The Legal 500

Within Capital markets: debt offerings , tier 4

The Chicago-headquartered practice at Winston & Strawn LLP has solid experience in acting for both issuers and managers in investment-grade and high-yield debt offerings. Jim Junewicz provides ‘solid company-side representation’ and is rated for his ‘objective viewpoint’. Junewicz advised Wells Fargo Securities as lead managing underwriter on Stryker Corporation’s $750m bond offering, and counts Bank of America Merrill Lynch as a major client. Cab Morris represented Barclays Capital, RBS Securities, Scotia Capital and UBS Securities as initial purchasers’ counsel in Exelon Generation Company’s $275m Rule 144A offering of 4.25% senior notes due 2022, and a $500m offering of 5.60% senior notes due 2042. On the issuer side, Morris acted for Motorola Solutions in its $750m public offering of 3.75% senior notes due 2022. David Sakowitz in New York is recommended.

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Within Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings , tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP impresses due to the expertise of Jim Junewicz. Junewicz has extensive experience in the arena, and advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch on a $250m offering of 6 3/8% senior unsecured notes due 2020 by Boise Cascade Holding. On the issuer side, Junewicz acted for Hub International in a high-yield debt offering.

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Within Corporate restructuring (including bankruptcy), tier 7

Winston & Strawn LLP’s group is distinguished by its ability to ‘harness various litigation resources inside the firm to be able to play in the world of complex high stakes bankruptcy litigation’ and by its ‘responsive, knowledgeable, pragmatic and effective’ lawyers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the diverse group also benefits from active practices in San Francisco, the Midwest and New York and ‘can represent a client in any size case and can compete with all the major firms’. National chair Eric Sagerman is an ‘extremely capable and insightful bankruptcy lawyer’ and represented the liquidating trustee in the Chapter 11 cases of People’s Choice Home Loan and Touch America Holdings, following on from advising the official committee of unsecured creditors in both cases.

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Within Financial services: regulatory, tier 8

Headed out of Chicago by the ‘strategic and creative’ Christine Edwards, Winston & Strawn LLP provides ‘efficient and cost-effective’ advice to banks, broker-dealers, investment managers and funds across the spectrum of regulatory coverage, oversight, enforcement and transactional activity. One of numerous lawyers in the team with former-in house experience, Edwards is well respected in the industry and provides regular counsel to the Financial Services Roundtable - a Washington DC-based trade association - across a range of Dodd-Frank matters. ‘Among the very finest regulatory practitioners in the country’, of counsel Julius Loeser has a ‘wealth of contacts in the industry, and an extensive knowledge of both the regulations and their application’. He is currently advising trade associations on Dodd-Frank implementation and providing bank regulatory advice to national, regional and local community banks and holding companies.

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Within Municipal bankruptcy, Winston & Strawn LLP is a first tier firm,

New York-based ‘outstanding’ Lawrence Larose heads up the strong municipal bankruptcy practice at Winston & Strawn LLP. Its high-profile clients include MBIA Insurance, which he advised as lead counsel in its complex restructuring a couple years ago. The firm’s ‘overall service level is extremely high’ and it has ‘a strong presence in this area’. In a very busy year, it acted mainly on the creditor’s side, representing in particular bondholders and bond insurers. In the pending Chapter 9 case of Jefferson County, Larose served as lead counsel for Assured Guaranty, which has an exposure of $1bn in municipal bonds. The team argued that the county’s sewer revenue warrants should be treated as "special revenue bonds" and therefore the net revenues of the sewer system not be subject to the automatic stay; instead they should continue to be applied to the payment of debt service on the sewer revenue warrants. The firm is involved in the post-bankruptcy restructuring of Vallejo, CA and in San Bernardino, CA’s Chapter 9 case on behalf of the firm’s client, National Public Finance Guarantee Corporation. For the same client, the team filed formal objections regarding Stockton, CA’s eligibility for Chapter 9 protection, on the grounds that neither the negotiations with creditors nor the filing itself were in good faith. Furthermore, the firm represented major creditors in the out-of-court restructuring of municipal debt issued in Harrisburg and Scranton, PA as well as Detroit, MI. Samuel Kohn has been involved in many major in and out-of-court municipal restructurings.

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Within Structured finance , tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP is the ‘quickest and most dependable of any firm I have ever worked with’. The firm has an experienced and well-rounded 20 attorney structured finance practice centered in Chicago, with representation in the New York, Los Angeles and Washington DC offices. The group has an established reputation for innovative securitization. Chicago-based David Galainena has the ‘ability to work with opposing lawyers to get favorable outcomes without unproductive theatrics or confrontation’. Also in Chicago, Michael Mullins ‘the fastest and most thoughtful document producer I’ve ever seen’, recently represented Perella Weinberg Partners and its portfolio company, Northpoint Commercial Finance, as issuer’s counsel in a $100m dealer floorplan receivables warehouse facility. In Los Angeles, Warren Loui acted for Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation, in connection with two automobile lease securitizations with a total issue value of $2.35bn. Also recommended in Chicago, Patrick Hardiman is ‘a creative thinker when it comes to developing the options’. Group clients include Deutsche Asset Management, Forestar Realty Group, GE Asset Management and Invenergy.

