The Legal 500

Within Product liability and mass tort defense: aerospace/aviation, Nixon Peabody LLP is a second tier firm,

Nixon Peabody LLP’s longstanding and significant aviation practice has expanded from the West to East Coast, with New York-based Joseph Ortego at the forefront. The firm has a solid reputation as an authority on National Transportation Safety Board crash investigations and represents a mix of aircraft and component manufacturers, insurers and airplane operators. Examples of recent work include defending EADS/Aerospatiale in litigation arising from the Concorde jet crash at Gonesse, France in 2000. It also represented a major airline in concluding a national class action relating to passenger ticketing. Other clients include AIG Aviation, Airbus Industrie, ATR, Bell Helicopters, Comair and Eurocopter. The bulk of the practice is located in San Francisco and includes Brian Dalrymple, who has extensive experience of NTSB investigations and product liability litigation. Stephen Johnson is also recommended.

Within Trade secrets, Nixon Peabody LLP is a third tier firm,

‘Outstanding trade secrets lawyer’ Mark Halligan has been building a dedicated trade secrets team at Nixon Peabody LLP in Chicago since joining in 2009 from Hogan & Hartson, and can also call on 20 attorneys in the IP, labor and employment, white-collar crime, and commercial litigation groups to take a ‘360 degree’ approach to trade secrets. The group provides trade secret protection through training; drafting of non-compete, non-disclosure and restrictive covenants in employee agreements; and 24/7 rapid response to emergencies including applications and representation. Major corporations including Baxter Healthcare, Texas Instruments and Hollister have instructed the team, whose recent litigation outings have included acting for Motorola against Lemko and Huawei Technologies, Miller UK against Caterpillar Inc and Ion Construction in Secure Energy, Inc v Coal Synthetics on cases relating to misappropriation of trade secrets and breach of contract, and computer fraud. The group is ‘one to watch’.

Within M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m), tier 4

With multiple offices in the US, Nixon Peabody LLP is experienced in representing institutional and entrepreneurial clients in transactions of all sizes, ranging from a few million to billions of dollars. The practice recently advised Dimdim, a Massachusetts-based provider of web conferencing services such as presence, messaging, and screen sharing, in its sale to Salesforce.com, advised Boston Acoustics in its acquisition by D&M Holdings US for $74m, and assisted Gannett in its acquisition of the internet advertising firm PointRoll. Other highlights included acting for Alliance Bancorp of New England in its $77m acquisition by New Alliance Bancshares, representing Strategic Investments & Holdings in its acquisition of Topps Meat Company of New Jersey, and advising Barnes Group in its $78.5m acquisition of Kar Products and A & H Bolt & Nut Company. Boston-based David Martland leads the global business and transactions practice group. Clients say Martland is ‘an attorney I am always happy to have advising me’.