Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that Adam Gallagher and James Watson will join the Firm as Partners in the London office to establish a European Restructuring Practice. Adam joins the Firm from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, where he became partner in 2007. James joins the Firm from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where he became partner in 2017. Adam and James previously worked closely together at Freshfields for more than a decade.

“Simpson Thacher is a leader in providing innovative, strategic advice to clients facing financial distress, including as a result of recent market disruptions,” said Bill Dougherty, Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “Adam and James each bring an exceptional depth of experience in this area and are ideally positioned to expand our global restructuring capabilities. We are very pleased to welcome them to the Firm.”

Adam and James have extensive experience representing companies, as well as creditors and other key stakeholders across the capital structure, in connection with complex distressed situations. Their work includes advising on domestic and cross-border restructuring and formal insolvency matters, as well as counseling clients on a broad array of stressed and distressed investments and liability management transactions.

“Establishing a restructuring practice in Europe is a logical expansion of our existing platform and will further enhance our ability to serve clients across the corporate, private equity and financial sectors as a single source of best-in-class advice,” added Jason Glover, Managing Partner of the Firm’s London Office. “Adam and James are widely recognized in the market as trusted advisors to clients who are navigating complex restructuring matters. They are the perfect choice to establish and build our European restructuring capability and will be a wonderful complement to our deep bench of talent.”

“We are thrilled to have Adam and James join our restructuring team to establish and build our presence in the critical European market,” commented Sandy Qusba, Head of the Firm’s Restructuring and Bankruptcy Practice. “Simpson Thacher’s European Restructuring Practice will complement the Firm’s existing capabilities in the United States to provide comprehensive services in all aspects of restructurings, and stressed and distressed situations.”