The Blackstone Group has appointed John G. Finley as a senior managing director and chief legal officer, effective 1 September 2010.
Finley is currently a partner at the law firm of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, where he is head of the global mergers and acquisitions group.
In becoming Blackstone’s chief legal officer, Finley will be succeeding Robert L. Friedman, who will continue at Blackstone for a period of time before retiring from the firm. Finley will serve on Blackstone’s executive committee.
Stephen A. Schwarzman, Blackstone’s chairman and chief executive, says: “John is one of the most outstanding corporate lawyers of his generation and we are delighted that he has decided to join us at Blackstone. His depth of experience, his leadership skills and his reputation for creativity and superb judgment will be invaluable to us as our business continues to expand across both product lines and geographies.”
