Mr. Steele is experienced in negotiating a wide array of commercial real estate transactions, including joint ventures, construction and stabilized asset financings, and the acquisition and disposition of real estate assets. He serves as the lead negotiator and drafter of all aspects of complex real estate transactions, and has worked on large acquisitions of distressed hospitality loan portfolios, single-family housing portfolios, self-storage portfolios and life sciences properties. Mr. Steele has represented clients in real estate financings in excess of $2 billion in the office, multi-family, industrial and self-storage sectors.

“Conrad has broad experience representing purchasers and sellers in portfolio and single-asset acquisitions and dispositions across various sectors throughout the U.S., including the negotiation of complex joint ventures and novel financing arrangements,” said Brian Sedlak, Co-Leader of Jones Day’s Real Estate Practice. “This proven track record across the spectrum of commercial real estate is a tremendous addition to our practice and we are pleased to welcome him back to Jones Day.”

At Jones Day, Mr. Steele joins a global team of 120 lawyers in Jones Day’s Real Estate Practice, who provide clients with comprehensive legal solutions to business opportunities by drawing on their experience in the real estate industry worldwide and collaborating with their Jones Day colleagues in environmental law, tax law, financial services, corporate law and dispute resolution. Jones Day’s Real Estate clients include investment banks, real estate funds, institutional investors, lenders, major corporations, real estate developers, property management companies, retailers, and hospitality companies. Jones Day has achieved a top ranking among global law firms in Bloomberg’s real estate M&A league tables, ranked by number of completed deals, every year since 2003.

“Conrad has deep roots here in the Texas legal community and is a highly accomplished lawyer who has worked on high-stakes transactions for some of the largest and most well-known commercial real estate investors in the world,” said Matthew Kairis, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Dallas Office and Texas Region. “His industry experience and regional knowledge will be a great asset to our clients. I am delighted that he has returned to our office at Jones Day.”

Mr. Steele earned his law degree from the SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas and his undergraduate degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He began his legal career as a Law Clerk to the Hon. Harlin D. Hale, U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge for the Northern District of Texas, and as Law Clerk to the Hon. Carl E. Stewart, Chief Judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

“I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to return to Jones Day, the firm where my career in private practice began a decade ago,” said Mr. Steele. “Jones Day’s global real estate practice group includes some of the most highly respected commercial real estate lawyers in the world and I look forward to rejoining this team here in Dallas,” said Mr. Steele.

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“Jared and Suril will round out our new Structured Finance & Structured Private Credit Practice, which has been a high-priority growth area for Kirkland this year given increased demand for structured products across private equity and private credit, as well as infrastructure, fund finance and other key areas,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We’re excited about adding these talented lawyers to the best-in-class team we’ve assembled, which now covers the gamut of sophisticated structured finance transactions for our sponsor and funds clients.”

Mr. Axelrod advises clients on negotiating and structuring CLOs and other complex securitizations. He has nearly a decade of experience advising clients within the CLO industry and is viewed as a leading advocate for collateral managers. He has advised domestic and international asset managers and issuers across a wide variety of CLO transactions, as well as other complex structured credit financing arrangements, including private credit securitizations, rated note feeders and insurance solution products.

“I’m extremely excited to join Kirkland and to team up with the many talented attorneys across the Firm’s various top-tier practice groups,” said Mr. Axelrod. “Kirkland’s deeply embedded relationships with leading private equity, private credit and asset management firms will provide a robust platform for serving clients and growing my practice. The group that Kirkland has put together to serve our funds clients is top-notch, and I can’t wait to start advising on some of the most exciting transactions in our space.”

Mr. Patel brings state-of-the-art experience with his background in EU risk retention and London-market CLOs. His practice focuses on advising sponsors, credit funds, institutional investors, financial institutions and borrowers on a broad array of structured finance transactions that include securitizations, structured private credit and other complex financing structures. He joins from Harvey, a legal artificial intelligence start-up, which he joined after earning a master’s degree from Stanford Business School. Prior to that, he was a structured finance partner at Allen & Overy. Mr. Patel has been recognized as a leading practitioner in various legal directories, including Chambers UK, Legal 500 and IFLR1000.

“I’m delighted to help bring Kirkland’s structured finance platform to London,” Mr. Patel said. “The Firm has amassed a terrific group of lawyers covering structured finance, and the ability to access the knowledge of the entire Kirkland platform is a huge addition for clients in Europe that are seeking structured finance advice.”

Kirkland’s Structured Finance & Structured Private Credit Practice has tripled in size since this summer, adding partners Michael Urschel and Kelly Mellecker and bringing the size of the dedicated cross-border team to nearly 30 attorneys. The team is active in structuring highly complex and first-of-their-kind transactions across industries including whole business, energy, digital infrastructure, media and entertainment, fund finance, CLOs, trade receivables and consumer loans.

