The Legal 500

Within EU and competition EU and competition

Within Flotations: small and mid-cap, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP fields an ‘outstanding’ team rated for its ‘consistent quality’. Notable mandates included assisting Vallar on its IPO on the London Stock Exchange. Kenneth Lamb is ‘among the best’, and Selina Sagayam is also recommended. Jefferey Roberts joined from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP in 2010.

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is regularly involved on high-end cross-border deals, and beefed up its English law capability with the addition of Jeffery Roberts from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP. Roberts advised the Expro Group on its $120m acquisition of the Production Testers International business, a leading well services business based in Asia.

Within Private equity: transactions , tier 6

The relatively small team at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP is able to leverage off a significant international footprint, and provides an ‘excellent’ service to a growing cadre of sponsor clients including Doughty Hanson, Farallon Capital and Investcorp. Paul Harter heads the team, which was recently strengthened by the arrival of Jeffery Roberts from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP.

Within VAT and indirect tax VAT and indirect tax

Within Commercial litigation, tier 6

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s commercial litigation practice extends to insolvency, employment, regulatory investigations and investigations by the SEC and DoJ. Philip Rocher and Lord Charles Falconer QC are recommended; Falconer represents clients before regulatory bodies and foreign courts.

Within International arbitration, tier 4

Focused on big-ticket arbitrations, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP counts Yukos International and Telecom Egypt as clients. The team successfully defended a petition to stay a BIT arbitration. Cyrus Benson is recommended.

Within Debt capital markets, tier 5

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP has a team of versatile partners including Selina Sagayam and Gregory Campbell, providing ‘business-minded, commercial advice’ on debt as part of complex deals such as the Almatis Group restructuring.

Within Employment,

The following US firms all have high-level practices, but generally smaller teams than their City counterparts: Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP, where the ‘commercial and professional’ Henry Clinton-Davis advises clients such as SpaceNK; Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, which has notable employment and pensions capability; Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge UK LLP, where Neil Adams specialises in team moves in the financial services sector; Faegre & Benson LLP, which acts for 3M, GE and Hearst publishing; Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, where James Cox advises a number of global players; Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP, where Naomi Feinstein is recommended; K&L Gates, where Paul Callegari is valued for his ‘direct and pragmatic approach’; McGuireWoods London LLP, which took on Jonathan Maude from Hogan Lovells International LLP in 2011; Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP, recommended for its outsourcing, privatisation, and data protection expertise; Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP, which hired Suzanne Horne from Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP; Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP, where ‘great communicator’ Nicola Whiteley has experience ranging from grievances to acquisition issues; Weil, Gotshal & Manges, notable for its insolvency-related experience; and WilmerHale, where David Andrews impresses.

Within Civil liberties and human rights,

With ‘hugely impressive attention to detail’, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP advises on corporate human rights and the right to property. The ‘careful, thorough and thoughtful’ Paul Lomas continues to advise the All Party Parliamentary Group on Extraordinary Rendition. The team is also active in defending claims in the ECHR. Associate Deba Das is ‘hardworking and committed’. Patrick Doris joined Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP in 2010.

Within Commercial property, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s small, partner-led team demonstrates ‘business sense’. It advised Development Securities on a joint venture with Patron Capital to acquire the MEN Arena. Alan Samson is ‘very smart, productive, and reliable’, Wayne McArdle is ‘very knowledgeable’, and Tom Budd is also recommended.

Within Property finance, tier 4

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP’s Tom Budd, Alan Samson and Wayne McArdle are highly regarded by clients – ‘their service is excellent, and they are extremely knowledgeable’. The team advised the owner of Paris skyscraper Coeur Defense on the €2.1bn CMBS restructuring – Europe’s largest for a single asset – and related proceedings.