Winston & Strawn LLP today announced that Susan Alker has joined the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner in the corporate practice. Ms. Alker practiced for 10 years at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles and after that at Reed Smith. Her practice focuses on representing major banks, financial institutions, private equity and hedge funds in corporate transactions. The move reunites her with several former O’Melveny & Myers attorneys who have joined Winston & Strawn to form a corporate practice in Los Angeles.

“Susan is a seasoned and talented corporate finance attorney, and we are fortunate to have her join us,” said Eric Sagerman, Los Angeles managing partner. “With Susan’s move, we have augmented a well rounded corporate bench in Los Angeles with capacity to handle complex mergers and acquisitions, structured finance and securitizations, and corporate lending transactions.”

Ms. Alker frequently advises clients in connection with syndicated credit facilities, leveraged acquisition financings, cross border loans, asset-based loans, investment-grade credit facilities, debtor-in-possession credit facilities, and real estate financings. She also has significant experience in subordinated debt transactions, mezzanine debt and second-lien loans.

Reuters Loan Pricing Corporation’s syndicated lending league tables illustrate the depth and scope of Winston & Strawn’s corporate lending practice. The syndicated lending transactions closed by Winston & Strawn in 2011 ranked in the top 15 in several major categories in the LPC league tables by number and volume of deals closed.

“Winston has a strong reputation as a global law firm and I have been impressed by the strength and capabilities of the corporate practice,” said Ms. Alker. “The move to Winston was particularly attractive to me given the quality of the corporate attorneys already present in the firm’s Los Angeles office whom I have known for some time and respect.”

Ms. Alker frequently writes and speaks about topics of interest to financial institutions. She is the resident blogger at the Lending Law Report, a blog about corporate financial transactions, and is the author of the book, Corporate Credit – A CFO’s Guide to Bank Debt and Loan Agreements (2010). She holds a B.A., Ambassador University, M.B.A., California State University – Los Angeles and J.D., University of California, Los Angeles.

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