February 24, 2026
New York, NY (February 24, 2026) — Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP today announced that corporate finance lawyers Christopher Forrester and Yian Huang have joined the Firm as partners, based in the Palo Alto office. Their additions further strengthen Willkie’s transactional practice and add increased capital markets and mergers and acquisitions capabilities to the Firm’s platform.
Willkie Chairman Matthew Feldman commented: “We have built a robust West Coast platform over the past several years that includes a comprehensive range of services for clients across core practice areas, and now includes expanded capital markets and M&A reach. We are excited about this latest step in our growth and are thrilled to welcome Chris and Yian to Willkie.”
Chris will serve as Co-Managing Partner of Willkie’s Palo Alto office, alongside Tiffany Lee. Chris has a broad corporate finance practice, with an emphasis on capital markets and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions transactions and corporate governance. Chris is also a regular commentator in the market, speaking frequently on matters of securities laws and Delaware corporate law, as well as a co-author on a treatise on fiduciary duties.
Yian represents companies, investment banks and sponsors in a broad range of corporate transactions, including securities offerings, ’34 Act reporting and compliance, venture capital, debt financing, mergers and acquisitions, and other corporate and commercial matters.
Chris and Yian join from the Silicon Valley Office of A&O Shearman (formerly Shearman & Sterling), where they have been practicing together for more than a decade.
“Chris and Yian are talented practitioners who bring comprehensive experience across the capital markets and transactional landscape and their addition will further support our growing West Coast platform,” said Tiffany Lee, Managing Partner of Willkie’s Palo Alto office.
Chris commented: “Willkie has grown substantially in recent years. It is a well-known destination across numerous practices and has made a significant investment in the expansion of transactional capabilities across the Firm. We are excited to be a part of that continued growth and look forward to working with our new colleagues to help clients navigate complex capital markets and transactional matters.”
Willkie’s Capital Markets Practice represents U.S. and foreign issuers and underwriters in a variety of capital-raising transactions, ranging from initial public offerings to offerings by seasoned public companies, and involving the issuances of high-yield, investment grade and convertible debt and common and preferred stock in the U.S. and foreign markets.
Willkie’s Mergers & Acquisitions Practice represents public and private buyers, sellers, special committees of boards of directors, debt and equity investors and financial advisors in some of the most significant and complex acquisition transactions. Our transactional teams advise on domestic and cross-border matters worldwide, with attorneys based in 16 key market centers across the United States, UK and Europe.
Willkie’s Palo Alto office represents a range of clients, including leading global technology companies and private equity sponsors, in complex M&A and technology transactions, other business combinations and complex litigation. Lawyers in the Palo Alto office are aligned with Willkie’s technology-focused corporate, M&A and private equity platforms, advising clients across the region and globally in capital markets, finance and intellectual property matters.
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Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP provides leading-edge legal solutions on complex, business critical issues spanning markets and industries. Our approximately 1,300 attorneys across 16 offices worldwide deliver innovative, pragmatic and sophisticated legal services across approximately 45 practice areas. Learn more at www.willkie.com.