“Reflecting on the growth of the practice this year, we believe the right line-up is in place for our clients’ highest-profile structured finance opportunities,” said Mr. Urschel. “Our full complement of professionals and deep experience will allow us to serve clients across structured finance, and we are ready to continue to grow alongside our clients as we help them create the next generation of opportunities.”

With more than 300 dedicated lawyers, Kirkland’s debt finance practice is the largest in the world and serves more than 500 private equity clients. According to Bloomberg, Debtwire and Refinitiv, Kirkland consistently handles more transactions for borrowers than any other law firm and, for the last five years, has led the market in U.S. borrower transactions. The practice is recognized by Chambers & Partners, Legal 500 and other publications for its work on complex, high-profile transactions; exceptional commercial understanding of U.S. and international financing markets; and excellence in client service.

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“Sebastian is one of the leading young partners in the German market with significant experience advising on complex alternative capital transactions,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We’re very excited that Sebastian is joining our stellar team in Germany.”

Mr. Pitz advises leading global private equity firms, energy and infrastructure funds, growth funds and financial institutions on the planning and execution of private M&A transactions, growth, minority and co-investments, public takeovers, joint ventures, disposals and other complex transactions.

“Sebastian is an exceptional lawyer who embodies a perfect blend of skill, talent and a proactive mindset,” said Benjamin Leyendecker, a corporate partner in Kirkland’s Munich office. “His addition marks a significant step forward in enhancing our Frankfurt office and expanding our presence in Germany.”

Mr. Pitz is frequently recommended for private equity, M&A and corporate law by JUVE. He joins Kirkland from White & Case, where he was a partner.

Mr. Pitz is the latest partner to join Kirkland in Germany. Kirkland announced last month that private equity/M&A partners Dr. Tobias Larisch and Florian Sippel and restructuring partners Dr. Christian Halàsz and Friedrich Schlott had joined. The Firm announced the opening of a new office in Frankfurt in early August.

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Mr. De Vliegher has more than 30 years of experience as a corporate finance lawyer in Brussels, dealing primarily with M&A transactions in the real estate industry, real estate finance, public-private partnerships, project finance and capital markets matters. He focuses on lease contracts, sales and lease-back agreements, and various real estate transactions for Belgian and international companies — including REITs, insurance companies and banks. He also advises clients in regulatory and corporate governance issues pertaining to public companies in the real estate industry.

“Didier has a breadth of experience helping clients structure complex transactions and advising them on the ensuing financing, regulatory and compliance issues,” said Anna Cartwright, Jones Day’s Real Estate Practice Leader. “This strong track record in corporate real estate transactions makes him an important addition to our team in Europe and his counsel will be valuable to our Firm’s clients worldwide. I look forward to his contributions to our practice group.”

At Jones Day, Mr. De Vliegher joins a global team of more than 120 lawyers in the Firm’s Real Estate Practice, which provides clients with comprehensive legal solutions to business opportunities in the real estate industry globally. He will also collaborate with his Jones Day colleagues to advise clients in areas such as environmental law, tax law, financial services, corporate law and dispute resolution. Jones Day’s Real Estate clients include investment banks, real estate funds, institutional investors, lenders, major corporations, real estate developers, property management companies, retailers and hospitality companies.

“Didier has a wide range of corporate legal experience in the European real estate and construction sectors, and his work on major infrastructure projects has led to awards such as the Project Finance Deal of the Year for European transportation,” said Alexandre Verheyden, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Brussels Office. “This combination of legal skills and real estate business acumen will be an excellent complement to our team in Brussels. I am pleased to welcome him to our office.”

Jones Day has achieved a top ranking among global law firms in Bloomberg’s real estate M&A league tables, ranked by number of completed deals, every year since 2003. The Firm’s Real Estate Practice was also recognized by Legal 500 for its “deep bench of resources” and “attorneys who anticipate client needs and respond quickly with well-crafted, customized solutions.”

Mr. De Vliegher earned his post-graduate degree in business law from the University of Brussels, his master’s degree from Solvay Business School, and his undergraduate degree from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven. He has been recognized for professional excellence in Legal 500 and is listed in their Hall of Fame for “Real Estate and Construction” lawyers.

“I was attracted to the opportunity to join one of the top global practice groups in the real estate space and to work alongside some of the most respected lawyers in real estate transactions worldwide,” said Mr. De Vliegher. “The lawyers in Jones Day’s Brussels Office serve national and global clients in navigating the EU’s complex legal environment, as well as working on some of the most important corporate legal matters across Belgium and elsewhere in Europe. I am delighted to join the team.”