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Within Energy: litigation, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP focuses on the utilities market, with a growing presence in oil and gas. Los Angeles partner Jerry Bloom heads the national practice and represents numerous independent power producers focusing on both renewable and traditional fossil-fuel energy generation. Nash Long led a team which acted for Duke Energy Carolinas in obtaining a significant ruling against South Carolina Health and Environmental Control over the relicensing of its hydroelectric power plants on Catawba-Wateree, South Carolina. Ray Wuslich is representing Terra-Gen Power in FERC proceedings concerning open access transmission service on the Dixie Valley generation tie line, which connects the company’s Nevada geothermal generating facility to the Southern California transmission grid. Washington DC lawyer Gordon Coffee is recommended.

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Within Energy: regulatory, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

‘Traditional utilities firm’ Winston & Strawn LLP has a strong profile on the West Coast, and is well known for its work in renewable and alternative energy, as well as broader ecological issues, such as greenhouse gas reduction. As well as regularly representing clients before FERC and the NRC, the practice has deep experience in acting for California’s local regulatory agencies, such as the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and the California Energy Commission (CEC). The firm successfully defended Allegheny Energy before FERC against the California Attorney General’s claims that it was guilty of market manipulation and tariff violations during the Californian energy crisis 2000-01. The firm also convinced NERC to retract its initial findings and dismiss claims that its client Northern Indiana Public Service Commission had violated reliability standards. The firm has also represented California Cogeneration Council since its inception in 1985. In November 2011, a team including Los Angeles-based practice head Jerry Bloom, Joseph Carp and Lisa Kottle secured final agreement from the State of California for California Cogeneration Council to proceed with a new wave of combined heat and power projects. The strategy is set to promote the region’s move towards energy self-sufficiency and the reduction of greenhouse emissions. The team is continuing to work with the Council in implementing the scheme. The firm is also acting for Atlantic Wind Connection in relation to a proposed $5bn subsea, high-voltage transmission grid to run from northern New Jersey to southern Virginia, and assisting CleanPath Ventures in its development of renewable energy projects, including a solar development in California. David Repka and William Horin are recommended. Elias Farrah, Timothy Carey and Brien Wassner joined from Dewey & LeBeouf LLP; and Tyson Smith in San Francisco was promoted to the partnership.

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Within Energy: renewable/alternative, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

Centered on its Los Angeles office, Winston & Strawn LLP’s energy, project development and finance group has built a strong reputation, particularly with respect to tax-advantaged financings. In 2012 Amit Kalra advised Wells Fargo Bank on four tax equity investments in wind farms as part of a syndicate with JPMorgan and Metropolitan Life Insurance. On the borrower side, Jonathan Birenbaum in New York acted for K Road Power Holdings on financing the acquisition of McHenry solar farm in California; while Katherine McAvoy Gillespie is advising SunRun on a $150m financing relating to home solar photovoltaic systems. Elias Farrah, who joined from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, is representing Atlantic Wind Connection in a proposed $5bn subsea, high-voltage transmission grid that will run from northern to southern New Jersey about 50 miles offshore. Other key figures in the practice include Jerry Bloom, who is assisting French company Soitec Solar with the development of various solar facilities; and Joseph Karp, who represented Ormat Technologies in a 10MW solar photovoltaic power purchase agreement with Imperial Irrigation Districts.

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Within Copyright, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP is distinguished by its representation of technology companies in bet-the-company digital media copyright cases. These include the successful representation of the defendant in precedent-setting case UMG v Veoh and acting for Yahoo! in US v ASCAP. Michael Elkin heads the practice from New York and has led on some notable cases at trial. Most recently, he was co-counsel to Aereo as defendant to a copyright lawsuit brought by a number of broadcasting companies, which allege infringement through Aereo’s mobile streaming of television programmes. The firm successfully represented the client at district court proceedings with the case now being decided at a Second Circuit appeal. Jennifer Golinveaux led for the defendant in Games Workshop v Chapterhouse Studios, which looks at the alleged copying of the plaintiff’s products by Chapterhouse. Thomas Lane has extensive trial experience in representing media and entertainment companies and individuals.

