Gibson Dunn Expands Finance Capabilities with Key Partner Hire: Andrew Hogan Joins New York Office

NEW YORK — September 22, 2026 — Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, a global leader in legal services, announced today the significant expansion of its Finance and Investment Funds Practice Groups with the addition of Andrew (Andy) Hogan as a partner in the firm’s New York office. Hogan, a veteran attorney with a focus on high-stakes fund-level and fund-adjacent financing, joins the firm as it continues to aggressively scale its presence in the rapidly evolving fund finance and structured capital sectors.

The move marks a strategic milestone for Gibson Dunn, signaling the firm’s commitment to capturing a larger share of the complex, bespoke financing market. Hogan’s arrival follows the firm’s successful 2025 recruitment of Duncan McKay, who currently serves as the Head of Fund Finance. Together, these appointments position Gibson Dunn to offer an integrated, multi-disciplinary approach to asset managers and fund sponsors navigating an increasingly volatile global financial landscape.

The Strategic Shift: Merging Fund Finance with Structured Capital

The modern investment landscape has undergone a paradigm shift. Traditional subscription lines, once the bedrock of fund finance, are now being supplemented by a diverse array of liquidity solutions. Today’s sponsors are increasingly turning to Net Asset Value (NAV) facilities, hybrid financing structures, and complex securitization techniques to manage capital calls, enhance internal rates of return, and provide liquidity to limited partners.

Hogan’s practice sits at the epicenter of this evolution. His expertise covers the entire spectrum of modern fund finance, including:

• Subscription Facilities: Streamlining capital calls and bridge financing for private equity funds.
• NAV and Hybrid Facilities: Leveraging portfolio assets to unlock liquidity at various stages of a fund’s life cycle.
• Structured Finance and Securitization: Deploying advanced capital market techniques, including collateralized fund obligations (CFOs) and rated note transactions, to optimize balance sheets.

By integrating these capabilities, Gibson Dunn is positioning itself not merely as a legal advisor, but as a strategic architect for investment platforms that require a sophisticated blend of tax, regulatory, and credit-focused legal guidance.

A Timeline of Growth: Building the Platform

Gibson Dunn’s expansion into the fund finance space has been deliberate and focused. The following chronology outlines the firm’s recent trajectory in scaling this critical practice:

• Early 2025: Gibson Dunn recognizes the growing demand for bespoke financing solutions among its private equity and credit-focused clients. The firm initiates a search for top-tier talent to lead a dedicated fund finance expansion.
• Mid-2025: Duncan McKay is appointed as Head of Fund Finance. His arrival serves as a catalyst, signaling to the market that Gibson Dunn is prioritizing this practice area. McKay begins building a cross-disciplinary team that leverages the firm’s existing strengths in private credit and capital markets.
• Q1–Q2 2026: The firm records a significant uptick in complex, cross-border financing mandates. The need for a practitioner with deep experience in both traditional fund finance and structured capital becomes evident.
• September 22, 2026: Andrew Hogan joins the firm as a partner, further cementing the team’s capabilities. His arrival is viewed as the "next phase" of the firm’s growth strategy, allowing it to compete for mandates that were previously dominated by a handful of specialized boutique firms.

Supporting Data and Market Trends

The appointment of Hogan comes at a time when the "denominator effect"—the phenomenon where private equity allocations rise as public market valuations fall—is forcing fund managers to get creative with liquidity.

Industry data suggests that the global fund finance market has seen a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 10% over the last five years. More importantly, the nature of these transactions is shifting. According to recent market analysis:

• NAV-Based Lending: Demand for NAV facilities has increased by approximately 25% year-over-year as sponsors seek to extend hold periods for portfolio companies without exiting early.
• Structured Solutions: There is a growing trend toward "rated notes," which allow institutional investors (such as insurance companies) to invest in private credit funds while meeting specific regulatory and risk-capital requirements.
• Cross-Disciplinary Integration: Modern fund finance deals now frequently require simultaneous input from tax (to handle cross-border withholding), regulatory (to manage investment company act considerations), and insurance law (to facilitate institutional participation).