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Mr. Moore has more than 35 years of experience representing public and private companies, private equity firms and corporate management teams in a wide-range of transactions and other corporate matters, with deep experience in in the energy and infrastructure space. He advises clients in M&A, joint ventures, financings and other commercial transactions across the energy spectrum — including in the traditional upstream and midstream sectors as well as in the evolving transition energy sectors such as hydrogen, renewable fuels and carbon capture. Mr. Moore has been recognized as a leading lawyer for “Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional)” by Chambers Global and Chambers USA, a leading lawyer for “Energy Transactions: Oil & Gas” by The Legal 500 US, a notable practitioner for “M&A and Private Equity in the U.S.” by IFLR 1000, and is listed in Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Energy Lawyers for “Energy & Natural Resources.” He earned his law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law in Virginia and his undergraduate degree from Austin College in Texas.

“These talented lawyers have worked on numerous high-stakes corporate transactions, including significant matters in the energy and infrastructure space across the U.S., many of which involve major M&A deals and innovative securitizations in the oil and gas industry,” said Randi Lesnick, Co-Leader of Jones Day’s Corporate Practice. “Their depth of experience provides our clients in Texas and around the world with significant additional talent. I am pleased to welcome them to our global practice and look forward to their contributions at Jones Day.”

Mr. Peca’s practice focuses on representing private equity firms, private and public companies, management teams and other strategic clients in a variety of transactions, with extensive experience in energy and infrastructure matters. He has advised clients in mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial transactions, financings and restructurings involving companies in the traditional upstream and midstream energy sectors, as well as produced water disposal, carbon capture and sequestration, renewable fuels and PDP-backed securitizations. Mr. Peca also advises clients on corporate governance matters. He is listed in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Energy Lawyers” for Energy & Natural Resources in 2024, was recommended four times for “Energy Transactions: Oil and Gas” by The Legal 500 U.S. and was named “Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year” by the Dallas Volunteer Attorney Program in 2016. Mr. Peca earned his law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin.

“Rodney, Sam, and Scott have deep roots here in the Southwest and have counseled clients on a wide array of public and private deals involving companies both in our region and around the globe,” said Matthew Kairis, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Dallas Office. “Their arrival strengthens the foundation for further expanding the depth of our strong corporate presence in Dallas.”

Mr. Delaney advises public and private companies, as well as private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies, on corporate transactions, with a particular emphasis on the energy sector. His transactional experience includes acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, securitizations, and other investments and transactions across the energy spectrum. Mr. Delaney is listed in Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Energy Lawyers” for Energy & Natural Resources in 2024 and has been recognized as a “Rising Star” for M&A by Super Lawyers in Texas and Oklahoma. He earned his law degree from The University of Oklahoma College of Law, his MBA from The University of Oklahoma Price College of Business and his undergraduate degree from The University of Oklahoma.

At Jones Day, the three lawyers join the Firm’s global Corporate Practice, which encompasses M&A and Private Equity. Jones Day consistently ranks among the top law firms in M&A and private equity representations in published league tables, and over the last 20 years the Firm has acted on more deals than any other law firm in the world. In the last five years, Jones Day has advised clients on more than 3,000 M&A transactions collectively valued at $1.5 trillion, and many of the world’s leading private equity funds are counseled by Jones Day in the full range of corporate transactions, many of which involve the 120+ lawyers in the Firm’s Energy Practice from offices worldwide.

“My colleagues and I have always esteemed Jones Day as one of the elite global law firms for clients in the energy and infrastructure space that are seeking counsel on their key M&A and Private Equity-sponsored transactions,” said Mr. Moore. “We were especially attracted by their culture of operating a truly integrated worldwide law firm and singular focus on client service excellence, with seamless collaboration by corporate lawyers regardless of physical location. Sam, Scott and I are eager to work with our new colleagues in Dallas and excited to join Jones Day.”

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Mr. van Leersum has over 16 years of experience advising clients on corporate finance, restructuring and capital markets matters, with a particular focus on leveraged or complex transactions. He regularly counsels both borrowers and lenders worldwide on their strategic finance and treasury requirements, acquisition finance, project finance and real estate finance projects and restructurings.

“Pim has been involved in some of the most prominent financing transactions in the Dutch market,” said Alban Caillemer du Ferrage, Chair of the EMEA and APAC regions of Jones Day’s Financial Markets Practice. “He is a versatile practitioner with experience in several niches within the financial markets, and he has a keen understanding of key commercial and legal issues across the leveraged finance space. I’m delighted to welcome him to Jones Day.”

