The Legal 500

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 5

Latham & Watkins LLP’s aircraft finance practice advises on a range of transactions domestically and internationally. The team fields 14 attorneys globally, with a trio of experience partners based in the US – Kevin Fingeret and Lawrence Safran in New York, and Kenneth Blohm in San Francisco. Key figure Fingeret is an expert in securitization of equipment leases, automobile loans, aircraft leases and EECTs. Despite the small size of the group, it continues to punch above its weight in the market, due to the firm’s robust tax and bankruptcy capabilities, and its attracts high-caliber clients such as Goldman Sachs, Royal Jordanian, Etihad Airways and several large aircraft leasing companies.

Within Bank lending (including other sources of financing), Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s ‘solid’ team is led by well-respected attorneys John Mendez, and Michele Penzer in New York and has a good geographic spread across New York, Charlotte, Chicago and Houston. It has a significant practice on the lender side, and represented Barclays as mandated lead arranger and bookrunner in the committed acquisition financing of $13bn for Kinder Morgan’s El Paso acquisition. The firm also represented Deutsche Bank, Nomura and BBVA among others in providing $1.2bn senior secured credit facilities for Grifols for its acquisition of Talecris Biotherepeutics Holdings. On the borrower side, a team led by Craig Kornreich in Houston acted for Buckeye Partners and Buckeye Energy Services as sponsors of a $1.3bn credit facility and inventory financing. John Jameson in Los Angeles acted for Safeway as borrower of $1.5bn in revolving credit facilities, and for Owens-Illinois as borrower in a $2bn senior secured credit facility matter. Other recommended partners include Brad Kotler in Chicago and Melissa Alwang in New York. Notable arrivals in 2011 included Catherine Ozdogan, who strengthens the firm’s lending capabilities in the energy arena in Houston, and regulatory expert Alan Avery in New York.

Within Capital markets: debt offerings , Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Rated for its professional and capable attitude, Latham & Watkins LLP is widely recognised in the capital markets arena for the breadth of its practice, advising both issuer and manager clients in debt transactions in a number of locations, both abroad and across the United States. The capital markets practice is now led by Marc Jaffe in New York, Patrick Shannon and Alexander Cohen in Washington DC, and Lene Malthasen in the London office. The group fields an outstanding team of highly experienced individuals, and acted on several significant transactions in 2011 as both underwriter and issuer counsel. Highlights included Christopher Lueking in Chicago advising Credit Suisse as the lead underwriter of a debt tender and bond offering by Columbus McKinnon. Elsewhere, New York-based Gregory Rodgers and Barry Clarkson in San Diego represented Sempra Energy regarding an $800m notes offering. A team across three offices also advised biopharmaceutical company Amgen on a $1.5bn registered investment grade bond offering. New York-based Kirk Davenport is ‘fantastic’, and highly recommended for his longstanding experience.

Within Capital markets: equity offerings , Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

A ‘great firm’, Latham & Watkins LLP has an incredible depth of practice across the US, with capital markets expertise at all levels. The group remained strong in the equity arena in 2011, and managed to complete several IPOs despite tough market conditions. The firm is lauded for the strength of its advice to both issuer and manager clients. In 2011, co-chair of the practice Marc Jaffe advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch as lead underwriter on a $222m offering of shares of common stock and a secondary offering of $432m of shares of common stock by US-based retailer Express. Jaffe also represented Jefferies & Company as lead underwriter in the $140m IPO of Bravo Brio Restaurant Group. Also from New York, Kirk Davenport advised Goldman Sachs as lead underwriter on MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation’s $133m IPO. Other underwriter clients include Credit Suisse, Citi and JPMorgan. From the Silicon Valley office, recent key mandates on the issuer side include advising Cornerstone OnDemand on its $136m IPO, a transaction led by Christopher Kaufman, and advising Avago Technologies on ordinary and common share offerings totaling $2.3bn, matters handled by Anthony Richmond and Drew Williamson. Richmond also represented Spirit Airlines on its $187m IPO, and Julian Kleindorfer in Los Angeles advised the REIT America Assets Trust on its $648m IPO. Elsewhere, Boston-based John Chory represented Zipcar in its $174m IPO, and Houston-based William Finnegan advised MLP Tesoro Logistics on its $273m IPO. Alexander Cohen in Washington DC is recommended.

Within Capital markets: global offerings , Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP has a superb reputation for the quality of its debt, high-yield debt and equity offerings advice across several locations, most notably in Latin America, Europe and Asia. The global group advises underwriter and issuer clients, and can call on its presence in key locations including London, Hong Kong and Tokyo to offer clients a broad service. In one of the first high-yield issuances by a Latin American issuer, Los Angeles-based Mark Stegemoeller represented Chilean transport company Inversiones Alsacia in a $464m 8% bond offering. Demonstrating equal strength in advising financial institutions, Marc Jaffe and Wesley Holmes, from the New York and Orange County offices respectively, advised Jefferies & Company as underwriter on Satélites Mexicanos / Satmex Escrow’s $325m global senior secured notes offering of 9.5% notes due 2017.

Within Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings , Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s respected securities practice has a wealth of high-yield debt experience, and provides advice to both issuer and manager clients on complex offerings work. In New York, Marc Jaffe is particularly rated for the quality of his advice, and recent instructions include representing Niska Gas Storage and other affiliates as issuers of a $800m Rule 144A/Reg. S high-yield debt offering, a transaction completed with Partrick Shannon, who is based in Washington DC. The team also fields Kirk Davenport, who is noted for his longstanding experience. In 2011, Davenport represented Morgan Stanley as lead initial purchaser in a $3.8bn high-yield debt offering by NRG Energy, and also advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch as lead initial purchaser on a $1bn Rule 144A/Reg. S high-yield debt offering by clothing manufacturer Hanesbrands. From Houston, Michael Chambers acted for Barclays Capital and Citi as lead initial purchasers in various Rule 144A/Reg. S high-yield debt offerings valuing at $1.4bn by Linn Energy. Elsewhere, the Washington DC team was also active in high-yield debt work. Rachel Sheridan represented Onex Partners and key client Pinafore on a $1.2bn Rule 144A high-yield bond offering by Pinafore LLC and Pinafore Inc, to finance the leveraged buyout of engineering and manufacturing company Tomkins. Shannon also advised The Carlyle Group and CommScope on CommScope’s $1.5bn Rule 144A/Reg. S high-yield bond offering.

