The Legal 500

The firm: Established in New York in 1792 ,Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, a premier international law firm, offers clients innovative solutions to legal and financial issues. With strategically placed locations, the firm is superbly positioned to offer top-flight legal services to clients all over the world.

Types of work undertaken: Capital markets: with unparalleled experience in fixed income securities, structured finance, synthetic and hybrid products, whole loans, and derivatives, this group is frequently called upon by financial institutions to help them develop new products and structures; to coordinate complex international transactions involving cross-border structures; and with the recent dislocations in markets worldwide, to advise on related opportunities, challenges and issues.

Corporate/M&A: representing issuers, underwriters and purchasers in the public and private capital markets, the firm’s M&A and securities group participates in the full range of securities transactions, (initial public offerings, exchange and secondary offerings, private placements and work-outs of senior and subordinated debt, convertible debt and equity securities, venture capital and start-up financing, and commercial paper) and also represent leading companies in complex mergers, acquisitions, recapitalisations and spin-offs. Cadwalader’s private equity group provides insight to financial sponsors that focus on leveraged buyouts, structured equity, mezzanine, real estate, venture capital and growth capital investments, and investments in other private equity funds. The finance group addresses all areas of debt finance, including secured and unsecured commercial lending, mortgage banking, and equipment finance matters, as well as all manners of real estate investment. The energy and commodities group has wide-ranging experience in all forms of transactions involving power, oil and gas, biofuels, renewable energy, agriculture and derivatives.

Financial restructuring: possessing significant cross-border expertise, this group represents debtors, secured and unsecured lenders, bondholders, creditors’ committees, borrowers, asset purchasers, and other entities involved in financial restructuring transactions or reorganisation cases.

Financial services: this group integrates broad expertise in fund formation, regulation, compliance, and investment products and services with experience in virtually all of the US and UK financial-law related statutory and regulatory requirements. ERISA attorneys work with asset managers and financial institutions regarding the application of the fiduciary standards of, and compliance with, ERISA and other similar laws. The group also works in the area of derivatives, representing issuers, dealers and end-users in equity, hedge fund, credit, fixed income, currency and commodity derivatives, structured products and hybrid transactions and in the alternative investment area with domestic and offshore hedge funds, funds of funds, master/feeder, multiclass, series, bank proprietary, multimanager and guaranteed funds in fund formation and in product offerings.

Healthcare/not-for-profit: Cadwalader is a leader in the diverse areas affecting the healthcare industry, including corporate governance, finance, regulation, medicare and medicaid, restructuring, labour relations, litigation, risk management securities, capital markets, and tax. Insurance: Cadwalader’s attorneys perform the full range of work related to the insurance industry, from business transactions to litigation to regulatory compliance.

Litigation: Cadwalader’s renowned litigators handle significant disputes for a broad spectrum of financial institutions and major corporations. The antitrust group has significant expertise with domestic and international antitrust issues, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, civil antitrust investigations, antitrust grand jury matters, and public and private litigation. The business fraud group represents corporations and their boards, audit committees, directors, officers, and individuals in federal and state criminal, civil, and administrative proceedings and litigation. The commercial litigation group focuses on complex commercial and contractual disputes. The corporate and securities group handles significant disputes arising out of virtually every kind of corporate transaction. The energy and commodities group is experienced in all forms of investigations, disputes, and regulatory, compliance and legislative matters. The intellectual property group handles complex patent and trade secret, ITC, and trademark litigation, as well as counsels on patent trademark and licensing matters. The international group advises clients in all types of complex international multi-jurisdictional, commercial and business controversies.

Private client: this group provides effective personal, financial, charitable, and tax planning to individual clients and closely-held family companies. Tax: while playing a crucial role in the firm’s leading transactional practices, this sophisticated and diverse group also pioneers innovative tax structures, many of which involve cross-border components.

Number of UK partners 3
Number of other UK fee-earners 21