At Jones Day, Mr. van Leersum joins a team of nearly 320 lawyers worldwide in the Financial Markets Practice, who advise clients on the full range of complex cross-border financial transactions, regulatory matters, investigations and litigation. The group represents a diverse client base of global financial institutions, issuers, borrowers, funds, asset managers and fintech companies. Jones Day’s Financial Markets Practice has helped clients close more than $1 trillion in financing transactions over the last five years, including many precedent-setting financings.

“Pim is highly regarded in the Dutch business and legal communities for his skilled work on a number of high-stake leveraged financings in the Netherlands and throughout Europe,” said Yvan Desmedt, Partner-in-Charge of Jones Day’s Amsterdam Office. “We are delighted that he has chosen to join Jones Day and look forward to working alongside him here in Amsterdam.”

Mr. van Leersum earned an LLM degree in Corporate and Financial Law and an MSc degree in Economics from Erasmus University in Rotterdam. He has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in Legal 500 and IFLR1000.

“Jones Day’s global Financial Markets Practice has worked on some of the most significant financing transactions around the world and I am honored to join this great team of lawyers who are focused on client service excellence,” said Mr. van Leersum. “I look forward to working with my new colleagues in Amsterdam and around the world to help our clients achieve their strategic business objectives.”

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“As Canada’s Global Law Firm, we are in an exciting period of growth and change at Dentons, one driven by our vision of redefining what is possible for our people and our clients,” said Tim Haney, CEO of Dentons Canada. “Chase exemplifies the Firm’s deep commitment to achieving the best outcomes for our clients, providing them with a tailored experience and a deep understanding of their priorities. I am confident that he will excel in this role and contribute to our continued success.”

Chase Irwin has been with Dentons for close to nine years, bringing a wealth of experience and a deep commitment to both the Firm and his clients’ success. A partner in the Corporate, Securities and Venture Technology and Emerging Growth Companies (VTEGC) practice groups, Chase combines passion, innovation and expertise to deliver tailored and practical advice to his clients in the technology and venture capital sectors. Chase is a leading lawyer in Canada for startups and emerging companies and has been instrumental in the successful launch and growth of many emerging technology companies across Canada, while also working extensively with many of Canada’s leading technology accelerators, venture capital firms, and other institutional and angel investors. His significant contributions to the VTEGC group, including his role as co-leader of the Dentons Canada Startup Program, have solidified Dentons’ position as a leading advisor in the Canadian tech ecosystem and as a leading Firm in Canada for emerging companies and startups.

“It is a great honour to take on the role of Ottawa Managing Partner,” said Chase Irwin. “Our office plays an important and strategic part of the Firm’s national strength and global reach. I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional people to foster a great office culture and deliver market-leading client experiences as we continue our work as Canada’s Global Law Firm.”

Chase succeeds David P. Little, who held the role since 2013 and will continue to contribute to the Firm’s success through his leadership position within the Dentons Canada Region Board. “On behalf of the National Board and National Management Committee, I would like to extend immense thanks to David Little for his dedication and outstanding achievements as the outgoing Ottawa OMP. His commitment to the Firm, our clients and our people has been unwavering over the years, and we are thankful for the incredible success the Ottawa office has seen under his leadership,” added Tim Haney.

Chase and David will continue working in close collaboration over the next few months to ensure a smooth transition of leadership in the Ottawa office. They will both continue servicing their clients and will maintain active practices.

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Birgit brings with her decades of experience in real estate law, having previously been a Real Estate partner at Wolf Theiss in Vienna, where she began her legal career in 2001. She regularly advises international corporations on major real estate projects in Austria and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with her expertise spanning project development, transactions, tenancy law, litigation, as well as environmental and sustainability law. Highly connected and familiar with the real estate sector, Birgit has been serving as the Chair of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) in Austria since July 2023. Additionally, she was appointed a Trade Advisor to the French Republic (Conseiller du Commerce extérieur de la France) by the French Prime Minister and has also lectured on environmental and planning law at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, and the Vienna University of Technology.

Dr. Christoph Mager, Country Managing Partner at DLA Piper Austria, commented: “We are thrilled to welcome Birgit to our partnership. Her extensive experience and deep industry knowledge will be instrumental in strengthening our market position in Austria and the CEE region and in pursuing our strategic goals. I am also pleased to note that we have a growing number of female partners at the firm, now over 40 percent women in our equity partnership in Vienna, which represents the highest proportion amongst the major law firms in Austria.”

Birgit Kraml added: “I am absolutely delighted to be joining DLA Piper as a partner. The firm stands out for its international presence, excellence and diversity. I look forward to taking on the challenge of supporting such a leading international law firm in expanding its Real Estate Practice in Austria and providing our clients with the first-rate service with which they have become accustomed.”

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