Within Corporate restructuring, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s commitment to growing the debtor side of its practice was illustrated with another high-profile lateral hire in 2011. Following on from the arrival of its co-global restructuring and insolvency chair Jan Baker from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in 2010, the firm welcomed Paul Harner from Paul Hastings LLP, who specialises in representing public and private companies in Chapter 11 bankruptcy cases. The team now numbers more than 80 lawyers and clients commend its ability to ‘call upon a deep bench for specialty areas’ and praise lawyers for their ‘strong case management and strategy skills’. The firm may currently be better known for advising creditors but debtor representations are already an active source of instructions and Baker recently acted for Boston Generating in its Chapter 11 case and subsequent $1.1bn sale of assets. However, there is no doubt that the firm’s creditor-side work is the real jewel in its crown and in a highlight case, co-group chair Mitchell Seider represented Credit Suisse as agent for the secured lenders of Bosque Power; notably the firm obtained a rare ruling terminating the debtor’s exclusive right to file a plan of reorganization on the 120th day of the case – paving the way for a plan sponsored by Credit Suisse and the lenders that gave control of the assets to the lenders. The firm also has considerable experience in acting for committees and Roger Schwartz – his ‘in-house background allows him to combine robust legal analysis with deep appreciation for business’ – recently represented the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors in the Chapter 11 cases of Advanta. The firm also deserves plaudits for the enviable balance of firepower between its national offices. From LA, Peter Gilhuly leads the West Coast restructuring practice and is a ‘stand out lawyer in the restructuring field’.

Within Financial services: litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP has had ‘great national success’ and has one of the ‘best records of going into New York and doing work for top-tier institutions’. The team’s ‘broad transactional exposure’ on matters involving top financial institutions is a real boon for clients. The client roster is biased more towards accounting firms than investment banks. San Francisco-based Peter Wald is acting for Deloitte & Touche in MDL securities class actions concerning the audit of Washington Mutual. Wald and Miles Ruthberg also represented Ernst & Young in MDL proceedings relating to the demise of Lehman Brothers. Its ability to call upon the firm’s substantial international network has helped earn the firm ‘a strong global reputation as a big player in litigation’. Wald and Christopher Harris worked with UK colleagues to represent ABN AMRO (Ireland) in clawback claims brought by Madoff trustee, Irving Picard. Elsewhere in the securities space, James Brandt and Jeff Hammel represented Fannie Mae in class actions relating to MBS valuations and risk assessments. Investments and securities lawyer Alan Avery joined the New York office in November 2011, a month after derivatives expert Peter Malyshev joined the Washington DC team as counsel.

Within Financial services: regulatory, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Instructed on a standalone basis as well as being able to tap into a blue ribbon array of banking clients availed by its bank lending practice, Latham & Watkins LLP provides ‘expert and knowledgeable advice’ across a range of advisory and transactional-related regulatory advice. While it may lack the critical mass of some of its peers, the team benefits from the ability to tap into the resources offered by a full-service global law firm and as such is well-placed to advise clients on mandates that are multi-disciplinary and cross-border in nature. Recent highlights include advising Kennedy Wilson on its acquisition of a minority stake in the Bank of Ireland. The team is also regularly consulted by trade associations and individual financial services entities to advise on the impact of recent legislative changes. ‘Unique and wonderful’ team head Brian Smith benefits from ‘vast knowledge’ across the landscape of financial services regulatory work gleaned from private practice, as well as his previous role as a senior federal regulator. Praised for his ‘knowledge, contacts and demeanor’, Smith is particularly noted for his expertise in relation to electronic payments systems. Dana Fleischman has strength advising on the regulation of broker-dealers and securities markets, and is a vital part of an expanding team that also now includes commodities expert Peter Malyshev and bank regulatory partner Alan Avery, following their recent recruitment from Winston & Strawn LLP and Arnold & Porter LLP respectively.

Within Project finance, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP has a ‘terrific’ lender-side practice that supplements its strong borrower offering. Co-headed by the ‘well-rounded’ Jonathan Rod and Jeffrey Greenberg in Los Angeles, the practice’s deep bench of 150 lawyers globally (the majority of which are based in the US) allows it to maintain a strong presence in international project finance deals, as well as having core strengths in power and gas projects. In 2011 it completed over 37 projects with a cumulative value of $17bn, including acting for CPV Sentinel, Competitive Power Ventures Holdings, General Electric Company and Mitsubishi Corporation as sponsors to the $796m development and operation financing of an 800MW natural gas-fired electricity generation facility in California. Rod and Los Angeles-based David Rogers led on that deal, while Greenberg acted for the sponsors EquiPower Resources Holdings and Energy Capital Partners II-A on the $525m project financing for EquiPower Resources’ portfolio of four gas and oil-fired merchant power plants in the northeastern United States. New York-based partner Warren Lilien advised Terra-Gen Power, Alta Wind VI and Alta Wind VIII as sponsors and borrowers, on the $630m project financing of the development and operation of two 150MW wind power facilities in California. In oil and gas matters, Washington DC-based John Sachs and Houston-based Charles Carpenter represented Highstar Capital on a $250m joint venture with Caiman Energy, a midstream oil and gas company. On the lender side, Washington DC partner Paul Hunt acted for CoBank in a $55m term-loan and $150m revolving credit facility provided to Georgia Transmission Corporation. Sachs is renowned for his expertise in sponsor-side domestic and Latin American power matters, and Dennis Nordstrom, who splits his time between London and Washington DC, is an oil and gas expert. In San Diego, solar and renewables expert Brett Rosenblatt and Kelley Gale are also recommended, as is San Francisco-based power and cleantech partner John Kenney. Washington DC attorney David Penna was made up to partner in 2011 and specialises in cleantech and energy matters.

Within Structured finance , Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

With lawyers based in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, Latham & Watkins LLP’s 25-strong US structured finance and securitization team is at the forefront of esoteric transactional markets, assisting a range of assets classes from rental car fleets, aircraft and credit card receivables to CLOs. In 2011, the group handled some landmark transactions for Deutsche Bank, including representing the client, as sole structuring adviser and bookrunning manager, in the first-ever broadcast tower securitization, worth $188m. The firm also acted for Deutsche Bank on the $500m term securitization for Dollar Thrifty, which was the automotive group’s first term securitization since 2007. The practice is led by Kevin Fingeret, who has particular expertise in the field of aircraft lease securitization. Other noteworthy practitioners include Ellen Marks, who represents several working groups of the Financial Services Roundtable on aspects of the Dodd-Frank regulatory developments, and Vicki Marmorstein, who is the former chair of the global finance practice and specializes in CLOs. Marmorstein recently worked alongside Fingeret in advising Credit Suisse on the Atrium VII CLO, the investment bank’s first post-financial crisis CLO transaction for the collateral manager.

Within Energy: regulatory, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP provides an ‘exceptional’ level of service, specialized knowledge and has ‘the best lawyers in the room during negotiations’. The team is representing Pepco and its parent PHI Holdings in proceedings before the Maryland Public Service Commission relating to Pepco’s system reliability and storm responsiveness wherein state regulators are determining whether to withdraw Pepco’s franchise. It is advising Energy Capital Partners and Power Holdings of Illinois on legislation relating to the construction and operation of a synthetic natural gas plant wherein the gas is created from coal (a project that would require new state legislation), as well as on permitting and sequestration of carbon emissions. Kenneth Simon is ‘excellent, with distinguishing ability’ in regulatory matters and is currently acting for First Reserve Corporation regarding all gas and electric regulatory issues in three potential acquisitions of electric power generating SPVs in the eastern US. David Schwartz is global chair of the practice.

