The Legal 500

Within Corporate restructuring, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a third tier firm,

Driven out of New York, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s approximately 40-strong national restructuring practice provides a ‘very robust service’ to clients across a range of industry sectors. Keenly focused on the creditor side – particularly advising bondholders and creditors’ committees, where it is viewed as ‘one of the best in the market’ – the practice has handled a raft of high-visibility mandates. It is representing the official committee of unsecured creditors of Nortel and advising the creditors’ committee of WCI Communities in Chapter 11 proceedings. Praised for its willingness to ‘work well with other constituent groups’, the firm’s ability to co-ordinate and harmonize the interests of diverse creditor interests, as well as its ability to draw on the expertise of several complementary disciplines including tax and litigation is appreciated by clients. While the firm’s involvement for the official or ad-hoc committee in over 140 major restructurings since 1999 is clearly illustrative of its core strength, its bandwidth is wider than that, as demonstrated by its recent involvement for Hawaiian Airlines, and Scott Cable Communications in their respective restructurings. Another area of strength is the team’s expertise in the real estate secured lending market. Fred Hodara leads the practice and is spearheading the Nortel effort, a testament to his ability to deal with committees comprised of diverse creditor constituencies. Hodara has also been involved in restructurings relating to failed entities within the financial services industry, and is currently representing the liquidators of two Bear Stearns-managed subprime hedge funds. Daniel Golden heads the financial restructuring group in New York and is recognized for his bondholder and creditor committee prowess and, amongst other matters, recently led on the aforementioned WCI Communities mandate. The ‘very knowledgeable and experienced’ Michael Stamer, Stephen Kuhn and Abid Qureshi are also recommended.

Within Alternative/hedge funds, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a third tier firm,

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP fields a ‘well-respected team that leaves clients satisfied that they are in safe hands’, particularly when it comes to Steven Vine’s ‘extensive knowledge of hedge funds’. Vine heads a team of 15 investment fund partners that is predominantly centered on New York, and can also call on investment management expertise in the Los Angeles, Washington DC and Texas offices, as well as a broader global network where necessary. This gives the group capacity and capability to handle a high volume of transactions, which it does to winning effect, although the depth of expertise beyond partner level is sometimes questioned. The group attracts a broad array of prominent hedge fund sponsors, including Soros Fund Management, FRM, Oak Hill Investment Management, Carlyle and AIG.

Within International trade, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a second tier firm,

Clients praise the trade team at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP for its ‘high standard of work, the professionalism of its attorneys and success rate’. The firm has extensive experience in antidumping and countervailing duty litigation; customs law; export control and economic sanctions work; anti-boycott laws; WTO disputes and trade policy matters. Trade remedies, export control and sanctions work are particular areas of strength. The firm’s clients include Georgia Pacific, Samsung Electronics, Posco, Bridgestone Firestone North America, Fujitsu and Hansol Paper. Valerie Slater heads up the firm’s international trade group and is well regarded for her regulatory practice. Warren Connelly has a strong litigation practice with a focus on import and export-related matters. Stephen Kho is also recommended.

Within Supreme Court and appellate, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a third tier firm,

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s team remains in very capable hands under Patricia Millett – who has argued 28 US Supreme Court and 30 appellate courts – following Thomas Goldstein’s return to his former firm, Goldstein, Howe & Russell, P.C.. During the 2009 term, the firm presented oral arguments in three cases: Hamilton v Lanning; United States v Stevens; and Samantar v Yousuf. In appeals, the firm successfully represented United Technologies in a dispute with the US Department of Defense over the proposed publication of quality control documents.

Within M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m), Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a second tier firm,

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP’s strong presence in the private equity markets contributes to its experience in providing representation in hundreds of private M&A transactions in the US and globally. The firm’s M&A attorneys also work closely with their corporate finance and securities colleagues. In New York, Bruce Mendelsohn advised in connection with UK company Norimet’s and its Russian parent company MMC Norilsk Nickel’s $970m sale of its entire stake in Stillwater Mining Company. Dallas-based corporate partner Seth Molay acted in connection with long-standing client Bridas Corporation’s $7.059bn acquisition of joint venture partner BP’s stake in Pan American Energy, Argentina’s second-largest oil producer. In Washington DC, Sandra Hallmark assists numerous public companies in acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures involving strategic assets and represents public companies in the timber and paper products industry in the sale of timberlands, including transactions involving installment sales. In New York, Kerry Bercham co-heads the corporate practice. Bercham advises companies, including boards of directors, and financial services clients, including distressed, private equity and hedge funds, in M&A matters. She served as counsel to the official committee of unsecured creditors of a telecommunications company and subsequent representation of the company in connection with a $207m merger with a strategic buyer, and advised a special committee of the board of directors of a minerals company in connection with its $1bn merger with a strategic buyer.