A&O Shearman hires Stephenson Harwood secondaries team
1 source↑ Market-relevant
IN SHORT
A&O Shearman has hired partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix, along with their entire secondaries team from Stephenson Harwood, to bolster its private capital capabilities. The move, effective September 30, 2026, aims to establish A&O Shearman as a leader in the growing secondaries market.
Key Numbers
40+combined years of experience of Boghossian and de Ste Croix
200+partners at A&O Shearman working with private capital players
Who's Involved
Gabriel Boghossian
global co-head of secondaries at A&O Shearman
Sarah de Ste Croix
global co-head of secondaries at A&O Shearman
Peter Banks
global co-head of private equity at A&O Shearman
Denise Gibson
UK managing partner at A&O Shearman
↳ Why This Matters
The acquisition of a full secondaries team by A&O Shearman signals a strategic push to capture a larger share of the rapidly expanding private capital market, particularly in the lucrative secondaries space, potentially impacting deal flow and competition among law firms serving private equity clients.
Key facts
A&O Shearman hired partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix from Stephenson Harwood.
Boghossian and de Ste Croix will serve as global co-heads of secondaries at A&O Shearman.
The team's arrival is effective September 30, 2026.
The hires are intended to enhance A&O Shearman's private capital and private equity platform.
The team brings expertise in continuation vehicles, GP stakes, LP portfolios, and other liquidity solutions.
A&O Shearman has significantly expanded its private capital offerings with the recruitment of a full secondaries team from Stephenson Harwood, including partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix. The duo will co-lead the global secondaries practice, effective September 30, 2026.
This strategic move aims to position A&O Shearman at the forefront of the rapidly growing secondaries market, a key area for private capital. Boghossian and de Ste Croix bring over four decades of combined experience in transactions involving continuation vehicles, general partner stakes, limited partner portfolios, and other liquidity solutions. They previously led Stephenson Harwood's secondaries and private equity practices, respectively.
Peter Banks, global co-head of A&O Shearman’s private equity team, described the appointments as a "transformative step" for the firm's private equity and private capital platform. Denise Gibson, UK managing partner, highlighted that the firm listened to client demand for market-leading secondaries capability. Sarah de Ste Croix expressed excitement about building the "next generation of secondaries offering" with global reach, while Gabriel Boghossian called the move a "strategic bet on the growth of our market" that will provide "significantly more firepower and reach."
Frequently asked questions
Secondaries transactions involve the buying and selling of existing private equity fund stakes or portfolios, providing liquidity to investors and fund managers.
A Band 1 ranking, according to legal industry guides like Chambers and Partners, signifies the highest level of recognition and expertise in a particular legal practice area.
A continuation vehicle is a fund set up to acquire specific assets from an older private equity fund, allowing existing investors to exit while enabling the manager to continue holding and managing the asset.
What Happens Next
01Boghossian and de Ste Croix will officially join A&O Shearman on September 30, 2026.
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How It Developed
A&O Shearman hired partners Gabriel Boghossian and Sarah de Ste Croix as global co-heads of secondaries.
Boghossian and de Ste Croix brought their team from Stephenson Harwood to A&O Shearman.
The hires aim to expand A&O Shearman's private capital capabilities.