Within Energy: renewable/alternative, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP has maintained a significant focus on renewables for the past 20 years and has developed an ‘excellent’ practice advising on solar, wind, geothermal, hydropower, and biomass projects. It is currently representing Summit Power as sponsor and developer in the $2.7bn financing and development of the Texas Clean Energy Project, including export credit facilities, for a 400MW combined cycle polygen plant with 90% carbon capture and sequestration. The team is also acting for affiliates of Terra-Gen Power in the $630m financing of the Alta Wind VI and VIII wind power projects (totaling 300MW) as part of the Alta Wind Energy Center, which will be the first gigawatt-scale wind energy facility. In addition, the team is representing Wind Energy Transmission Texas and WETT Holdings as borrowers as well as Brookfield and Isolux as sponsors in the approximately $580m financing of the WETT project, consisting of seven 345kV transmission lines in Texas. Iberdrola, including Iberdrola Renewables, is also a key client. Jonathan Rod is recommended.

Within Energy: transactions, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s ‘deep, excellent’ team has ‘specialized’ knowledge, and is regarded as fielding ‘the best lawyers in the room’. The firm’s oil and gas practice has been bolstered by the addition of the new Houston office, which ‘hit the ground running’. As a result, it is expected that the transactions team will provide clients with a great deal of added value, particularly in respect of the Rosetta shale play. Houston-based partner Michael Darden is ‘second to none’ and ‘the king of oil and gas farm-out deals’. He recently acted for Talon Oil & Gas as seller in the $969m divestiture of 20,000 net acres of productive leasehold in the Barnett shale play, and for Enduring Resources in its $1.45bn divestiture of 120,000 net acres in the Eagle Ford play together with certain of its midstream gathering assets. Also in Houston, Bill Finnegan and Sean Wheeler acted for Energy Transfer Equity on its $7.9bn acquisition of competitor Southern Union Company, thereby creating the premier midstream company for the construction of natural gas transportation infrastructure. The New York team represented Barclays Bank in the $275m project refinancing of US and Spanish power plants held by Race Point Power and NeoElectra. It also acted for EquiPower Resources Holdings and Energy Capital Partners II-A in the $525m project financing of EquiPower Resources’ four gas and oil fired merchant power plants in the northeastern US. In Washington DC, Kenneth Simon is ‘a person of distinguishing ability’, and co-chair of the global power industry group David Schwartz is highly recommended, as is Jonathan Rod in New York.

Within Environment: litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP is a ‘first-rate, very professional, efficient, and creative’ law firm, which gives ‘excellent value for the cost’. Its practice covers renewable energy projects, contaminated properties, toxic tort, water and air quality, land use, and climate change (including the requirements of California’s AB32 program), as well as issues relating to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). It has recently represented Georgia-Pacific Corporation in a CERCLA case arising from polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination of the lower Fox River in the state of Wisconsin; the firm helped secure a ruling that Georgia-Pacific was not liable to contribute to $1bn recovery costs at the site. In a separate case, the firm assisted Playtex Products in multiple class actions filed in more than 20 states around the US pertaining to the use of polycarbonate plastic; the plaintiffs’ claims (relating to fraud and unjust enrichment) were dismissed by the District Court in Missouri. It also successfully represented Dow Chemical Company in a CERCLA case in New Jersey, in which reimbursement of costs and damages were sought for alleged injury to groundwater at two facilities. Other clients include agricultural company Monsanto, which it has assisted in litigation arising out of challenges to genetically modified crops, including alfalfa and sugar beets; it has won two cases on the matter, including Monsanto Co v Geertson Seed Farms at the US Supreme Court. Robert Wyman, based in Los Angeles, is the firm’s global department chair, and Janice Schneider in Washington DC is a ‘superb lawyer and litigator’. Alan Kraus, based in New Jersey, is seen as ‘a great mentor to his team’.

Within Environment: transaction and regulatory, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP is ‘in the top tier of national law firms’. Its lawyers are ‘extremely bright, hardworking and practical’, and the firm ‘clearly gives one value for money’. It handles a large volume of M&A and financing related environmental matters, for a wide range of clients. It is lead counsel for The Carlyle Group on its M&A matters, recently assisting on the acquisition of Manor Care, the sale of the John Maneely Company, the sale of Kuhlman Electric Corporation, and the acquisition of Allison Transmission. The firm also represented Southern California Edison Company in matters relating to the development of high-voltage transmission lines that will connect renewable energy resources; this is part of California’s ongoing commitment to alternative energy sources and the field of cleantech, in which the firm has a strong presence. The complex ‘Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Line Project’ will stretch 170 miles and cost close to $2bn, and involves major issues of both federal and state environmental law, including the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Endangered Species Act (ESA). In other regulatory matters, the firm is assisting General Electric in relation to its Inland Empire Energy Center (IEEC), an electric power generation plant that utilizes a steam cooling system; the firm successfully defended this project against environmental challenges at the US District Court and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Other clients include Riverstone, Gores, Onex and General Electric. Robert Wyman in Los Angeles and Mary Rose Alexander in Chicago are co-chairs of the global environmental practice. Janice Schneider in Washington DC is a prominent lawyer in the areas of land use and natural resources.

Within Healthcare: life sciences, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP provides ‘outstanding service’ in FDA and CMS regulatory work, M&A, securities offerings and litigation. The firm serves as outside FDA counsel to the Medical Device Manufacturers Association, and represented it and Boston Scientific in negotiations to reauthorize the Medical Device User Fee Act. On the CMS side, it successfully acted for two device manufacturers in challenges to denials of Medicare claim adjudications and standards for device distributors, respectively. John Manthei advised Advanced Biohealing on its acquisition by Shire plc; and Stuart Kurlander acted on several transactions, including for IntegraLifeSciences on its acquisition of SeaSpine Inc. Both attorneys are based in the Washington DC office, from where the bulk of the firm’s regulatory and corporate work is handled. In California, the firm acted for Clarient in class action merger litigation, successfully arguing a non-monetary settlement in principle on the eve of the tender offer closing. Practice co-chair and FDA expert Manthei is ‘extremely responsive’, ‘conscientious’ and ‘very strategic’. Silicon Valley emerging company expert Alan Mendelson is ‘absolutely a preeminent lawyer’. The group also has a sizeable product liability and patent litigation practice.

