The Legal 500

Within Corporate tax

Within M&A - upper mid-market and premium deals, £250m+, tier 8

Private equity houses and hedge funds are a focus for Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, which also enjoys a robust flow of work from Russia and France. Guy Lewin-Smith is recommended, as is Jeremy Hill for insurance-sector transactions.

Within M&A - US law capability, Debevoise & Plimpton is a second tier firm,

In 2008 Debevoise & Plimpton LLP saw key transactions in the private equity, insurance and asset management sectors. One highlight was representing Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its £415m multi-jurisdictional acquisition of Bodycote Testing Group. James Kiernan is the standout practitioner.

Within Private equity , tier 5

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s global strength in fund formation extends to its London office, where Marwan Al-Turki and Geoffrey Kittredge maintain excellent client relationships, including with Oaktree and Carlyle. Meanwhile James Kiernan’s transactions practice was boosted in 2008 by the hire of Guy Lewin-Smith from Linklaters LLP.

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP continues to invest heavily in its disputes practice with several appointments at international counsel level, including barrister William Godwin from Four New Square and former Bird & Bird LLP partner Sophie Lamb. They add to an already weighty team, which is noted for its ability to do its own advocacy and is headed by former Attorney General Lord Goldsmith QC and David Rivkin, and includes the ‘extraordinarily good’ Peter Rees QC.

Within International arbitration, Debevoise & Plimpton is a third tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP has made huge advances in recent years. With Lord Peter Goldsmith QC and David Rivkin at the helm, and key partners such as Peter Rees QC, few can match it in terms of experience. The promotion of partner Karolos Seeger in 2008 and hire of highly rated counsel such as barrister William Godwin from Four New Square and Bird & Bird LLP partner Sophie Lamb illustrate that the firm is not resting on its laurels.

Within Overview,

Arbitration is an area where smaller US offices can prosper in London. Its international nature lends itself to smaller, more mobile teams of specialised arbitration lawyers, enabling US teams in London to compete with their UK rivals. Among them, Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Latham & Watkins are the pick of the bunch. Firms with strong expertise in energy, infrastructure, insurance, commodities and shipping also feature prominently in the arbitration rankings, as these are the sectors that most commonly use this form of dispute resolution.

Within Acquisition finance, tier 4

Peter Hockless’ four-partner practice at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP provides specialist leveraged and fund financing advice to a number of prominent US funds. Various transactions completed for Clayton, Dubilier & Rice over the years stand out, among them a senior and mezzanine financing for the £417m acquisition of Bodycote Testing Group.

Within Emerging markets, tier 4

James Scoville is recommended at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP.

Within Investment funds, tier 4

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP enjoys a very good reputation in the market, especially for its work in the private funds arena, which spans areas such as infrastructure, private equity and real estate. Geoffrey Kittredge, Marwan Al-Turki and Anthony McWhirter are all highly recommended.

Within Insurance - corporate and regulatory, Debevoise & Plimpton is a third tier firm,

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s Jeremy Hill is a prominent figure in the London insurance market. It advised Benfield Group on its acquisition by Aon Corporation, and also acted for Catlin Group on its £200m rights issue, underwritten by JPMorgan and UBS.