Gibson Dunn’s structure is uniquely suited to this trend. By embedding its finance team within a firm that already boasts "Tier 1" rankings in Tax, Financial Regulatory, and Private Credit, the firm can provide a "one-stop-shop" experience that reduces friction for the client.

Perspectives from Leadership

Duncan McKay, Head of Fund Finance at Gibson Dunn, emphasized the strategic necessity of Hogan’s hire in a statement released today.

"Andy is an outstanding addition to our busy and rapidly scaling fund finance and structured capital platform," McKay stated. "He has deep experience advising sponsors on their most complex and bespoke fund financings, together with sophisticated structured finance and securitization capabilities. As the market increasingly demands solutions that cut across traditional fund finance and structured finance products, Andy adds significant depth to our ability to structure and execute innovative financings for sponsors throughout the life cycle of their funds and investment platforms."

Hogan echoed this sentiment, highlighting the firm’s unique culture and its ability to bridge the gap between distinct financial disciplines.

"I was drawn to Gibson Dunn by its world-class, full-service platform and deep client relationships," Hogan said. "Fund finance is evolving rapidly, with traditional product categories increasingly converging with structured finance and securitization. Gibson Dunn’s elite and global platform creates a tremendous opportunity to bring those capabilities together and develop sophisticated, innovative financing solutions tailored to our clients’ needs."

Implications: What This Means for the Market

The addition of Andrew Hogan has several immediate implications for the broader legal and financial markets:

1. Enhanced Competition for Elite Mandates

Gibson Dunn is now positioned to compete directly for the largest and most complex financing mandates currently handled by a small circle of elite firms. This increased competition will likely drive further innovation in how fund-level debt is structured, potentially lowering costs for sponsors and creating new liquidity avenues for investors.

2. A Shift Toward "Full-Life-Cycle" Legal Support

By emphasizing the "life cycle" approach—advising from the initial term sheet through to potential refinancing and exit—Gibson Dunn is signaling that it intends to be a long-term partner to its clients. This is a departure from the traditional model, where firms were often brought in for isolated transactions rather than ongoing portfolio management.

3. Institutionalizing the "Hybrid" Approach

Hogan’s expertise in collateralized fund obligations (CFOs) and rated note transactions suggests that Gibson Dunn will focus heavily on bridging the gap between private equity sponsors and the insurance/asset management sector. As insurance companies continue to allocate more capital to private markets, the ability to "package" private credit assets into rated instruments will become a core competency for top-tier law firms.

4. Talent War in New York

The legal market in New York remains hyper-competitive. By successfully recruiting a partner of Hogan’s caliber, Gibson Dunn reinforces its reputation as a "destination firm" for top talent. This move may prompt other major firms to reassess their own fund finance bench strength, potentially sparking a new round of lateral partner moves across the city.

Conclusion: Looking Ahead

As the global financial system continues to navigate high interest rates, geopolitical uncertainty, and the maturation of the private credit asset class, the role of legal counsel in finance has never been more critical. Andrew Hogan’s arrival at Gibson Dunn is not just a personnel announcement; it is a declaration of intent.

By merging the rigorous, process-driven world of structured finance with the dynamic, relationship-based world of private fund investment, Gibson Dunn is setting a new standard for what a modern finance practice looks like. With the combined leadership of McKay and Hogan, the firm is well-equipped to guide the world’s most sophisticated asset managers through the complexities of the next decade, ensuring that their capital is deployed efficiently, legally, and strategically.

As Hogan begins his tenure at the firm’s New York office, industry observers will be watching closely to see how this expanded team influences the next generation of fund-level financing instruments. For Gibson Dunn, the goal is clear: to remain at the forefront of the market, turning the complexity of modern finance into a competitive advantage for their clients.