The Legal 500

Within Corporate tax, tier 4

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is recommended for its US/UK tax capabilities, and its strong profile in private equity, fund formation, secondary acquisitions and M&A matters. It acted for Clayton, Dubilier & Rice on its joint acquisition of SPIE from PAI Partners. Richard Ward is recommended.

Within Equity capital markets: UK capability, tier 5

With a strong emerging markets practice, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s team includes James Scoville, who advised Uralkali on its listing of GDRs following its merger with Silvinit; and dual-qualified Katherine Ashton, who represented selling shareholder HarbourVest Partners in Transmode Holding’s NASDAQ OMX Stockholm listing.

Within M&A: premium deals, £250m+, tier 7

Highlights for Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s ‘responsive, thorough and precise’ corporate team included advising Schneider Electric on its definitive agreement for the acquisition of Telvent GIT SA. The team leverages the firm’s private equity and hedge fund capability to handle matters for US clients including Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and also advises Helios Investment Partners and a number of French clients. E Raman Bet-Mansour relocated from the firm’s Paris office in 2011.

Within Private equity: transactions, tier 5

Now headed by David Innes following the recent retirement of James Kiernan, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP provides a one-stop-shop service to private equity clients, in relation to funds matters and investments. The team regularly works in conjunction with a strong US team, as well as on a standalone basis. Recent highlights include advising Clayton, Dubilier & Rice on the €2.1bn acquisition of French-based company SPIE from PAI Partners.

Within Fraud: corporate crime, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a second tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has the ‘very, very experienced’ Lord Goldsmith QC and the ‘clear and concise’ Karolos Seeger. The team advised Ferrostaal on an extensive internal compliance investigation into allegations of corruption and other wrongdoing in various jurisdictions. John Missing joined the team from the firm’s Washington DC office.

Within Fraud: white-collar crime, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a second tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is ‘vastly experienced at dealing with the US Department of Justice and the UK SFO’. Lord Goldsmith QC successfully represented Vincent Tchenguiz in the SFO’s investigation of the Tchenguiz brothers’ business dealings with Kaupthing. Karolos Seeger is ‘very commercial’.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 4

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s Lord Peter Goldsmith QC is an ‘exceptional advocate who gets to the root of any dispute’. The group represented wholly owned indirect subsidiaries of Russian mining company OJSC MMC Norilsk Nickel in successfully applying to have an injunction discharged that related to Rusal and the Interros Group’s multi-jurisdictional dispute over their Norilsk shareholdings. Karolos Seeger ‘manages complex litigation with ease’. John Missing focuses on internal investigations; and Sophie Lamb is also recommended.

Within International arbitration, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a second tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a ‘class act’. The practice represented the claimant in consolidated ICC London arbitration proceedings in respect of a multibillion-euro cross-shareholding. Lord Peter Goldsmith QC is a ‘brilliant lawyer’; Sophie Lamb is highly regarded; Karolos Seeger ‘focuses on clients ’ interests’; and associate Jessica Gladstone is also singled out for praise.

Within Public international law, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a third tier firm,

Areas of expertise for the team at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP include BIT issues; state responsibility; asset freezes and financial sanctions; sovereign immunities; the application of PIL in the domestic courts of foreign jurisdictions; and human rights. Lord Peter Goldsmith QC heads the team, which includes Sophie Lamb, who ‘provides solid, commercial advice’; and Karolos Seeger.

Within Acquisition finance, tier 5

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP provides an ‘excellent’ service to borrowers engaged in cross-border transactions. It recently advised core client Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, as part of a consortium of investors, on the €2.1bn financing of the acquisition of SPIE from PAI Partners. The team often works with colleagues in Moscow to advise Russian corporates on their financing requirements. Peter Hockless and Alan Davies are recommended.

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 7

At Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, Geoffrey Burgess has experience in aviation finance.

Within Emerging markets, tier 4

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has extensive experience in the Russian market and recently advised OJSC Uralkali, one of the world’s largest potash producers, on a $1bn syndicated loan. Peter Hockless has been assisting leading Brazilian bank Itau Unibanco; and James Scoville worked on listings on the London Stock Exchange and US exchanges for Russian, Chinese and other emerging market companies.

Within Investment funds, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a first tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP handles structuring and restructuring, capital raising and transactions for high-end buyout, infrastructure, mezzanine and real estate funds. It advised Park Square Capital on forming its mezzanine debt fund, Park Square Capital Partners II. Other clients include Carlyle, Doughty Hanson, Deutsche Bank Private Equity and HarbourVest. Marwan Al-Turki has ‘cunning knowledge of the market and is a great negotiator’. Geoffrey Kittredge is ‘technically very good but what sets him apart is that he figures out the right legal answer and the right commercial answer’. The pair co-heads the European private equity group. Anthony McWhirter is also recommended. Sally Gibson and Matthew Griffin were promoted to international counsel.

Within Insurance: corporate and regulatory, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a second tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP focuses on international work and has recently handled a number of complex M&A transactions, including advising Omega Insurance Holdings in the highly publicised bidding war of Haverford (Bermuda) Ltd’s partial cash offer for the company. The team also advised Omega on takeover approaches from Canopius Group Ltd and Barbican Group Holdings Limited. Jeremy Hill is recommended.

Within Mining and minerals, tier 5

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has been active in big-ticket M&A and high-value litigation for Russian clients including Uralkali and PolyusGold. James Scolville co-led a joint London/Moscow team which advised the former on its $8.1bn acquisition of Silvinet.