Willkie Farr & Gallagher continues to expand the Dallas office it opened a year ago, this time by hiring three veteran private equity dealmakers as partners, the firm announced Tuesday in a news release.
The move by the trio of transactional lawyers — Jesse Betts, Jessica Hammons and Nathan Meredith — bolsters Willkie’s corporate & financial services vertical and its PE, M&A and capital markets capabilities.
Betts and Hammons lateraled over from Akin, while Meredith was previously at A&O Shearman. Willkie
“The addition of Jesse, Jessica and Nathan further strengthens Willkie’s first in class transactional team in Dallas and continues the momentum of our Dallas office, which has welcomed several impressive lateral partners in recent months,” said Holt Foster, Managing Partner of Willkie’s Dallas office, in the release. “Many Willkie partners in Dallas, including myself, worked with Jesse, Jessica and Nathan previously and know them to be premier transactional practitioners who are trusted advisors to their clients. We are thrilled to be working with them again. They have deep market knowledge and extensive experience that will complement our strong M&A and private equity capabilities in Texas and across the Firm.”
Jesse Betts
Betts advises PE sponsors, management teams and high-net-worth individuals throughout the investment cycle. His experience includes M&A, JVs and securities. He was at Akin for more than four years as a partner and spent nearly 15 years at Thompson & Knight before that, with six years as a partner there.
Undergraduate: Kansas State University (BS, 2000)
Law School: University of Kansas (JD, 2006)
Jessica Hammons
Versed in corporate and securities transactions, Hammons focuses on upstream and midstream energy, manufacturing and financial services. She was at Akin for more than four years as a partner. Prior to that, she had been a partner at Thompson & Knight, where she worked for more than 18 years.
Undergraduate: Louisiana Tech University (BS, 2000)
Law School: Louisiana State University (JD, 2003)
Nathan Meredith
A transactional lawyer who specializes in M&A and PE investments, Meredith focuses on the purchase and divestiture of oil and gas companies and assets. He was a partner at A&O Shearman for more than five years and served as a partner at Thompson & Knight for two years prior to that.
Undergraduate: University of Oklahoma (BBA, 2006)
Law School: University of Michigan (JD, 2009)