McDermott Taps Weil Veteran Robert Rizzo to Lead Private Equity Group

Rizzo joins from Weil, Gotshal & Manges, bringing a practice that spans leveraged buyouts, complex carve-outs, and growth equity investments. His arrival coincides with a period of rapid expansion for McDermott, which has grown its New York footprint tenfold over the last decade. The firm recently established a dual-building campus in Midtown, anchored by One Vanderbilt and 343 Madison Avenue, positioning its operations at the heart of the global financial hub.

Ira Coleman, Chair of McDermott, highlighted Rizzo’s reputation for managing high-stakes relationships with top-tier funds as a key factor in the hiring decision. Harris Siskind, Global Head of the Transactions Practice Group, noted that Rizzo’s seniority allows the firm to offer clients a more integrated approach to M&A, financing, and regulatory strategy. For his part, Rizzo pointed to the firm’s collaborative culture and commercial deal acumen as the primary drivers for his transition, aiming to leverage the platform to compete for the most consequential deals in the United States and Europe.