The Legal 500

United States: Dispute resolution

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense - ranked: tier 4

Squire Patton Boggs

Joseph Walker in Washington DC leads the team at Squire Patton Boggs, which is engaged by clients on the spectrum of investigations and criminal enforcement matters across the globe, including parallel civil prosecutions. Highlights for Washington DC's Rodney Slater included his appointment as an independent monitor to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles US under a consent order by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Daniel Waltz in Washington DC and Miami's Rebekah Poston are representing Alvarez & Marsal in a number of matters, including obtaining OFAC licenses for the client's Moscow branch and seeking the removal of sanctions against Russian oligarchs and their companies.

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International arbitration

International arbitration - ranked: tier 4

Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs is 'a reputable name' in the arbitration space, handling a wide array of investment treaty and commercial arbitration matters, with core strength in the oil and gas industry. The team is acting for the Republic of Croatia in an ICSID arbitration concerning alleged breaches of the Energy Charter Treaty. It also represented the Slovak Republic in a $1bn ICSID arbitration brought by EuroGas and Belmont Resources concerning a claim for lost investments allegedly resulting from the Slovak Republic’s withdrawal of rights to a talc mining area. George von Mehren jointly heads the global arbitration practice alongside Stephen Anway based in New York, the latter of whom focuses on investment treaty disputes. David Alexander in Columbus is recommended for his expertise in BIT claims for sovereign clients. In addition, the team was strengthened in 2019 by the arrival of Miriam Harwood, who joined the New York office from Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLP and now co-heads the investment arbitration practice.

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United States: Finance

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate - ranked: tier 5

Squire Patton Boggs

New York-based Stephen Lerner leads the team at Squire Patton Boggs, known for complex, cross-border bankruptcies and related litigation. The experienced practice was boosted by the additions in the Washington DC office of Chris Giaimo, who focuses on creditors' rights and litigation, and specialist in corporate trust and financial restructuring Jeff Rothleder; both arrived from Clark Hill PLC. The firm acted for an independent regional gas company headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, Dana Gas PJSC, in an issue involving the restructuring of a $700m Islamic financing vehicle called a mudarabah sukuk, which resulted in litigation seeking to declare it unlawful and unenforceable under the laws of the UAE; the matter was eventually settled as part of a successful restructuring completed in 2018. In another highlight, the group is advising the board of directors of FirstEnergy in the out-of-court restructuring of FirstEnergy Solutions and its subsidiaries; the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Northern District of Ohio in March 2018 and the firm assists the board on all related matters.

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Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal - ranked: tier 2

Squire Patton Boggs

The municipal practice at Squire Patton Boggs covers a broad range of matters, with notable experience in education and healthcare. In a highlight, the practice is representing Syncora Guarantee in connection with the Chapter 9 restructuring and potential sale of a hospital by the debtor in the Tulare Health Care District. The team also acted for Ambac Assurance Corporation in the Chapter 9 proceedings of West Contra Costa Hospital District, resulting in a consensual restructuring plan and enforcement of rights under the insurance policy. Cincinnati-based Stephen Lerner is global practice head and leads a team that also includes Karol Denniston, who is active in the high-profile Puerto Rico COFINA-PROMESA Title III restructuring proceedings, working from the firm’s San Francisco office.

Leading lawyers

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United States: Government

Government relations

Government relations - ranked: tier 1

Squire Patton Boggs

Considered a ‘great group of talented individuals’, ‘super responsive, knowledgeable and easy to work with’, Squire Patton Boggs has put together ‘one of the most complete and strongest public policy teams in the country’. The group handles matters in a wide variety of sectors, including defense and national security, energy and environment, financial services and tax, healthcare, international trade, tax, transportation, infrastructure and technology. Senior counsel Trent Lott, Edward Newberry, ‘who is one of the most talented lawyers in Washington’, as well as ‘an excellent strategic thinker and tactician’, and senior counsel and former senator John Breaux are the practice heads. The team successfully advocated for the government of US Virgin Islands in the passage of federal hurricane disaster legislation, providing billions of dollars of hurricane relief to help rebuild its economy. Aubrey Rothrock III represented the Coca-Cola Company’s interests during the US corporate tax reform debate. Other clients include Nissan North America, SK Group and Airbus. Carolina Mederos is a key team member, and associate Rory Murphy is recommended. Also two new big additions to the team are former US congressmen Joseph Crowley and Bill Shuster, who both joined in February 2019.

