Latham & Watkins Adds Experienced Sponsor-Side M&A Partner in London, Further Strengthening Its Global Private Equity Platform
Latham & Watkins is pleased to announce that Samantha McGonigle will join the firm’s London office as a partner in the M&A and Private Equity Practice. McGonigle advises private equity sponsors and other investors on a wide range of complex transactions, including leveraged buyouts, M&A, minority investments, joint ventures, and strategic investments and dispositions, with particular experience in technology-driven and software-related investments.
“We are excited to welcome Sam to our team; her product expertise, sector knowledge, and industry relationships will be a major asset to our clients and to the continued growth of our private equity platform in London,” said Ed Barnett, Managing Partner of Latham’s London Office. “Sam is a widely respected, dynamic dealmaker with deep experience on the sophisticated large and mid-cap deals that drive our London and global practice. Her arrival further bolsters our already strong sponsor-side capabilities and gives our clients an even deeper bench on their most complex, high-value transactions.”
McGonigle joins Latham from longstanding client Hg, a leading investor in European and transatlantic technology and services businesses, where she served as Partner and General Counsel, overseeing a broad range of private equity transactions and strategic initiatives across Hg’s platform spanning small-, mid-, and large-cap investments globally and managing adjacent legal, regulatory, compliance, and governance matters across the platform. Prior to joining Hg, McGonigle held senior roles in both private practice and the investment industry, including as co-founder of a European growth equity firm focused on enterprise technology and fintech investments.
“Sam’s unique experience as both in-house counsel and partner in private practice gives her a distinctive commercial perspective on sponsor-side decision-making, governance, risk allocation, and transaction execution that will be invaluable to our clients and our team,” added Alex Kelly, Global Co-Chair of Latham’s M&A and Private Equity Practice Group. “Our team has had the benefit of collaborating with Sam throughout her tenure at Hg and we are excited to continue that collaboration with her as our partner.”
Tom Evans, Global Vice Chair of Latham’s Corporate Department, said: “Having known Sam for almost 20 years, I am especially pleased to welcome her to the firm. She is already familiar to many across our platform, as she has partnered with our teams on numerous high-profile matters. She is an outstanding team player with strong leadership experience and a wide-ranging practice spanning key growth industries. We are delighted she has chosen to join our team, and with her drive and entrepreneurial mindset, she will play a major role in the next phase of growth of our practice in London, across Europe, and globally.”
“Having worked closely with external counsel from the client side, I know how important it is to have advisers who understand the broader context and commercial objectives of today's transactions,” said McGonigle. “It is also key to frame that against the evolving backdrop of AI adoption. Latham's global M&A and Private Equity platform is second to none, and I'm excited to join the team and help clients achieve their strategic goals."
Latham consistently advises on more M&A and PE deals than any other law firm. In the first half of 2026, the firm ranked #1 in Global M&A by Deal Count (Bloomberg).
McGonigle received her MA from Mansfield College, Oxford University and completed her Legal Practice Course diploma at the Oxford Institute of Legal Practice. She began her career in private practice before co-founding Farview Equity Partners, where she had operational and investment responsibilities. She joined Hg in 2024 as Partner and General Counsel.