Sidley Austin: Poaches Hogan Lovells Cadwalader Fund Finance Team

• Sidley Austin has poached an 11-lawyer fund finance team from Hogan Lovells Cadwalader.
• The group is led by partners Brian Foster and Patrick Calves, who are bringing their team to Sidley's global finance practice.
• This lateral move highlights the challenges of integrating teams from merged firms and raises questions about client relationships and potential conflicts of interest.

The loss of a high-profile team to Sidley Austin could be a blow to the newly merged firm, and highlights the need for effective integration strategies in law firm mergers.

In a significant move, Sidley Austin has poached an 11-lawyer fund finance team from the newly merged Hogan Lovells Cadwalader firm. The group is led by partners Brian Foster and Patrick Calves, who are bringing their team to Sidley's global finance practice. This lateral move is notable for its scale, with an entire team of 11 lawyers joining the firm in a single transaction. According to reports, the team will be able to plug into Sidley's existing operations on day one, rather than spending months building up a new practice.

The merger between Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader was announced in December 2025, with partner approval in April 2026, and the combined firm, Hogan Lovells Cadwalader, officially began operations on July 1, 2026. This move highlights the challenges of integrating teams from merged firms, as well as the competitive landscape in the legal industry. The poaching of an entire team also raises questions about client relationships and potential conflicts of interest. Lawyers should be aware of these issues when dealing with clients who have existing relationships with the poached team or the merged firms.

The implications of this move go beyond just the numbers involved. The loss of a high-profile team to Sidley Austin could be a blow to the newly merged firm, and highlights the need for effective integration strategies in law firm mergers. Additionally, lawyers should be mindful of potential client conflicts and compliance exposure when dealing with clients who have existing relationships with the poached team or the merged firms. This move serves as a reminder of the importance of careful planning and due diligence in law firm lateral moves.

Lawyers should watch for potential client conflicts and compliance exposure as a result of this high-profile lateral move, particularly in cases where their clients have existing relationships with the poached team or the merged firms.

Source: Original reporting via Bloomberg