The American Lawyer profiled leading private funds lawyer Nathaniel Marrs upon his move to Willkie, and highlighted the growth of the Chicago office as a market leader. Nat joined as a partner in the Asset Management Department and brings over 25 years of fund formation experience.

The profile noted that Nat’s addition further enhances Willkie’s transactional capabilities in Chicago – the office has grown into a multidisciplinary team of approximately 90 lawyers since launching in 2020  – and complements the firm’s global private equity, investment funds and asset management practices.

Nat, the fifth partner to join Willkie’s Private Funds practice in the past two years, is a recognized leader in the field, with a particular focus on private funds investing in the real estate, infrastructure and energy sectors. He told The American Lawyer that Willkie is an optimal fit for his practice, allowing him to join one of the industry’s preeminent asset management teams while also contributing to the continued growth of the Chicago office.

“To join a top, historically strong New York firm, for me, was very important. [Chicago] doesn’t have a ton of firms like that, and the ones it does have are not necessarily as strong in my area,” Nat said.

The article noted that Nat is the fourth partner to join Willkie Chicago since 2023, advancing the firm’s strategy to complement the office’s prominent litigation practices and private wealth group with high-end transactional offerings. Approximately one-third of the lawyers in the Chicago office are now dedicated to transactional work, including private equity, mergers and acquisitions, asset management finance and restructuring.

Craig C. Martin, Chairman, Midwest, said that Nat’s arrival reflected the firm’s focus on adding top talent across its platform, including the transactional practices that are among its historic strengths.

“We view our growth in transactional work as being consistent with Willkie’s global and national platform, such that Willkie is incredibly strong in private equity, M&A, asset management, restructuring and real estate, and so forth, and when we have an opportunity to add A-plus practitioners in those areas, we’ll do it,” Craig said.

To read The American Lawyer article in full, click here (subscription may be required).

To read the press release on Nathaniel Marrs’s move to Willkie, click here.