Within Healthcare: service providers, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s Washington DC office had a ‘banner year’, with the firm taking advantage of the government’s pushback in fraud and abuse and denial of reimbursement claims. Stuart Kurlander and Esther Scherb negotiated special exceptions for retroactive Medicare payments for a new ambulatory surgery center owned by Adventist Healthcare. Roger Goldman is advising various hospitals in the Department of Justice’s ongoing investigation into kyphoplasty procedures, and also represents several providers under False Claims Act investigation regarding implantable cardiac devices. On the litigation side, California lawyers Katherine Lauer and Paul DeMuro are representing Sheridan Healthcare in a qui tam action pending in the Southern District of Florida. DeMuro is very highly regarded for his corporate and investigation work. The firm’s San Francisco and Los Angeles offices are assisting Adventist on several acquisitions of acute care facilities.

Within Insurance: advice to policyholders, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s coverage group handles cases across a number of areas (including product liability, business interruption and professional liability) in state and federal courts and arbitral settings, and it has a particularly strong reputation on the West Coast. Recent notable matters include its representation of Fluor Corporation and its insured subsidiaries in an $80m litigation pending in the Orange County (California) Superior Court, seeking to establish an insurer’s duty to defend. A central issue in this case is the insurer’s ‘corporate succession’ defense, which seeks to void coverage based on the policies’ consent to assignment clauses. The firm then filed a petition for review in the California Supreme Court seeking to overturn the court’s 2003 decision in Henkel v Hartford Accident & Indemnity, which invalidated many assignments of insurance rights in corporate asset transactions. The petition centered on an Insurance Code provision that has never previously been applied in the liability insurance context. In late 2011, the California Supreme Court granted the petition for the review of a lower court’s adverse ruling on this issue. Practice co-chair Brook Roberts is representing Montrose Chemical in various cases including a $20m excess coverage action in Los Angeles County Superior Court to establish Montrose’s right to a defense against claims, centering on whether the policy’s defense provisions extend to administrative claims. Peter Rosen is recommended, particularly ‘with respect to coverage issues arising from major casualty- and construction-related losses’. Practice co-chair Andrew Lundberg and David Barrett are also recommended.

Within Patent litigation: full coverage, tier 4

Latham & Watkins LLP provides broad litigation and technical expertise, and its clients notably include Sony, Vizio, Honeywell and General Motors. The practice's resources were deepened with the hire of six IP litigators from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati to bolster its California offices, including Julie Holloway and Ron Shulman, who are experienced in ITC proceedings. They successfully defended AU Optronics against claims brought by LG Electronics over LCD technology patents in a federal district court case, and are also representing the client in ITC investigations against Samsung. The practice is counsel to Prometheus Laboratories in a benchmark US Supreme Court appeal regarding the patentability of medical and diagnostic processes. In the Washington DC office, Bert Reiser focuses on Section 337 disputes, and Lawrence Gotts and Maximilian Grant are experienced first-chair litigators. Los Angeles-based Bob Steinberg handles high-tech cases.

Within Patent litigation: International Trade Commission, tier 4

Latham & Watkins LLP has ‘broad and deep litigation expertise, and lawyers that are outstanding at every level'. Bert Reiser's ‘considered and pragmatic approach is especially effective in a highly specialized forum like the ITC'. Reiser has been involved in numerous Section 337 proceedings, and is representing Vizio as respondent to a patent infringement complaint brought by Sharp regarding LCD technology. The IP practice hired a team of patent litigators from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati to bolster its West Coast practice, including Ron Shulman and Julie Holloway, who are both experienced in ITC litigation. Shulman ‘cuts to the chase and focuses on what matters, which is effective for both judges and clients. He has terrific judgment, and provides real advice: well considered and decisive'. Shulman is representing InterDigital in a complaint against Nokia, Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation, asserting infringement of patents relating to 3G wireless technology. Holloway is part of a team representing AU Optronics in a number of proceedings, including cases against Samsung. The ‘tough, tenacious' Maximilian Grant is also recommended.

Within Trademarks: litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP's trademark dispute team is mainly concentrated on the West Coast and is underpinned by the firm's strength in commercial litigation and its blue-chip client base. Global IP litigation chair Perry Viscounty's record in trademark litigation includes representing Allergan in a multi-jurisdictional trademark infringement case regarding its Botox mark. More recently, Viscounty has worked on trademark infringement and anti-counterfeiting cases with San Diego-based trial lawyer Jennifer Barry, who is expert in domain name matters. Viscounty and Barry are representing Symantec in a trademark lawsuit brought against Johns Creek Software regarding the registration of domain names that infringe Symantec's Norton trademarks. The team also settled a lawsuit for plaintiff City of Hope National Medical Center, which filed an infringement, dilution and unfair competition lawsuit against Morris Publishing Group regarding use of the City of Hope trademark. Another settlement was achieved for Entrepreneur Media Inc in a consumer confusion case against Texan entrepreneur Daniel Castro's Entrepreneur. Ology website. Barry was also a lead attorney in settling another well-publicized case involving trademark infringement claims when he acted for Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust in a case filed against Rick Norsigian and PRS Media regarding the sale of prints claimed to be from negatives of the famed photographer.

Within Private equity funds, tier 5

Latham & Watkins LLP combines fund formation and transactional structuring expertise and is internationally recognized for its ‘highly responsive service and knowledgeable industry expertise’. Energy and Asia-related funds continue to be core areas, and in 2011 the team acted for an institutional sponsor in the formation of a $6bn energy and power-focused fund, and for another sponsor in the formation of a $650m fund focused on opportunities in Greater China. Washington DC-based co-chair Barton Clark provides ‘an excellent service’, and Brynn Peltz in New York is ‘an excellent attorney’. Fellow co-chairs Kathleen Walsh and Scott Klein are also recommended.

Within Real estate investment trusts (REITs), Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s ‘deep team’ of REIT specialists includes ‘some of the best tax lawyers in the industry’, and has been a prominent player in the REIT market for over 20 years. Its track record in market-changing deals such as the Kimco REIT conversion and IPO is illustrative of the cutting-edge expertise provided by the 28 securities, M&A, tax and regulatory partners staffing the US practice. Despite a difficult fundraising environment in the latter stages of 2011, the practice still managed to act on 31 securities offerings totaling $7.5bn, including American Assets Trust’s IPO; five Digital Realty Trust transactions; and representation of Barclays Capital as underwriter to Chatham Lodging Trust’s offering. It has also been highly active in financings and M&A, most recently acting for the lenders on The Macerich Partnership’s $250m revolving credit facility, and representing Realty Income Corporation in its $544m acquisition of 33 commercial and industrial properties owned by ECM Realty Trust. Tax expert Mike Brody and Julian Kleindorfer jointly head the practice. Robert Buday, Nathaniel Marrs and Gary Axelrod recently brought their extensive experience over from Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

Within Employee benefits and executive compensation, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

The 35-strong benefits and compensation team at Latham & Watkins LLP offers a full range of transactional and advisory services. The firm is particularly strong in designing and implementing executive compensation arrangements and employee benefits plans. The team, which is spread across seven offices, has continued to expand in Los Angeles and New York, and the firm opened a new office in Houston to capitalize on work generated by the energy industry. Practice chair James Barrall, in the Los Angeles office, advised National Semiconductor on benefits and compensation aspects relating to its acquisition by Texas Instruments. Also in Los Angeles, Laurence Seymour represented Demand Media on EBEC aspects of its IPO. In the Washington DC office, David Della Rocca is recommended for benefits and compensation aspects relating to corporate transactions, and Chicago-based Robin Struve is very active in executive compensation and benefits matters. In New York, Bradd Williamson’s clients include a number of private equity funds and publicly held corporations, which he has advised on the design and drafting of equity-based and other incentive compensation arrangements. Clients include Amgen, Digital Generation, Avery Dennison and Mattel.