Leading lawyers

Next Generation Partners

Rising stars

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United States: Industry focus

Insurance: advice to insurers

Insurance: advice to insurers - ranked: tier 3

Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs' insurance and reinsurance practice features a bench of 'pragmatic' lawyers who 'form excellent working relationships with clients and are prepared to compromise if appropriate'. The team advises on regulations, claims and international arbitration relating to professional, product and general liability, life, long-term care and health insurance, variable annuity, sports injuries, employment discrimination and environmental cases. Insurance dispute resolution practice lead Deirdre Johnson in Washington DC advised Munich Re as one of the defendants in a French product liability coverage action brought by Fountaine Pajot, while Paul Kalish serves as national counsel to Allianz on environmental, asbestos and sports-related concussion claims. In San Francisco, David Godwin represented Granite State Insurance Company against liability claims relating to environmental contamination at the Portland Harbor Superfund site. International insurance litigator Suman Chakraborty is a key individual in the New York office.

Leading individuals: Insurance: advice to insurers: reinsurance

Rising stars

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United States: M&A/corporate and commercial

M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m)

M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) - ranked: tier 1

Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs' corporate M&A practice regularly advises on domestic and multi-jurisdictional transactions spanning a broad array of key industries, including automotive, aviation, diversified industrials and chemicals, as well as financial and business services, food and beverage, and consumer brands. Lincoln Electric, Lassonde Industries, Meritor and Valvoline are regular clients. In Cleveland, Daniel Berick, the Americas chair of the global corporate practice and co-head of the global family office team, acted for the Japan-based Asahi Glass Company in the acquisition of Park Electrochemical's electronics business; Cipriano Beredo advised Lassonde Industries, a Canadian agri-food company, on its $146m acquisition of Old Orchard Brands, a family-owned juice and beverage company; and Laura Nemeth assisted global IT company Enea on its acquisition of software developer Openwave Mobility. Elsewhere, Phoenix's Matthew Holman led advice to Engenavis, which designs and manufactures energy storage batteries, on a complex, cross-border M&A transaction whereby Engenavis amalgamated with a Swiss company and contemporaneously closed a new credit facility and acquired an Italian target company; Columbus-based Donald Hughes advised Core Molding Technologies, through two newly formed acquisition subsidiaries, on its acquisition of Horizon Plastics International and certain of its affiliates; and James Hsu, who divides his time between Los Angeles, Beijing and Shanghai, acted for Huabao International, as majority equity owner, in the merger of its portfolio company VMR Products with JUUL, a Delaware company that manufactures and promotes e-cigarettes. Also key to the practice are managing partner of the New York office Carolyn Buller, Cleveland office managing partner Michele Connell, Frank Placenti and Jaime Daddona in Phoenix, David Zagore in Cleveland, and Cincinnati-based Edward Steiner and Toby Merchant. Wayne Bradley and Ann-Marie McGaughey were hired in Atlanta from Dentons.

Leading lawyers

Next Generation Partners

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United States: Media, technology and telecoms

Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory

Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory - ranked: tier 3

Squire Patton Boggs

Squire Patton Boggs is praised by clients for its 'deep bench' as well as its regulatory experience and cross-border capabilities. Wireless spectrum expert Mark Dever advises Northstar wireless on its negotiations to secure bidding credits from the FCC, following on from litigation related to the AWS-3 auction.  Practice head Robert Kelly is notable for his ability to 'maximize efficiency and provide the greatest value to clients', as well as his strong track record with clients in the intelligent vehicles industry, representing the Intelligent Transportation Society of America before the FCC on regulatory matters, particularly regarding the proposals to allow unlicensed devices to operate in the 5.9GHz band. Eduardo Guzmán focuses on regulatory and dispute resolution work in Latin America, as well as practicing domestically. Guzmán handles various matters for key client Puerto Rico Telephone Company in the wake of infrastructure damage caused by Hurricane Maria, including disputes with PREPANet, a subsidiary of state energy company PREPA. Another key client for the firm is the 800MHz Transition Administrator, for which Kelly acts as general counsel in its reconfiguration of the 800MHz spectrum band. Other key names at the practice include Joseph Markoski, an 'excellent' specialist in mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and Robert Stup, who focuses on regulatory compliance, particularly concerning the Universal Service Fund and various spectrum issues; Stup is recommended by clients for his pragmatic advice.

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