sure that you have been around the block often enough to know who is legit and who is maybe legit, and who is definitely suss.