The Legal 500

Within Corporate tax, tier 4

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP has a ‘refreshing ability to deliver practical and workable solutions’, and acts on many strategic tax planning and tax implementation issues associated with multi-jurisdictional and cross-border transactions. It advised BSG Resources on the tax aspects of the creation of a joint venture with Vale to develop mining rights in the Republic of Guinea. Tim Sanders is ‘very responsive, and has great technical knowledge and business acumen’, and James Anderson provides ‘excellent advice and insights’.

Within Equity capital markets: UK capability, tier 4

The ‘very good’ practice at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP is renowned for its experience in Russian and other emerging markets deals. Recent highlights include advising Renaissance Securities and UBS as joint coordinators in the $400m Reg S IPO of Russian pharmaceuticals company OJSC Protek; and representing Russian food retailer O’Key Group in its $420m IPO. James Healy, Pranav Trivedi and Danny Tricot are recommended.

Within Equity capital markets: US capability, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a second tier firm,

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP fields an integrated practice in London. A ‘great practitioner’, Richard Ely represented Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs International as lead managers in the CHF200m share offering of gategroup Holding. Pranav Trivedi led in advising Morgan Stanley and Renaissance Securities (Cyprus) on a secondary offering of American depositary shares by Mechel OAO.

Within M&A: upper mid-market and premium deals, 250m+, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a third tier firm,

By some margin the leading M&A practice of a US firm in the City, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP is praised for its ‘excellence in industry expertise’, ‘resourcefulness’ and ‘exceptional attention to detail’. There are few European cross-border deals that happen without some sort of involvement from the firm, and 2010 was no exception. Its average deal size for European M&A was over €2bn. Highlights included acting for Altimo, the largest shareholder in VimpelCom, on the $30bn merger between Kyivstar and VimpelCom; handling the defence against a €7.5bn unsolicited proposal by Telefónica for Portugal Telecom; and deals for Nokia Siemens Networks and News Corporation. The impressive, ten-partner team includes the ‘hardworking, quick and brilliant’ Michael Hatchard, ‘commercially savvy’ Adrian Knight, and ‘seemingly tireless’ John Adebiyi. Allan Murray-Jones and Scott Simpson also come highly recommended.

Within M&A: US law capability, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a first tier firm,

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP boasts one of the strongest US M&A teams in the City, with five partners including the renowned Scott Simpson. He and Michael Berkner advised Nokia Siemens Networks in its agreement with Motorola to acquire Motorola’s wireless network infrastructure assets for $1.2bn. Hunter Baker is also recommended.

Within Private equity: transactions , tier 4

Closely aligned to the firm’s strong finance capability and benefiting from a far-reaching international network, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP’s team has ‘outstanding business acumen and industry knowledge’, acting for a small but impressive group of sponsor clients. It recently advised core client Doughty Hanson on two major acquisitions (the purchase of Vue Cinemas, and the €350m buyout of Equity Trust) and an exit (the £1.45bn disposal of Impress Coöperatieve). ‘Highly commercial’ team head Allan Murray-Jones is recommended.

Within Fraud: civil , tier 5

Gary DiBianco at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP specialises in defending civil litigation involving anti-corruption, fraud, securities and related matters around the globe.

Within Fraud: corporate crime, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a third tier firm,

Matthew Cowie at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP has been involved in some of the SFO’s highest-profile overseas corruption investigations. Gary DiBianco leads the team.

Within International arbitration, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a first tier firm,

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP’s ‘level of industry knowledge and experience is unparalleled’. The practice represented Vivendi in three parallel arbitrations in relation to the acquisition of a Polish Telecom Company. David Kavanagh is ‘brilliant’, and Patrick Heneghan ‘achieves results’. Bruce Macaulay is ‘a highly competent advocate’, and Karyl Nairn is ‘in a league of her own’.

Within Acquisition finance, tier 5

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP provides ‘responsive and knowledgeable’ advice to a borrower-focused client base. The small team operates at the upper-end of the market, and is able to call on the resources of the firm’s international network on cross-border deals such as core client Doughty Hanson’s acquisition of Equity Trust. Pete Coulton is praised for his ‘very hands-on’ approach, and is an integral member of a team that also includes recommended partners Mark Darley and Clive Wells.

Within Corporate restructuring and insolvency, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a third tier firm,

High-profile instructions for Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP included acting on the European aspects of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s pre-packaged bankruptcy in the US. Predominantly debtor focused, the firm also counts Nokia Siemens Network, Gate Gourmet, US Airways and Zolfo Cooper as clients. Lynn Hiestand retired at the start of 2011, leaving new joiner Chris Mallon as the sole partner of the group.

Within Debt capital markets, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a third tier firm,

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP is a force in emerging markets debt. Bruce Buck manages a busy Russian and CEE practice; James Healy’s recent sovereign deals include Egypt’s $1.5bn offering; and Richard Ely advised Deutsche Bank and others on Italy’s $2bn issue. Alongside these ‘business-minded lawyers, and excellent advisers’, Danny Tricot, Richard Muglia and Pranav Trivedi are ‘highly intelligent and commercially savvy, and never sleep’.

Within Emerging markets, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is a third tier firm,

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP’s Hunter Baker has a strong Russia practice, and is leading a team advising steelmaker Evraz Group on its $2.2bn of acquisition of a number of Ukrainian assets. Bruce Buck is also a key figure in the practice.

Within Overview,

US firms also continue to feature prominently, in the corporate restructuring, acquisition finance and high yield rankings in particular. White & Case LLP can lay claim to having the broadest finance offering, while other firms featuring in multiple rankings include Weil, Gotshal & Manges, which recently picked up a four-partner investment funds team from Clifford Chance; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP; Kirkland & Ellis International LLP; and Shearman & Sterling LLP. Other strong performers are Bingham McCutchen (London) LLP, which moves up to the top tier for corporate restructuring in recognition of its market-leading bondholder practice; and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, which excels in leveraged finance, advising the likes of KKR and Blackstone.

Within Oil and gas, tier 5

Douglas Nordlinger’s team at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP specialises on the corporate finance side. It advised Vitol Group and Helios Investment Partners in the $1bn acquisition of parts of Shell’s downstream businesses in Africa.

Within Power (including electricity, nuclear and renewables) , tier 4

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP excels on corporate and finance matters, under the leadership of Douglas Nordlinger. The firm advised China Huaneng Group on its acquisition of a 50% stake in InterGen.