White & Case Strengthens Private Equity Practice with the Appointment of Taurie Zeitzer

White & Case Strengthens Private Equity Practice with the Appointment of Taurie Zeitzer

Renowned private equity and M&A attorney Taurie Zeitzer has left Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison for White & Case, where she will co-lead the firm's global private equity industry group. Her expertise and connections with major players like Apollo and Searchlight Capital Partners are expected to boost White & Case's competitive edge.

Heather McDevitt, who succeeded veteran leader Hugh Verrier as White & Case chair last June, identified growth in the US and the global private equity industry group as top priorities for the firm.

“Taurie’s arrival is a significant move in the US legal market, and our ability to attract such outstanding talent reflects the strength of our firm,” she added.

Zeitzer joined Paul Weiss in 2015, transitioning from her role in the past as a partner at Kirkland & Ellis and Latham & Watkins. In 2021, she co-led the Paul Weiss team that represented Apollo in its $5 billion acquisition of Yahoo! and AOL from Verizon Communications. In the preceding year, Zeitzer provided counsel to the firm on several multibillion-dollar transactions, including the notable $8.1 billion acquisition of chemicals distributor Univar Solutions.

Zeitzer has also worked with a range of other clients, including Silver Lake Partners, BC Partners, Gamut Capital, and the photography company Shutterfly, which is owned by Apollo.

She emphasised that her decision to move was influenced by the extensive size and global presence of White & Case. The firm, boasting a team of 2,600 lawyers, operates in over 40 offices worldwide. This stands in contrast to Paul Weiss, which has approximately 1,000 lawyers spread across nine offices.

“I am thrilled to be working with the White & Case team. I look forward to supporting our clients with the firm’s global resources and being able to deliver a differentiated service to the market,” Zeitzer said.

Her joining marks the latest in a series of lateral partner moves within White & Case's global M&A team over the past year. Notably, the firm successfully recruited Kimberly Petillo-Décossard, who was previously the co-head of Cahill Gordon & Reindel’s M&A group, in addition to Ross Sturman and Hayden Baker, both from Troutman Pepper, in New York.