Law firm Seyfarth Shaw has hired A. Donald Lepore in its corporate department as a partner in New York. Lepore joins from RNK Capital, a private investment firm specialising in the environmental, clean technology and renewable energy sectors, where he served as general counsel for the past four years. At RNK Capital, Lepore oversaw a variety of complex transactions and investments and was also responsible for investment fund formation, regulation and compliance. His practice focuses on public and private mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and financing transactions, as well as private investment fund formation and regulation. Lepore’s move marks

New York Life Capital Partners, a private equity affiliate of New York Life Investments, has named senior managing principal Steven M. Benevento as chief investment officer. Currently, Benevento is involved in all of the firm’s investment activities, and will continue in that role while also assuming the responsibilities of chief investment officer. In this newly created position, Benevento will oversee the firm’s investment process, and will continue to report to Thomas Haubenstricker, chief executive officer. “For more than 20 years, NYLCAP has been committed to a ‘core partner’ strategy that creates a focused portfolio of key relationships with top-performing private

Mid-market private equity firm Palamon Capital Partners has appointed Michael Beetz as an associate principal.  Beetz, a German national, joins Palamon from Coller Capital where he was a senior associate in its London based investment team.  Prior to this he was an associate at UBS Investment Bank in its London office advising on buyouts, M&A and IPO transactions. Holger Kleingarn, partner at Palamon, says: “We are delighted to welcome Michael to the firm. His appointment reflects Palamon’s continuing commitment to developing our investment capability and he will join the team as we continue to strengthen our presence both in Germany

Macquarie Group has appointed James F. Frawley as a senior managing director and US head of mergers and acquisitions. Frawley will join Macquarie from FBR, where he served as head of mergers and acquisitions and head of FBR’s New York investment banking office. “I am delighted to welcome Jim to Macquarie,” says Rob Redmond, US head of Macquarie Capital, the firm’s corporate finance group. “Jim’s deep M&A expertise complement our already strong product offerings and will further help us to deliver holistic and customised solutions to our clients.” Prior to joining FBR, Frawley was the co-founder of Legacy Partners Group,

Law firm Loeb & Loeb has hired Allen Z. Sussman in its Los Angeles office as a partner in the capital markets and corporate practice groups. He was previously a partner in the corporate and securities practice at Reed Smith in Los Angeles. Sussman focuses his practice on corporate and securities transactions and counselling for clients ranging from newly formed start-up teams to mature public companies in a variety of industries, including healthcare, entertainment, technology and banking. He also represents private equity investors and activist shareholders in acquisition transactions and control contests. Loeb & Loeb chairman Michael D. Beck says:

iCON Infrastructure, an investment firm focused on investments in core infrastructure in Europe and North America, has hired four to its executive team. Daniel Hales has joined the iCON team as director of finance, with responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the financial and operational management of iCON and its associated funds. Prior to joining iCON, he spent four years with an FSA regulated investment firm as group financial controller and compliance officer.    Hales will manage a team that includes Anette Grindsted, who joins iCON with a background of performing project management roles in the public and private sectors,

Loeb & Loeb has hired Roger C. Peng as a partner in its Beijing, China, office. Peng was most recently a partner in the Beijing office of Paul Hastings, prior to which he served as managing partner of Hogan & Hartson’s (now Hogan Lovells) Beijing office.   Peng’s practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and complex commercial transactions, with a particular focus on transactions in telecommunications, internet, media, software, and other technology sectors. He represents investment funds and other clients in numerous private equity transactions, and both acquirers and targets/sellers in cross-border mergers and acquisitions.