Big moves at Latham & Watkins

Sami Al-Louzi                                               Bill Voge

Latham & Watkins announced that Bill Voge has been elected global chair and managing partner, effective January 1, 2015. Voge will succeed Robert M. Dell, Latham & Watkins’ long-time leader, who is retiring after 32 years with the firm, the last two decades as global chair and managing partner.  

Voge has an impressive track record in a variety of leadership positions spanning 20-plus years, including eight years on the executive committee from 1998-2002 and 2008-2012. He has also served as global chair of the Finance Department from 2007-2008 and global co-chair of the Project Finance Practice from 2004-2007 as well as leading a number of firm initiatives focused on global strategy and practice integration for markets outside the United States.

 Voge is also a strong advocate for pro bono service, with a particular focus on supporting the fight to end human trafficking. Voge co-leads the firm’s relationship with Not For Sale, an international non-profit organization whose mission is to abolish slavery, which involves a team of more than 100 lawyers and professional staff from the across firm's global offices.

In addition, the firm announced thatSami Al-Louzi has joined the firm as a partner in the Corporate Department. Al-Louzi’s practice focuses primarily on equity capital markets in Saudi Arabia and other markets in the Middle East and on cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Al-Louzi will be a member of the firm’s Riyadh and Dubai offices.

With more than 17 years of experience in the Middle East, Al-Louzi has earned a reputation as one of the leading capital markets practitioners in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere in the region. He has also advised on a number of high profile mergers and acquisitions and privatization matters in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE.

Al-Louzi represents a number of global and Middle East banks, investment banks, regional private equity firms and leading Saudi Arabian family businesses with extensive business interests. He has deep knowledge of the financial services, securities infrastructure, healthcare and telecommunications sectors in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Al-Louzi joins Latham & Watkins from Vinson & Elkins. He graduated from the University of Jordan in 1993 and received his LLM from King’s College in London in 1995.