Sullivan & Cromwell builds a dedicated US private-equity team

On September 15, the Financial Times reported that Sullivan & Cromwell hired four Kirkland & Ellis partners to establish its first dedicated US private-equity team, with plans to grow the group to about 20 partners within a year. The report said private equity accounts for roughly one-third of US mergers and acquisitions, making the move a sector-demand decision rather than a general lateral expansion. For client teams, the immediate task is to map sponsor, portfolio-company, financing and regulatory relationships across the new group so the investment produces coordinated account coverage rather than an isolated practice. The full Financial Times article was paywalled during verification, so the figures and expansion plan are based on the surfaced article summary and should be monitored as the team forms.