410 attorneys. Five offices. One client constituency.
Engage Our PracticeHarrow Vance LLP was founded in 1998 by Miriam Okonkwo-Hale and Michael Vance on a single premise: a law firm calibrated entirely to the mechanics of sponsor-backed deals outperforms a generalist corporate practice serving sponsors as one client among many.
Over 27 years the firm has grown from a New York-adjacent boutique into a 410-attorney platform spanning Boston, New York, San Francisco, Chicago, and London. Each office opened in response to a specific client relocation or fund expansion, not a general market entry.
Attorneys are organized around deal lifecycle rather than industry sector: fund formation and LP-side counsel, acquisition finance, management equity arrangements, and post-closing governance. Under Chair and Managing Partner Priya Ramaswamy, the firm has declined to build litigation, bankruptcy, or plaintiff-side capabilities that would dilute its sponsor-side identity.
A substantial share of annual billings derive from funds retained across multiple vintages, a repeat-relationship structure the firm's leadership credits for sustained growth without sector diversification.
Year Founded
Attorneys Firmwide
Offices Worldwide
Years of Sponsor-Side Practice
Deal structuring and execution support across the full LBO lifecycle, from initial bid through closing mechanics.
Formation counsel for sponsor-side fund vehicles, covering governing documents, closing logistics, and regulatory filings.
Transactional support for portfolio company add-ons, structured to integrate cleanly with existing credit arrangements.
Drafting and negotiation of management equity plans, rollover arrangements, and incentive structures tied to exit outcomes.
Negotiation of senior and subordinated credit agreements supporting sponsor acquisitions and recapitalizations.
Ongoing governance counsel for sponsor-controlled boards, including fiduciary matters and shareholder agreement administration.
Structuring counsel for corporate carve-outs and divestitures, including transition services and separation mechanics.
Execution of recapitalization transactions, including dividend recaps structured around existing credit facilities.
Sell-side counsel for sponsor exits, including auction process management and representation and warranty negotiation.
London-based support for add-on acquisitions and structuring as U.S. sponsors expand into European markets.
Negotiation of co-investment rights and side letters on behalf of institutional limited partners.
Clearance counsel covering HSR filings and sector-specific regulatory approval for sponsor transactions.
Chair & Managing Partner
Senior Partner, Private Equity & M&A
Partner-in-Charge, New York Office
Chief Operating Officer
General Counsel
Head of Finance & Capital Markets
Partner-in-Charge, San Francisco Office
Director of Professional Development
650 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210
+1 (617) 555-0198
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