Within International arbitration, tier 4

Mark Beckett leads the team at Latham & Watkins LLP, which has particular experience in large commercial arbitrations, and is developing its treaty practice. Representative clients include Eli Lilly, Indorama, Lufthansa and Lectra. In 2011 the firm represented affiliates of a well-known polyamide company in four related arbitrations in Paris and Geneva, one being an ICC arbitration in Paris under French law concerning the right to use a chemical process technology and trade secrets valued by the parties at over $1bn. On the investor-state side, the team is representing Koch Minerals and Koch Nitrogen International in an ICSID arbitration against the Bolivian Republic of Venezuela; the claim is brought pursuant to the Switzerland-Venezuela BIT concerning an alleged breach of treaty by Venezuela relating to a large fertilizer plant.

Within International trade, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s trade team sits within its white-collar litigation practice, and is primarily focused on FCPA affairs, economic sanctions and white-collar government investigations. The ‘attentive’ William McGlone is ‘absolutely first class’ when it comes to ITAR and EAT cases, and recently advised a US-based aerospace company on compliance issues concerning domestic and international sites. Elsewhere, the ‘thoughtful’ and ‘business-minded’ Douglas Greenburg is conducting an internal investigation for a publicly traded US company into potential FCPA issues in Asia and Africa, while the ‘analytical’ Barry Sabin helped guide a global energy firm through federal inquiries concerning trade sanctions and export controls. Notwithstanding the retirement of the highly rated Teresa Baer in 2011, the ‘diligent’ and ‘creative’ Washington-based group has seen an upsurge in CFIUS matters, mostly fueled by its corporate counterparts in Singapore and New York; Edward Shapiro has recently acted for an international technology outfit and several US and European manufacturers in this area. Counsel Les Carnegie joined the team in the January 2011 from Covington & Burling LLP and brings additional expertise on re-export controls and US anti-boycott laws.

Within Product liability and mass tort defense: consumer products (including tobacco), Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP provides an ‘excellent service’ using a ‘small and focused team approach’, producing ‘timely and prompt responses to questions and concerns’, and ‘sound strategy and consistent tactical execution’. It has recently been acting for Aurora Organic Dairy, Costco, Safeway and Wal-Mart in an MDL alleging that the defendants misrepresented the manner in which organic milk was produced. The firm continues to represent mobile marketing and advertising agency ipsh!net in a class action suit filed under the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) claiming damages for almost $90m. Other clients include the tobacco manufacturers Swisher International and Swedish Match in an action in Florida alleging that smokeless tobacco products cause oral cancer. The case was initially brought as a state-wide class action but now only a single individual’s claim remains. Chicago-based Mark Mester is ‘an excellent communicator and strategic thinker’. Robert Howard and Christine Rolph lead in San Diego and Washington DC, respectively.

Within Product liability and mass tort defense: toxic tort, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP wins glowing feedback from clients; its attorneys ‘compare well against any other mass tort lawyers’ and have a knack for ‘preparing the case for trial and appellate advocacy’. Clients include Chevron, which recently instructed the group in a class action relating to historic operations of a nuclear fuel processing plant in Texas. Plaintiffs are claiming for personal injury and property damage from alleged nuclear and other contamination, and the case is pending in federal district court in Tennessee. The practice is also defending ConocoPhillips against numerous actions concerning the alleged MTBE contamination of drinking water. One recent highlight for the firm was obtaining a complete defense judgment for Essex Chemical, a Dow subsidiary, in natural resources damage actions brought by the State of New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP). Christine Rolph in Washington DC is ‘world class’ and is recommended along with Robert Howard in San Diego; both are ‘very good lawyers’.

Within Securities: shareholder litigation, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s commitment to maintaining a truly national securities litigation practice is evidenced through its joint leadership from the firm’s Washington, Silicon Valley and New York offices: together William Baker (‘highly experienced’), Patrick Gibbs (‘great at managing a complex legal matter, boiling it down to a plan of action and driving his team to execute the plan’) and Jeff G Hammel co-chair an ‘excellent group of commercially-minded securities experts’. Clients ‘wholeheartedly recommend this extremely client-focused team’ for the full spread of class actions and derivative lawsuits, SEC investigations, enforcement proceedings, stock exchange investigations and proxy contests. Although it has an excellent track record in defending banks and corporations, the firm shines in auditor representations and among its recent matters, it is acting for Deloitte & Touche LLP in a multidistrict securities class action involving claims arising from Washington Mutual’s public disclosures. Issuer-side work is also plentiful and it is currently acting for international agri-business Agfeed in several shareholder class actions filed against the company. Miles Ruthberg and Peter Wald are also recommended.

Within Supreme Court and appellate, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Led by former solicitor general Gregory Garre, Latham & Watkins LLP enjoyed a superb year, with the firm arguing six of the cases that the US Supreme Court agreed to hear in the October 2011 term. In one particularly high-profile case – Maples v Thomas – the firm was granted certiorari in an unusual case where lawyers from a major New York firm, having agreed to represent a death row inmate in Alabama, left the firm in question, causing Maples to miss his deadline for filing appeal. The firm’s appellate practice is also thriving. In Prometheus Laboratories Inc v Mayo Collaborative Services, a team led by Richard Bress and Scott Ballenger persuaded the Federal Circuit to uphold the patentability of Prometheus’ medical treatment method patents, in the process overturning the trial court judgment. The decision may have far-reaching implications in the fields of biotechnology and personalized medicine patents. Another landmark case ended in a significant Ninth Circuit victory on behalf of client Monsanto, in which the firm successfully appealed against an extraordinary injunction that would have led to the destruction of hundreds of acres of genetically engineered sugarbeet.

Within Trade secrets, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP is distinguished by the diversity of industry experience its lawyers can bring to trade secrets matters, and by the emphasis placed on performance at trial and in arbitrations as a means of resolving contentious matters. Recent notable cases include the successful defense of Marvell Semiconductor in Jasmine Networks v Marvell Semiconductor; and a complete arbitration victory for electronic auction consultants FTI Consulting, with an award of $2.5m of costs in their favor (Optimal Markets, Inc v FTI Consulting, Inc). Kenneth Schuler is currently assisting ADA Carbon Solutions in an arbitration with Norit Americas. Co-chair of the IP group Perry Visounty is defending Skullcandy against claims of misappropriation of trade secrets alleged by Monster Cable. James Lynch is also a key player.

