Aarthy Thamodaran ’05 is an Associate in the Capital Markets practice group at Simpson Thacher and Bartlett LLP in Washington D.C. As a Capital Markets attorney, she advises companies and banks on complex transactions like initial public offerings and bond offerings.

Learn more about Aarthy Thamodaran ’05

Extracurricular Activities/Athletics at Norfolk Academy:

• Varsity Tennis Co-Captain
• Co-Editor-in-Chief of Rings, Strings, and Other Things

College Graduation Year/Major or concentration:

• Yale University, 2009, Ethics, Politics & Economics, Distinction in Major
• Georgetown University Law Center, 2012, magna cum laude
• University of Chicago Booth School of Business, 2020

Extracurricular Activities/Athletics in College:

• At Yale: Executive Board of the Yale Women’s Leadership Initiative, Student Liaison for the Yale World Fellows Program
• At Georgetown Law: Managing Editor of the Georgetown Journal of Law and Public Policy
• At Booth: Co-Chair of DStAR (Dean's Student & Alumni Representatives)

Awards/Honors in college or in your professional life:

• Member of Order of the Coif
• Received CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Corporate Governance
• Published three times in legal journals
• Stephen I. Glover & Aarthy S. Thamodaran, Debating the Pros and Cons of Dual Class Capital Structures, INSIGHTS: THE CORPORATE & SECURITIES LAW ADVISOR, Vol. 27, No. 3 (March 2013)
• Stephen I. Glover, Adam J. DiVincenzo & Aarthy S. Thamodaran, Allocating Antitrust Risk in Merger Agreements, INSIGHTS: THE CORPORATE & SECURITIES LAW ADVISOR, Vol. 27, No. 10 (October 2013)
• John M. Scheib & Aarthy S. Thamodaran, Life in the Fast Lane: Expediting Rate Cases While Preserving the Sound Economic Principles of the Surface Transportation Board’s Rate Regulatory Regime, TRANSPORTATION LAW JOURNAL, Vol. 44, Issue 1 (Spring 2017)

Tell us where you work, your job title, and a brief summary or description of your organization or company:

• Associate in Capital Markets practice group at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP in Washington, DC
• Simpson Thacher is consistently ranked as one of the most prestigious law firms

Describe a bit more about your role:

• As a Capital Markets attorney, I advise companies or banks on complex transactions like initial public offerings and bond offerings
• Since IPOs and bond offerings are critical ways for companies to finance their growth and expansion, being a Capital Markets lawyer allows me to be a part of the broader economy and actively contribute to its health and strength
• Being a Capital Markets attorney also requires a thorough understanding of securities regulation, financial markets as well as corporate strategy and accounting, so my JD and MBA are both put to good use on a daily basis
• It is cool to flip open The Wall Street Journal and read about a deal on which I worked

What do you look forward to the most in your profession?

• Capital markets transactions are highly collaborative, and I love the teamwork
• I get to work with many smart people from diverse industries, including private equity and Wall Street
• Working with the best always brings out the best in me

What do you like to do in your own time/when you’re not working?

• Travel
• Reading
• Pure barre

How did your experience at Academy prepare you for what you are doing today? 

• As a lawyer, communication is key to success, and the Senior Speech program gave me the building blocks for strong written and oral communication skills
• When I presented before the Board of Directors for a Fortune 500 company, I drew on my experience during the Senior Speech program to create my presentation, deliver my presentation, and remain confident in my abilities and grateful for the opportunity throughout

Any favorite memories or teachers that had a big impact on you?

• I was so fortunate to be a student in Ms. Hollowell's English/Creative Writing classes in 6th grade, 9th grade, and 12th grade and to work closely with her on a novella published in The Virginian Pilot and on Rings, Strings, and Other Things. Her commitment to and belief in her students was unwavering. She recognized and valued the individual spark in each of her students, and actively nurtured that spark. She helped her students find their individual voices, not only in writing essays and poems, but in life. Apart from my parents, she has been one of my biggest cheerleaders throughout the years.
• The enthusiasm and energy Ms. Mays brought to teaching Latin made a dead language feel truly alive. Her mnemonic devices are still the reason why I know my Latin verb declension tables to this day. I took Latin for six years because I was and remain fascinated by languages and ancient Rome. Reading The Aeneid in Latin is still one of my proudest achievements. O, S, T, mus, tis, nt – and, I could go on 😊

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?

• Roger Federer

The Norfolk Academy Development office is highlighting alumni in the professional world. Know anyone to profile? Contact Development Associate Morgan Wentz '16, mwentz@norfolkacademy.org.