The Legal 500

Within Corporate tax Corporate tax

Within Financial services, tier 6

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP focuses on the regulatory side of domestic and international finance. Thomas O’Riordan is valued for his ‘insightful contributions’.

Within M&A: lower mid-market, £50m-£250m, tier 5

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP’s London team is praised for its ‘intense work ethic’, and practice head and newly appointed office head Ronan O’Sullivan has ‘a great style’ and ‘a quick, analytical mind’. The firm represented Jacobs Engineering on its $913m acquisition of Oslo-listed Aker Solutions. The group was strengthened recently by the arrival of Garrett Hayes from Macfarlanes LLP.

Within Fraud: civil , tier 5

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP often acts for financial services clients in relation to loan and regulatory fraud.

Within Commercial litigation Commercial litigation

Within Asset finance and leasing, tier 7

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP is recommended, although it was weakened by the recent departure of aviation finance specialist Keith Wilson to Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP.

Within Corporate restructuring and insolvency, tier 4

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP’s four-partner team delivers ‘excellent service at good value for money’. Karl Clowry is highly recommended; he provides ‘clear and commercial advice, and does not sit on the fence’.

Within Investment funds Investment funds

Within Securitisation, Paul Hastings LLP is a third tier firm,

‘The go-to firm for CMBS restructurings’, Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP ‘outshines many other firms on practicality, technical creativity and honesty’. Charles Roberts is ‘the standard-bearer for the industry’; and Conor Downey ‘gives advice that clients can trust, and which reflects commercial realities’. The team advised a European bank on a £300m CMBS backed by a single large office property in London, and represented the special servicer on the £1.2bn Fleet Street 2 deal.

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 Commercial property, tier 5

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP has a strong emphasis on joint ventures, financings and restructurings, often in a cross-border context. Recent highlights include representing AREA Property Partners on its joint venture with Sovereign Land and Shepherd Construction for the acquisition of Wakefield’s Trinity Walk shopping centre. Mark Eagan and Emma Bucknall are recommended.

Within Property finance, tier 4

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker (Europe) LLP, which ‘provides excellent service and advice’, is well known for cross-border lender work for clients such as Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank. It acted for CB Richard Ellis Loan Servicing on the £1.15bn White Tower commercial mortgage securitisation. Justin Jowitt is recommended.