Global law firm Shearman & Sterling has elected Apostolos Gkoutzinis to the partnership in its London office.

A senior associate in Shearman & Sterling's European Corporate practice in London, Mr. Gkoutzinis has a particular focus on high-yield transactions and has served as lead lawyer on a variety of complex high-yield and other transactions. He led the firm’s capital markets team on behalf of Ardagh Glass Group S.A. and its subsidiaries in their €1.7 billion acquisition of Impress Coöperatieve U.A.

"Apostolos is highly regarded by the firm’s clients," said Rohan S. Weerasinghe, Shearman & Sterling's senior partner. "Now a partner, he will continue to be an integral part of our market-leading high yield practice in the UK, Europe and worldwide.”

Mr. Gkoutzinis joined Shearman & Sterling in 2005 after earning his LL.M. degree from Harvard University Law School, where he was a Fulbright Scholar. He also was a Banking Law Scholar at the University of London, where he earned a Ph.D. in Law in 2004 and an LL.M. in 2000. In 1997, Mr. Gkoutzinis received his B.A. from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, School of Law and Economics, graduating first in his class. He is a visiting lecturer of international capital markets law at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies at the University of London. He is the author of Internet Banking and the Law: Regulation, Financial Integration and Electronic Commerce, published by Cambridge University Press in 2006.

“Apostolos is an exceptional lawyer,” said Jacques McChesney, a capital markets partner and one of the leaders of the firm’s Corporate Group in London. “This is great news for Apostolos, our firm and our clients.”