Oscar Glyn
March 4, 2026
New York's Cohen & Gresser Builds in London with Latham PE Partner
2 min
AI-made summary
- • Olga Ponomarenko, a private equity partner at Latham & Watkins, is joining Cohen & Gresser as the firm expands its London office. • Corporate associate Irina Bratishkina is also joining Cohen & Gresser from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, increasing the London office's lawyer count to 10. • Cohen & Gresser, traditionally focused on New York white collar and disputes work, is shifting its U.K
- focus toward corporate offerings. • Latham & Watkins has seen several London partner departures this year but has hired 18 partners globally and is opening a Dallas office. • The former managing partner of Cohen & Gresser's London office, Jeffery Bronnheim, is under Solicitors Regulation Authority investigation for sexual misconduct.
Latham & Watkins private equity partner Olga Ponomarenko is moving to Cohen & Gresser, as the New York boutique builds out its London offering. Ponomarenko made partner at Latham in 2018 according to LinkedIn and has a practice spanning representing private equity sponsors and sovereign wealth funds. Corporate associate Irina Bratishkina is also joining the firm from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, which brings the total number of lawyers in the Cohen & Gresser Mayfair-based office to 10, compared with five in September. The moves mark a change for the firm, which has been largely focused on New York white collar and disputes work until now. Founded in New York in 2002, the firm has represented high-profile white collar defendants, including Ghislaine Maxwell and Sam Bankman-Fried. In September, Law.com reported that Cohen & Gresser was shifting its U.K. focus to a more corporate offering following a series of white-collar departures from the firm. Managing partner of the London office Daniel Mathias, said: “Their [Ponomarenko and Bratishkina] addition reflects our continued growth trajectory and enhances our ability to support clients navigating multi-jurisdictional deals and evolving regulatory environments.” A spokesperson for Latham & Watkins said: “We thank Olga for her contributions to the firm and wish her all the best in her next endeavour.” Cleary declined to comment. Latham has experienced a number of London partner departures so far this year, including the firm’s former global co-chair of real estate, Jeremy Trinder and litigation and arbitration duo Sophie Lamb KC and Samuel Pape. Despite this, the firm has hired 18 partners globally since the beginning of the year and is also opening an office in Dallas. Law.com revealed in November that the ex-managing partner of the Cohen & Gresser London office, Jeffery Bronnheim, has been at the centre of a Solicitors Regulation Authority investigation into sexual misconduct. He remains on the firm website as of counsel. Larry Gresser, managing partner of the firm, has been one of the most vocal market voices about taking private equity investment. In November, the firm made headlines as Gresser noted that it had been positioning itself to explore “innovative structures” for the modern financial services market.
Article Author
Oscar Glyn
The Sponsor