Service providers

Christian Brothers Investment Services has hired John W. Geissinger as its new chief investment officer. Previously, Geissinger worked at Hewitt EnnisKnupp, where he served as a partner. Headquartered in New York City, CBIS is an investment firm that focuses on Catholic institutions.

Debevoise & Plimpton has appointed Andrew C. Goldberg and W. David Sarratt to the firm as counsel as members of the private equity funds and investment management groups, and the litigation department, respectively. They will be based in the New York office. Goldberg most recently was of counsel in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s investment funds practice group. Sarratt served as an assistant U.S. attorney for the eastern district of New York in the criminal division from 2010 to 2014.

Placement agent Eaton Partners has formed a secondary advisory group with the addition of three senior professionals, Michael Pilson, Alexander Mejia and Kevin Imhoff. Pilson, Mejia and Imhoff previously ran the secondary advisory business at Atlantic-Pacific Capital, where they advised clients on secondary market transactions.

Global private placement agent and investment firm FIRSTavenue has hired Martin Donnelly as a partner. Prior to joining the firm, Donnelly worked at The Blackstone Group, where he served as managing director of the hedge funds solutions group. Also, FIRSTavenue has opened a new office in Sydney, Australia.

Rezwan Pavri has joined Goodwin Procter as a partner in the Technology Companies Practice in the firm’s Silicon Valley office. Pavri, formerly a partner at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, has experience working with tech companies and has represented major investment banks, venture capital and private equity firms. At Goodwin, Pavri will focus on corporate and securities law, including public offerings, M&A, venture capital financings and general corporate representation.

Investec Specialist Bank has expanded its growth and acquisition finance team with the appointment of Helen Lucas. Reporting to Ed Cottrell, head of the growth and acquisition finance team, Lucas will originate and execute transactions on behalf of growth businesses and entrepreneurial management teams. Lucas joined Investec from Barclays where she worked since 2007, most recently as a vice president in the debt finance origination team.

Ipes has appointed Chris Merry as chief executive officer. Merry most recently served as CEO of RSM Tenon. Ipes is a European provider of fund administration and outsourcing services to the private equity industry.

Law firm Jones Day has hired Louis Mercedes as a partner in its private equity practice. Prior to joining the firm, Mercedes, who is based in Boston, was a partner at Edwards Wildman Palmer.

Financial services investment bank KBW has named Halle Benett as co-head of diversified financials investment banking. Previously, he worked at Ares Management, where he served as senior adviser. KBW is a subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp.

Investment bank Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services has hired Mark Green as head of technology investment banking and managing director. Green, who will be based in the firm’s New York office, is the founder of Green Capital Group.

Corporate law firm Lowenstein Sandler has named Christopher Henry to its private equity and M&A practices. Previously, Henry worked at Ropes & Gray, where he served as a partner.

Monument Group, an alternative investment fund placement agent, is expanding in Asia with the opening of offices in Hong Kong and Tokyo. Bob Mast leads Monument Group’s efforts in Asia, while also retaining some responsibilities at the firm’s headquarters in Boston.

Stephen Walters has joined the law firm Morgan Lewis as a partner in the business and finance practice, in London. Walters’s practice focuses on public and private mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, private equity and other equity financing transactions, corporate governance and general corporate advisory matters, as well as financial services work.

Neuberger Berman has hired former NEPC chief investment officer Erik Knutzen as CIO. In the new role, Knutzen will drive asset allocation process on a firm-wide level and create client content for strategic partnerships and multi-asset class solutions, while also working on portfolio management on a number of mandates.

Jason Allison has joined Walkers’ Cayman Islands office as a partner in the global investment funds group. Allison advises on Cayman Islands corporate and investment funds law, with particular expertise advising institutional clients on all aspects of structuring and establishment of private equity funds and hedge funds, and the related downstream M&A and corporate finance issues.