Financial services sector receives reinforcement as Dechert brings on two new employees to strengthen its practice.
Dechert, a leading global law firm, has announced the addition of two new partners to its financial services practice. Arina Lekhel and Megha Kalbag, both seasoned professionals with extensive experience in derivatives, private funds, and rated notes transactions, will be based in New York.
Arina Lekhel Brings Decades of Private Fund Experience
Arina Lekhel, with over 26 years of experience, joins Dechert with a wealth of knowledge in the formation and management of various asset-backed private funds, credit funds, private equity funds, rated funds, CLO equity funds, and both closed- and open-end funds. Her practice centres on advising fund sponsors through fund formation and ongoing investment operations and compliance. Lekhel has worked extensively with CLO equity funds, credit funds, hybrid and evergreen funds, secondary transactions, and structuring vehicles such as joint ventures and seeding transactions.
Megha Kalbag Bolsters Derivatives and Rated Notes Knowledge
Megha Kalbag, with over 10 years of experience at Milbank and Clifford Chance, joins Lekhel to enhance Dechert’s knowledge base and service offerings related to derivatives, private funds, and rated notes transactions. Kalbag's practice focuses on securities and commodities regulation, derivatives, and structured products transactions. Her client base includes fintech companies, dealers, asset managers, and she guides them on regulatory matters, registering trading platforms, and derivative product-related guidance.
A Strategic Milestone for Dechert
The co-chairs of Dechert's financial services group have emphasized that Lekhel and Kalbag’s expertise is crucial in expanding the firm’s service offerings worldwide and providing innovative, tailored solutions, particularly in the asset management space involving private credit, CLOs, and derivatives. The addition of Lekhel and Kalbag is expected to greatly enhance Dechert's ability to expand its service offerings to financial institutions and asset managers worldwide.
In summary, Lekhel and Kalbag have expanded Dechert’s financial services practice by strengthening private funds capabilities, enhancing expertise in rated notes and CLO equity funds transactions, deepening proficiency in the structuring, formation, and compliance aspects of various fund types, and bolstering the firm's capacity to advise on derivatives transactions within financial services. Their addition marks a significant strategic milestone for Dechert as these areas grow and innovate rapidly.
[1] Dechert Press Release, July 22, 2025. [2] Law360, July 23, 2025. [3] The American Lawyer, July 24, 2025. [4] Financial News, July 25, 2025.
- Arina Lekhel's extensive experience in private funds, credit funds, and CLO equity funds will contribute to transactional practices in personal-finance and business, specifically in the field of investment and asset management at Dechert.
- With her expertise in derivatives and structured products transactions, Megha Kalbag will bolster technology-driven finance services, especially in compliance and regulatory matters for fintech companies and asset managers at Dechert.
- The strategic alliance between Dechert and the seasoned professionals, Arina Lekhel and Megha Kalbag, will enable the firm to expand its service offerings in areas like private credit, CLOs, and derivatives, leveraging technology and providing innovative solutions in finance and investing globally.
