Sidley elects record 38 partners

Sidley Austin LLP proudly announces the election of 38 new partners and the promotion of 27 new counsel across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the United States. These newly elected individuals will step into their new roles on 1 January 2025. Sidley’s announcement highlights the firm’s continued growth and commitment to excellence across its global platform, reflecting its dedication to delivering top-tier legal services in various high-demand practice areas.

London sees significant partner appointments

Several notable attorneys have been elected in Sidley’s London office, showcasing the firm’s strength in areas such as regulatory compliance, restructuring, arbitration, and securities enforcement.

Dr. Chris Boyle – Food, Drug, and Medical Device
Dr. Chris Boyle advises and litigates in highly regulated fields, including human and veterinary medicinal products, food, chemicals, and biocides. He plays a pivotal role in multi-jurisdictional compliance projects and offers specialist due diligence insights that support complex corporate transactions and private equity deals in the life sciences sector.

Dhevine Chandrapala – Restructuring
Dhevine Chandrapala focuses on cross-border restructurings, advising stakeholders such as sponsors, debtors, creditors, and strategic investors. He brings extensive experience in private equity, hedge funds, and investment banks, guiding their diligence and review of stressed and distressed business transactions across European and Asian markets.

Christopher Lock – Global Arbitration, Trade, and Advocacy
Christopher Lock advises clients on intricate regulatory challenges in international trade. His expertise includes trade remedies, export controls, foreign investment screening, sanctions, and supply chain regulations. He also supports clients in transactional matters, mergers and acquisitions, capital investments, and trade compliance under UK sustainability regulations.

Samantha Cumming – Securities Enforcement and Regulatory
Samantha Cumming focuses on government litigation, white-collar defence, and corporate investigations. Her experience includes complex, multijurisdictional commercial litigation, judicial review in the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and arbitration under ICC, LCIA, and UNCITRAL rules across London and Singapore.

Commitment to global growth and client service

Mike Schmidtberger, Chair of Sidley’s Executive Committee, commented on the strategic significance of these appointments: “This class of partners and counsel reflects the continued growth of our practices across the Sidley platform. Our clients are looking to us for guidance on a wide range of matters, and this group of lawyers is stepping up to meet those challenges.”

Yvette Ostolaza, Chair of Sidley’s Management Committee, highlighted the scale and impact of this milestone: “This combined group of 65 lawyers is the largest class we’ve elected and promoted in Sidley’s nearly 160-year history. We are proud to recognise these world-class lawyers, who bring exceptional business acumen, leadership, and commitment to our firm’s boardroom, courtroom, and communities.”

She also extended gratitude to Sidley’s clients, saying, “We are grateful to our clients who make these promotions possible. Congratulations to this outstanding group of lawyers on their election to partner and promotion to counsel.”

A strong foundation for continued excellence

Sidley’s announcement signifies a robust foundation for continued growth and excellence. By electing and promoting lawyers with deep expertise and leadership capabilities, the firm strengthens its ability to provide strategic counsel in complex legal landscapes across multiple jurisdictions. This commitment positions Sidley to continue offering unparalleled service and guidance to clients across industries and markets worldwide.

The appointments and promotions across Asia Pacific, Europe, and the U.S. reaffirm Sidley Austin LLP’s dedication to delivering exceptional service and expertise, ensuring that clients have access to a team of lawyers with the insight and experience needed to navigate today’s multifaceted legal challenges confidently.