Within White-collar criminal defense , tier 9

Headed by David Schindler and Steven Bauer, Latham & Watkins LLP’s Los Angeles-based team handles a range of white-collar matters including securities fraud, FCPA abuses, healthcare matters, improper political contributions and tax fraud. Able to leverage off a broad international footprint, the team is well-suited to the increased internationalization of work in the area and regularly picks up cross-border mandates. For example, it recently represented a Fortune 500 company on internal FCPA investigations in China and Taiwan. ‘An expert at dealing with the DOJ and SEC’, Schindler’s expansive practice ranges from the defense of white-collar and government investigations to healthcare fraud issues. Washington DC-based Roger Goldman is ‘an expert at handling healthcare regulatory matters’.

Within Technology: data protection and privacy, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s multidisciplinary practice is led by Jennifer Archie and Kevin Boyle in Washington DC. Boyle leads the security and privacy committee, which is responsible for the firm’s global information security and privacy compliance program across its 27 offices. The group counsels US and multinational clients regarding compliance with federal and state laws and regulations in the EU and other non-US jurisdictions, and advises EU companies setting up in the US and provides transactional support. Key issues include compliance programs, breach response and disclosure. Healthcare privacy is a key focus, with Boyle and his team assisting Hospital Corporation of America with a license and services agreement for a planned company-wide electronic health records system, including compliance with HIPAA and patient record privacy and security. Archie advises leading online brands on investigations, lawsuits, and compliance. Clients include Ashoka, Constant Contact, Sony Online Entertainment and USA Mobility.

Within Technology: outsourcing, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP handles big-ticket outsourcing and network deals. In addition to work in ITO, the group assists clients with specialist BPO, such as asset and fund management outsourcing, finance and accounting, tax compliance, medical records, human resources and assisted business transformation. The group’s strength is underpinned by the firm’s global platform and resources which enable it to handle large-scale, multinational deals supported by expertise in related practice areas, notably intellectual property and advanced technology tools. Attorneys are commended as ‘flexible and client focused’. ‘Strong and pragmatic drafter and negotiator’ JD Marple in Silicon Valley represents service providers and customers in the life sciences, technology and transportation sectors, notably assisting Continental with a multi-tower deal with now HP that covers the majority of its outsourced IT operations and follow-on deals including the acquisition of fare-search services. Allen Klein and his Washington DC team impress clients in the technology, pharmaceuticals, financial services and health sectors. Together with Jeremiah Wolsk, who advised Barclays on a recruitment process outsourcing with Resource Solutions, Klein advised Hospira on IT infrastructure outsourcing to Wipro. Former global practice chair Marcelo Halpern left to join Perkins Coie LLP.

Within Technology: transactions, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s 45-lawyer team handles M&A, licensing deals and strategic transactions for vendors and customers, offering transactional and IP strength and industry expertise in high-tech, telecoms, pharmaceutical and life sciences. Cleantech is an expanding focus area. The group is supported by the firm’s international reach and East and West Coast expertise. Top life sciences attorney JD Marple assisted Eclipsys with renegotiating its outsourcing relationships with two major hospitals. Marple regularly represents Copart on IP and internet issues and recently assisted with negotiating a product concept and technology development relationship with Accenture. Los Angeles-based Roxanne Christ advises on the convergence between media and technology. In 2011 she acted on the year’s three largest music deals: counseling UBS, as lender to the winning bidder (a joint venture led by Sony/ATV Music Publishing) for the EMI music publishing catalogue; advising Spectrum Equity as seller of Bug Music to BMG Rights Management, a joint venture between Bertelsmann and KKR, for approximately $300m; and representing represented a private equity firm which bid – unsuccessfully – for Warner Music Group. Kevin Boyle and Allen Klein in Washington DC advised Ciena Corporation on transition services following its acquisition of Nortel’s Metro Ethernet Networks business. Marcelo Halpern left to join Perkins Coie LLP. Clients include ORC Software, Sony Online Entertainment, Harrahs’ Entertainment, MGM and Viasat.

Within Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s ‘world-class team’ draws on the firm’s strength in IP, media, litigation, M&A and antitrust law and its significant national and international footprint. Based in Washington DC, the regulatory group handles numerous matters related to the firm’s significant activities in communications, finance and M&A. The firm’s size enables it to handle the largest deals for clients including carriers, satellite and broadcast companies and investors in the telecoms and communications sectors. Practice chair, the ‘fantastic’ John Janka, receives plaudits from clients who ‘trust him wholeheartedly’ and value his ‘great FCC/regulatory experience’. He is recognized throughout the market for his specialist expertise in the satellite industry. Recent mandates include representing satellite broadband provider Lightsquared in major FCC proceedings and advising it on the GPS interference issues that are threatening its deployment. Janka continues to advise Viasat on regulatory clearances to open up new broadband services, including access to new frequency bands and the successful launch of Viasat satellite. Matthew Brill and recently promoted partner Brian Murray represented Time Warner Cable in regulatory matters involving cable television, broadband internet access, and digital phone services. These include a federal antitrust class action regarding rental of set-top boxes; federal court actions arising from state commission proceedings to secure interconnection rights with incumbent telephone providers; Second Circuit appeal of FCC program carriage rules; regulatory approvals in connection with $3bn acquisition of Insight Communications as well as program access between broadcast networks and cable companies. Brill and James Barker represented various telecoms providers in regulatory proceedings and lawsuits regarding the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. The group’s reputation for handling regulatory issues arising from the crossover of media, broadcast and internet services has attracted marquee clients across the broadcast, cable and wireless industries, including Inmarsat, Global Crossing, Regent Communications, USA Mobility, Discovery Communications and Telecom Italia.

Within Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s transactional prowess is supported by its global industry group and strength in numerous practice areas. The core group is organized in Washington DC and supported by leading regulatory experts and litigators. This collaborative approach combined with a significant international footprint enables the group to handle international mandates and advise foreign firms establishing a US presence. The group combines transactional and regulatory strength to facilitate a high-volume of deals. Clients include acquirers and providers of telecommunications capacity and related voice, data and internet access services. Attorneys have broad experience in transactions for the purchase and supply of communications technology and related services including outsourcing, hosting and co-location, licensing and content distribution transactions. Practice head John Janka wins plaudits for ‘fantastic judgment and legal advice that takes into account the client’s business and strategic objectives’. In 2011, he represented Arquiva, the UK provider of satellite uplink, transport, and video distribution services, on numerous transactions including the disposition of its US teleports. Matthew Brill and recently promoted partner Brian Murray represented Singapore Technologies Telemedia (STT), a private investment company owned by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, and Global Crossing, a global IP solutions provider, in Level 3 Communications’ $3bn acquisition of Global Crossing. Clients highlight the successful integration of the firm’s national corporate and finance practices, combining West Coast and East Coast expertise with Washington DC specialists. Richard Levy in Chicago led a team, including lawyers in Washington DC and Orange County, who worked closely with Mexican counsel representing the family of Gabriel de Alba in acquiring a 49% voting equity interest in the reorganized SatMex. Other key mandates included assisting The Carlyle Group with the $2.6bn acquisition of Syniverse Technologies, and representing The Huffington Post.com in its $315m sale to AOL. Marquee clients include Time Warner Cable, BBC Worldwide and Inmarsat.

