Morgan Lewis—Paul Johnson & Dasha Sobornova

Adding practice depth and breadth in its London office, Morgan Lewis has welcomed antitrust and competition lawyer Paul Johnson from Baker McKenzie and structured finance lawyer Dasha Sobornova from Akin Gump. 

Paul Johnson has been practicing EU and UK competition law in London and Brussels for almost two decades. Paul works with clients to solve their competition law issues in the EU, UK and around the world. He has deep experience in all areas of EU and UK competition law, as well as multi-jurisdictional merger control and foreign investment review. Paul has experience in various industries, with a particular focus on life sciences and technology.  

Dasha Sobornova(pictured) works on a variety of CLO investments, including advising fund managers in structuring and documenting novel fund finance arrangements. She also advises on residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), derivative, and credit fund transactions. Her practice extends to restructurings of pre-crisis RMBS transactions as well as advising corporate services providers in relation to the replacement of downgraded agent banks and defaulted hedge providers. Beyond her deep transactional knowledge, Dasha serves as a regulatory advisor in the context of all types of securitisation structures, which is informed by her extensive knowledge of both the EU and UK Securitisation Regulations.

'With stabilizing interest rates driving increased deal flow in an environment of heightened regulatory scrutiny, London continues to be a key global regulatory, financial, and enforcement hub,' said firm chair Jami McKeon. 'Paul and Dasha’s extensive knowledge of EU and UK regulations, coupled with their deep understanding of financial and industry dynamics, will bring immediate benefit to our clients as they navigate this evolving landscape while seeking to capitalize on opportunities that advance their business interests.'

'It’s an exciting time to be welcoming new team members in London as we deepen our bench across practices with talented lawyers whose skills and perspectives complement existing capabilities while strengthening our ability to deliver exceptional service to our clients,' said London office managing partner Nick Bolter. 'Paul and Dasha’s command in their respective disciplines, grounded in their collegial and collaborative approach, will be a welcome addition to serve our clients in London, Europe, and around the world.'