Firm continues to strengthen its global M&A and private equity bench
Global law firm Baker McKenzie announced that Erika López has joined as a private equity and M&A partner in the Firm’s Chicago office. A rising star in private equity and M&A, Erika brings significant experience advising clients on all aspects of complex M&A and private equity transactions.
“Erika has very strong business acumen and a legal skillset that fits squarely within our needs in North America” said Alan Zoccolillo, M&A Partner and Baker McKenzie North America Transactional Practice Chair. “She is sharp, engaging and driven, qualities that will benefit clients who look for commercially-minded and pragmatic advice in a competitive private equity landscape.”
Erika is dual-qualified in Illinois and New York and her practice focuses on advising private equity sponsors, private companies and public companies on a wide variety of transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, stock and asset purchases, divestitures, corporate governance and general corporate law matters.
“In today’s complex deal environment, private equity clients are consistently turning to their trusted advisors on complex, sophisticated matters,” said Baker McKenzie Global Chair of Private Equity, Karen Guch. “Erika’s background advising some of the top private equity firms in the world and their portfolio companies augments our well-established, multijurisdictional private equity team.”
Baker McKenzie has continued to expand its global M&A and private equity platform with the addition of nearly 30 partners over the past 15 months in key business markets. A core part of a transactional powerhouse team of more than 2,500 deal lawyers, Baker McKenzie’s Private Equity group delivers globally-integrated, end-to-end advice across the investment lifecycle, from acquisition to exit, to help clients meet the fast-paced demands of private equity. The Firm’s seasoned lawyers provide seamless advice through local expertise, deep sector knowledge, commercial acumen and refined transactional techniques to help clients navigate deal complexities, capture business opportunities and build portfolio value.
Erika’s arrival follows other high-caliber additions to Baker McKenzie’s Global Private Equity team including Hannah Luqmani (London); Theodore Heng (Singapore); Paolo Ghiglione (Milan); Fernando Torrente (Madrid); Michael Doumet (Paris); Angela Simpson, Lydia Shadrach-Razzino and Verushca Pillay (Johannesburg); Shusmita Chowdhury (Chicago); Filip Uzieblo (Warsaw); and Trench Rossi Watanabe partner Eduardo Herszkowicz* (São Paulo). Her language skills and cross-border experience also further strengthens Baker McKenzie’s Latin America-focused Transactional Practice, which recently welcomed New York-based partners Mike Fitzgerald, Arturo Carrillo, Joy Gallup, Pedro Reyes and Steven Sandretto to its ranks.
Erika is the latest lateral hire in Chicago, the founding office of Baker McKenzie and its largest in North America, following the arrival of trial lawyer Colleen Baime earlier this month.
David Malliband, Managing Partner of Baker McKenzie’s Chicago office, added: “There are nearly 150 private equity firms in Chicagoland that are rooted in a variety of sectors, including healthcare and life sciences and industrials and manufacturing. Adding a high caliber private equity and M&A practitioner in Erika is an important step as we continue to grow our Chicago office.”
Erika shared, “I’m thrilled to join Baker McKenzie’s preeminent international platform. I have long admired the firm’s unparalleled global reach and look forward to contributing to the firm’s outstanding M&A and private equity practices.”
Erika earned a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her JD from Cornell Law School. She was named a Top Lawyer Under 40 by the Hispanic National Bar Association in 2020 and as One to Watch, Mergers and Acquisitions, by Best Lawyers in 2023.