Within Antitrust, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s antitrust practice spans litigation, government relations, merger clearance and cartel defense work. In Washington DC, Margaret Zwisler and Michael Egge are the key contacts; Zwisler is an antitrust litigator, with over 35 years of experience, and Egge defends mergers and acquisitions before the FTC and the DOJ, and handles price-fixing and cartel matters in the US, Latin America and Europe. In the San Francisco office, Christopher Yates and Daniel Wall are also well regarded and represent high-tech clients in antitrust litigation. Litigation successes included representing Apple in a putative class action relating to the iPhone; and acting for Toshiba in investigations and follow-on class actions involving several memory semiconductor products, including NAND Flash memory. In M&A, work highlights included representing Oracle as a participant in a two-step acquisition of certain Novell patents, which was cleared by the DOJ and the German Federal Cartel Office. Other clients of the antitrust group include Goldman Sachs, Singapore Air and Coca-Cola. The firm also has a large pharmaceutical-sector client base, where it acts for Lundbeck, American Medical Systems and Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America, among others. In 2011, Amanda Reeves returned to the Washington DC office as counsel, following government service at the FTC.

Within M&A: mega-deals ($5bn+), Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

In 2011, Latham & Watkins LLP opened a new office in Boston, adding six new partners and one counsel, all with extensive experience in the Boston market, the group including partners John Chory, Peter Handrinos, Susan Mazur and Philip Rossetti, who offer substantial experience working with emerging companies, venture funds and investment banks, Chory and Mazur joined from the Waltham office of WilmerHale, and Rossetti and Handrinos arrived from WilmerHale’s Boston office. Private equity partner Hans Brigham and counsel Julie Scallen joined from Bingham McCutchen LLP’s Boston office, and private equity partner Alexander Temel arrived from Proskauer Rose LLP’s Boston office. Key matters for the firm included acting for Beckman Coulter, a Fortune 500 manufacturer of biomedical testing systems and supplies, in its $6.8bn acquisition by Danaher; assisting Energy Transfer Equity in its $9.2bn acquisition of Southern Union Company, a diversified natural gas company; and representing GE Capital in the $5.5bn sale of 49.77% of the equity of Colombian bank Banco Colpatria to Mercantil Colpatria. Additionally, the practice advised power management technology company National Semiconductor in its $6.5bn acquisition by Texas Instruments. Mark Gerstein and Adel Aslani-Far are global co-chairs of the M&A practice group. Gerstein is particularly focused on M&A, special committee representations, takeover defense planning, going private transactions and corporate governance. ‘Gerstein prepares clients thoroughly for what is about to occur, anticipates all of our needs, and is there for us every step of the way. His knowledge, skill, and creativity contributes significantly to the success of the deal’. Aslani-Far is rated for hostile M&A, and deals in the pharmaceutical, biotech, media and telecommunications sectors.

Within Private equity buyouts, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

With a rich vein of form in both large buyouts and middle-market deals, Latham & Watkins LLP can now rightfully claim to be amongst the leading law firms in the private equity environment. The firm has a leading position in numerous private equity deal rankings by value and by number of transactions. Marquee clients such as Carlyle, KKR and Leonard Green & Partners, demonstrate the calibre of a firm that has come a long way over the last decade. Other notable clients include Apollo Global Management, One Equity Partners, Odyssey Investment Partners, Centerbridge Capital Partners and Norwest Equity Partners. Clients praise the ‘terrific’ service and its ‘great resources across the board’ including M&A, tax, real estate and antitrust. Clients also commend the firm’s broad abilities on ‘complicated transactions’ through to ‘more vanilla’ deals. Much of the firm’s greater credibility in recent years stems from its growth in New York where Ray Lin (‘excellent grasp of the law and precedents but also a businessman’, ‘someone who can help us make decisions’, ‘thinks outside the box’) and Howard Sobel (‘the best lawyer I have ever worked with’, ‘understands our business’, ‘goes beyond the call of duty’, ‘a practical lawyer that does a good job at explaining things in a clear way’, ‘really talented guy’) are credited with raising the firm’s standing and profile. Other key partners include Washington DC’s Dan Lennon, the relationship partner for Carlyle, and John Giouroukakis in New York. Clients commend the ‘strength in depth’ of the team including junior partners and associates, and its ‘consistency of expertise’. Amongst a series of impressive recent deals, the firm advised Leonard Green on its landmark $2.8bn acquisition alongside CVC Capital Partners of BJ’s Wholesale Club. Other standout deals include advising KKR on its $1.12bn acquisition of Capital Safety and Apollo’s $1bn acquisition of Taminco Group from CVC. Clients commend the firm’s dedicated sponsor-focused finance department, which ‘constantly pushes the envelope’. Finance partner Joshua Tinkelman is singled out for particular praise. The firm has also developed a greater share of energy industry deals thanks in part to the growing reputation of the firm’s Houston office, and its new Boston office has enabled the firm to focus more on middle-market deals in the life sciences and biotech sector. Over in Chicago, it recruited a substantial team of real estate private equity specialists, including Robert Buday, Nathaniel Marrs and Gary Axelrod from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in 2011.

Within Venture capital and emerging companies, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Leading global firm Latham & Watkins LLP made dramatic headway in 2011 by establishing a more than credible office in Boston. This was achieved through the lateral hire of eminent figure John Chory, and partners Susan Mazur, Philip Rossetti and Peter Handrinos from the Boston and nearby Waltham offices of local giant WilmerHale. Partner Hans Brigham and Julie Scallen also joined from the Boston office of Bingham McCutchen LLP, bringing further growth equity and venture capital expertise. The firm further augmented its credentials in San Francisco and Silicon Valley with the hire of six intellectual property litigators from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The firm remains a market leader in venture-backed IPOs in the US, having advised on 13 out of 48 such deals that were closed in 2011. Amongst these transactions, it represented Intermolecular on its $96.5m offering and acted for the underwriters on the IPO of Angie’s List. It now has an established record in acting for companies throughout their lifecycles from early stage development right through to their public offerings and beyond. With the new Boston office, it can now claim to be one of the market leaders in life sciences. Key partners on the life sciences side include Silicon Valley’s Michael Hall, Cheston Larson in San Diego, and Orange County-based Charles Ruck. Digital and social media, and semi-conductors are also key areas for the practice that also has an eminent position in the clean technology arena, thanks in part to the efforts of Silicon Valley partner and co-chair of the emerging companies group Patrick Pohlen. In clean technology, the firm’s global presence and worldwide standing in project finance is yet another key benefit to the practice. Silicon Valley partner and co-chair of the practice Alan Mendelson is also recommended.

