Paul Hastings announced that Tracey Chenoweth, a leading finance partner with extensive experience in complex leveraged and acquisition finance transactions, has joined the firm in its New York office. The move further reinforces the firm’s strategy to expand its global private equity and corporate platforms and deepen its leadership in sponsor and borrower-side finance.
Chenoweth joins Paul Hastings from Skadden, bringing more than two decades of experience advising clients across the capital spectrum. Her practice focuses on representing private equity firms and their portfolio companies, corporate borrowers, and distressed debt investors in transactions spanning multiple industries, including financial services, retail, manufacturing, and technology. Her experience includes advising on acquisition financings, leveraged buyouts, dividend recapitalizations, refinancings, bridge loans, and out-of-court restructurings.
Her client roster includes major corporations and investment firms such as Crane Company, Citadel, Crane NXT, Del Monte Pacific Limited, NCR Voyix, SDC Capital Partners, and The RMR Group. Chenoweth has advised Crane Company on financing for its acquisition of Precision Sensors & Instrumentation, represented Foot Locker in its sale to DICK’S Sporting Goods, and counseled on the settlement of the Murdoch Family Trust dispute.
Paul Hastings Chair Frank Lopez emphasized that Chenoweth’s arrival aligns with the firm’s strategic objective of scaling its finance and private equity offerings. He highlighted her experience at the top end of the market as a key asset in advancing the firm’s position as a leader in global finance and transactional work.
Chenoweth cited Paul Hastings’ global integration and industry reputation as key reasons for joining the firm, praising the collaboration and sophistication of its finance and M&A practices.
The move follows a period of record-setting performance for Paul Hastings’ finance group. In the first half of 2025, the firm ranked #1 in multiple categories of the global finance league tables, claiming more than 39% of the U.S. middle-market lead bank’s counsel market—nearly five times more than its closest competitor.
Paul Hastings has also executed a focused strategy to expand its finance, private equity, and M&A platforms, recruiting more than 25 partners and 75 associates and counsel from leading firms, including Latham, Kirkland, Skadden, Cravath, Davis Polk, and Simpson Thacher. This talent influx has helped propel the firm into the top 10 for U.S. and global M&A exits by value (Mergermarket, H1 2025) and into the top 10 for private equity deal count (Bloomberg Global Private Equity League Tables 2024).
The firm’s client base includes some of the world’s most prominent asset managers and investment firms, such as Apollo, Ares, Atlas, Blackstone, Brookfield, Carlyle, Charlesbank, EQT, Fortress, Francisco Partners, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, Great Hill, H.I.G., KKR, Morgan Stanley Capital Partners, Sixth Street Partners, Symphony Technology Group, and TPG.
Paul Hastings’ global M&A team continues to expand its influence, advising on approximately 400 transactions in the last two years. Recent highlights include representing Pactiv Evergreen Inc. in its $6.7 billion combination with Novolex, G42 in Microsoft’s $1.5 billion strategic investment, and Heidrick & Struggles in its $1.3 billion take-private agreement with an investor consortium. Over this period, the firm’s average closed deal size has doubled to nearly $1 billion, reflecting its growing prominence in high-value, cross-border corporate transactions.
KEY QUOTES:
“It is imperative for us to build more scale with premier finance talent like Tracey as we build our global private equity and strategic M&A platforms. Tracey’s extraordinary experience at the top of the market in complex sponsor and borrower-side leveraged finance transactions will enhance our ability to serve leading sponsor and corporate clients on their most significant matters.”
Frank Lopez, Chair, Paul Hastings LLP
“Paul Hastings has an unparalleled global finance platform with seamlessly integrated teams across the firm that serve an exceptional roster of private equity and corporate clients. I am thrilled to join the firm and collaborate with the talented lawyers across its top-tier practices.”
Tracey Chenoweth, Partner, Paul Hastings LLP
