Emily D. Johnson
Mark Stagliano
Latham & Watkins LLP has expanded its corporate and finance practice offerings with the addition of two Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz partners in New York.
Joining Latham as partners are Emily Johnson and Mark Stagliano, with Johnson joining the banking and private credit and capital markets practices, and Stagliano joining the mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice, the firm said Saturday.
"Emily and Mark are among a select group of highly experienced and incredibly talented practitioners, and we are delighted to welcome them to our firm," Rich Trobman, the firm's chair and managing partner, said in the statement.
Johnson and Stagliano are not the only Wachtell attorneys to join Latham in the last year.
In June, Latham announced Zachary S. Podolsky had joined its New York office as a partner in the mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice. He joined Wachtell in 2011 and was promoted to partner in 2020. In February 2025, John Sobolewski joined Latham to serve as its global chair of liability management. He had worked at Wachtell for 12 years.
In her practice, Johnson focuses on all financing aspects of complex corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and spinoffs, Latham said.
"Latham is well-known for excellence across financial products, industries, and jurisdictions, and I am delighted to join the firm and contribute to its long-term growth," Johnson said in the firm's statement.
Johnson was named a Law360 Capital Markets MVP in 2024 for her work leading financing for Diamondback Energy Inc.'s $26 billion acquisition of Endeavor Energy Resources LP. She also worked on Hewlett Packard Enterprise's $14 billion all-cash purchase of Juniper Networks, leading the financing structure.
Johnson had worked at Wachtell since 2010 when she joined as an associate, before becoming a partner in 2019, her LinkedIn profile shows. She earned her law degree from Duke University School of Law and her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Stagliano's practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, securities matters, and company representation work, including corporate governance, Latham said. His work includes domestic and cross-border acquisitions and divestitures, spinoffs, joint ventures, and initial public offerings.
"Latham is a transactional powerhouse that is exceptionally well positioned to capitalize on the increased activity in public M&A," Stagliano said in the statement.
Stagliano was named a Law360 Rising Star in 2025. He was part of the team that represented T-Mobile on its combination with Sprint, which valued the combined company at $146 billion and closed in 2020.
Stagliano led the Wachtell team representing T-Mobile in its large joint venture transactions with private equity shop EQT, which included a $950 million T-Mobile investment in fiber-to-the-home platform Lumos, and with KKR, which included a $4.9 billion T-Mobile investment in Metronet.
Alex Kelly, the global co-chair of Latham's mergers and acquisitions and private equity practice, said in the statement that Stagliano enhances the M&A practice and complements the firm's corporate ambitions in New York and globally.
"His impressive track record leading landmark transactions — including high-profile strategic combinations, corporate governance matters, and contested situations — bolsters our capabilities, and it is exactly the kind of integrated, cross-practice advice that sophisticated boards and management teams need in today's increasingly competitive market," Kelly said.
Stagliano had worked at Wachtell since 2011, when he joined as an associate, his LinkedIn profile shows. He became a partner in 2020.
Stagliano earned his law degree from Harvard Law School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
A Latham spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Feb 23
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