Within Land use/zoning, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

In 2011 the land use department at Latham & Watkins LLP became the energy and infrastructure project siting and defense practice group, reflecting the practice’s expertise in these areas across the West Coast. The group handles permitting for major energy and infrastructure projects, including permitting refinery and other manufacturing facilities, university campus planning and approvals, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) assessment requirements. Christopher Garrett, Lucinda Starrett and Michael Carroll are global co-chairs of the practice. Recent work includes acting for Iberdrola Renewables in all aspects of permitting the Tule Wind Power project: a 200MW wind turbine project located on Indian tribal land, State of California land, and private and federal lands, for which final approval was given in December 2011.

Within Real estate, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

The ‘extremely proficient and knowledgeable’ team at Latham & Watkins LLP provides an ‘exceptional’ level of service. The global real estate group is chaired by the ‘very cool and controlled’ James Hisiger, and the US component is located across the firm’s New York, Chicago and Southern California offices. The group’s lawyers have extensive real estate finance expertise, with workout and restructuring transactions dominating recent years. Hisiger advised on the joint venture of Leonard Green Partners and CVC Capital for the financing and acquisition of BJ’s Wholesale, valued at $2.8bn; and also acted for Barclays in a number of New York-based transactions involving the sale and disposition of high-value loans and REO properties. Don Berger of the Los Angeles office notably represented Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) in the $275m financing of the LA Live Project, a 3.6 million sq ft mixed-use development in downtown Los Angeles. In Orange County, David Meckler acted for Host Hotels & Resorts on the $570m acquisition of the entity that owned the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. Robert Buday, Nathaniel Marrs and Gary Axelrod joined the Chicago team from Kirkland & Ellis LLP at the beginning of 2011. Axelrod has completed high-value transactions for Kimpton in Philadelphia and Starwood Hotels in Chicago. Michelle Kelban and Dara Denberg are also names to note in New York.

Within Domestic tax: Central, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP (‘superb, very fast response times, huge industry knowledge’) bridges the north and south of the region with its Chicago and Houston offerings headed up by local tax department chairs Diana Doyle and Timothy Fenn respectively. Doyle’s practice is known in the M&A, securities and capital markets space as well as its strengths in controversy and litigation, while Fenn’s practice has a clear energy focus representing many MLPs as part of a broad transactional practice complemented by some controversy work. ‘Incredibly knowledgeable and easy for a non-specialist to understand’ partnership tax expert Julie Marion recently represented Caesar’s Entertainment in its $1bn joint venture with Rock Gaming, and Joseph Kronsnoble advised Leonard Green & Partners in connection with tax aspects of its $2.8bn acquisition of BJ’s Wholesale Club. Fenn and Los Angeles-based Pardis Zomorodi advised Complete Production Services in its $6.2bn acquisition by Superior Energy Services.

Within Domestic tax: East Coast, Latham & Watkins LLP is a third tier firm,

Lisa Watts (‘judgement and advice is highly valuable’) head ups Latham & Watkins LLP’s ‘very solid’ New York office. In early 2011, former Los Angeles office head David Kahn began serving as local chair of the new Boston office, a transactional practice split between private equity and emerging company work. The firm now has 33 tax attorneys based across the East Coast engaged in corporate and finance tax structuring, serving as outside counsel to both publicly traded and closely-held corporations, and advising on the full array of tax matters. Representative work highlights include and David Della Rocca’s advice to The Carlyle Group in connection with tax and benefits aspects respectively of Hellmand & Freidman, and The Carlyle Group’s $3.9n acquisition of Pharmaceutical Product Development. Jiyeon Lee-Lim and Jed Brickner provided tax and benefits advice to Goldman Sachs Lending Partners and Citigroup Global Markets as arrangers in Forst Solar’s $2.9bn project financing in connection with a 550MW solar photovoltaic power plant in Riverside California, including loan guarantees provided by the US Department of Energy.

Within Domestic tax: West Coast, Latham & Watkins LLP is a first tier firm,

Latham & Watkins LLP’s Kirt Switzer heads the firm’s broad-based West Coast practice in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and in March 2011 Pardis Zomorodi was promoted to chair of the Los Angeles office tax department. 27 of the firm’s 75 tax attorneys are located in the firm’s West Coast offices, which handle the full gamut of domestic and cross-border tax matters alongside a healthy controversy practice. The firm’s lawyers also serve as primary outside tax counsel to publicly traded and closely-held corporations, advising on the full array of tax matters including structuring investments and transactions, corporate finance, REIT formation, operation and compliance, tax examinations and controversy, and employee benefit and compensation. Zomorodi recently advised American Medical Systems on its $3.9bn acquisition by Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings, and Larry Stein represented Demand Media in connection with the tax aspects of its $174m NYSE-listed IPO. In the REIT space, the firm acts for clients including American Assets Trust, Douglas Realty Trust and Hudson Pacific Properties.

Within International tax, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

Washington DC-based Nicholas DeNovio chairs the Latham & Watkins LLP global international tax practice of some 70 lawyers across the US, UK, Germany, France, Spain and Singapore. Sam Weiner co-chairs the Asian practice from Los Angeles, while New York and London teams generally handle middle-eastern instructions. The firm assists US taxpayers to structure their offshore activities and non-US taxpayers in structuring their operations within the US. Cheryl Coe and Lisa Watts recently advised the Carlyle Group regarding the tax aspects of its $900m joint venture with the Tiger Group, in partnership with the Seaspan Corporation, the Washington Family, Gerry Wang and Graham Porter to invest in maritime shipping vessels primarily strategic to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macau. Practice clients include Broadcom Corporation, One Equity Partners, Intesa Sanpaolo and Goldman Sachs.

Within Tax controversy, Latham & Watkins LLP is a second tier firm,

The majority of the tax controversy lawyers at Latham & Watkins LLP are based in Washington DC, where Gerald Kafka heads the ‘excellent’ practice. The firm represents a number of large corporate clients across a multitude of industries including real estate, healthcare, finance and communications. Recent litigation handled by Rita Cavanagh before the Federal Claims Court gained the firm additional attention from a number of corporations; the case, for Magma Power Company, involved an interest-netting claim based on the interplay between the consolidated return filing rules and the interest computation rules, and the client was granted summary judgement in the matter. ‘Strong tax litigator’ Roger Jones, based in the Chicago office, is also recommended. In the international arena, the team has been increasingly involved in cases involving foreign tax credits. Clients include Manor Care, Shea Homes and Wells Fargo.