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Within Patent litigation: full coverage, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP ‘truly adopts a client’s mission as its own’ and provides both strong technical knowledge and commercial sense for winning high-stakes patent litigation matters. Its core strength remains in the life sciences although it has been increasingly handling disputes across a broader range of technologies, such as hi-tech, electronics and telecoms. IP chair George Lombardi leads the team from Chicago and is widely recognized for his lead trial counsel capabilities on high-profile cases. Lombardi won a $1bn damages award for the plaintiff in Monsanto v DuPont, obtaining a ruling that the asserted biotechnology patent is valid and infringed. James Hurst provides ‘technically good, commercially appropriate, timely and strategic advice’. He successfully represented generic drug companies Caraco and Sun Pharmaceuticals as defendants against Novo Nordisk at the Supreme Court, obtaining a reversal of a Federal Circuit decision to rule in favor of generics manufacturers in relation to use of the counterclaim provision of the Hatch-Waxman Act. He also won for the defendant in a Federal Circuit appeal hearing of Pharma SA and Sanofi-Aventis v Hospira, which affirmed a district court ruling to find the asserted patents claims invalid and obtained through "inequitable conduct". Alfred Fabricant (‘very good experience, knowledge and judgment’) successfully acted for defendants in McKesson Automation v Swisslog Italia to obtain a ruling of non-infringement. David Enzminger won for Belkin as defendant to a case brought by Fujitsu, with a district court ruling that the asserted patent claim for wireless networking cards is invalid.

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Within Employee benefits and executive compensation, tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP’s EBEC group has specific expertise in corporate governance, securities law reporting, and the investment of employee benefit assets. The firm’s ‘service is excellent. Its response time is good and it offers practical advice fit for our business’. Michael Melbinger who ‘staffs projects with the appropriate levels of expertise, and is very sensitive to providing cost effective services within our budgets’, testified before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection Subcommittee on behalf of the Financial Services Roundtable and worked with roundtable members to prepare and submit comments on proposed rules issued by the Federal Reserve, the SEC, and other federal agencies relating to the executive compensation and corporate governance provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. Erik Lundgren, Mark Weisberg, Michael Falk are all recommended.

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Within Labor and employment litigation, tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP is advising in the Experian discrimination case, in which the plaintiff brought the following claims: sex and race discrimination, sexual harassment and hostile work environment, and retaliation, all in violation of the Michigan Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act and violation of the Michigan Sales Representative Commissions Act. The firm’s client was granted summary judgment on all claims by the District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Other clients include Wells Fargo, Wachovia, Abbott Laboratories, Sears, Caterpillar and American Airlines. Rex Sessions, who is ‘a wonderful lawyer and a wonderful guy’, is chair of the labor and employment group. Susan Benton ‘is smart, curious, and well-versed in law. I appreciate her willingness to temper her legal advice with business considerations and not just on (avoidance of) legal risk’. Joseph Torres, Chris Gangemi and Joan Fife are also recommended.

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Within International arbitration, tier 4

With the arrival of Aldo Badini from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, and Joseph Tirado from Norton Rose LLP at the firms New York and London offices respectively, Winston & Strawn LLP is ramping up its resources in this practice. Clients report ‘an experienced, responsive and client-focused team made up of talented international advocates of a very high quality: it’s astute, strategically gifted and acts as if the clients concerns were its own’. With ‘extremely impressive experience’ in the investor-state treaty work that constitutes the bulk of its caseload, and ‘a wide and appropriate knowledge of US law and the US legal system’, one peer comments the team would be ‘our first choice of co-counsel’. The team is representing: a Middle Eastern government in competing proceedings under ICSID and ICC rules and stemming from construction and public tender matters; Mckesson Corporation, in a long-running case against Iran at the IUSCT; and Ecuador in its long running case against Chevron & Texaco, under UNCITRAL rules. It also recently obtained an ICSID counterclaim win on behalf of a European state. Global co-chair of the international arbitration practice Mark Bravin ‘is one of the most knowledgeable investor-state arbitration lawyers practising today, with exceptional knowledge of and enormous experience in state responsibility and investment treaty protection’. ‘The experience, knowledge and gravitas that Mark brings to the table are extremely valuable’. ‘A knowledgeable and strategically gifted attorney’, John Roesser’s hands-on approach and good availability make him a client favourite, as does his ability to ‘see the path to a resolution and achieve it in minimal time’. Senior counsel C MacNeil Mitchell, and Eric Bloom and Tomás Leonard, are all recommended. Of counsel Maria Kostytska, who works out of both the Washington DC and Paris offices, ‘is younger but already has experience sitting as an arbitrator and is very promising’.

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Within Leading trial lawyers, Winston & Strawn LLP is a first tier firm,

Dan Webb, Winston & Strawn LLP: Dan Webb is known for being ‘first rate in all respects’ and ‘a very talented lawyer’, and the team he leads - which also includes George Lombardi (‘as good a "bet-the-company" trial lawyer as there is: excellent judgment and great courtroom presence’) - is ‘incredibly responsive and dedicated’. The variety of Webb’s docket impresses: in 2012, Webb scored a notable victory in an arbitration on behalf of Health South, a matter worth $3bn; he also represented William Cellini, in a white-collar federal criminal charge, securing acquittals from the two more serious charges. Webb also teamed up with Thomas Kirsch in defending Dr Arvind Ahuja from conspiracy and tax violation charges, winning acquittal from two out of 11 counts. This ‘remarkable lawyer’ was recently retained by Microsoft in respect of a large pending patent trial.

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Within Product liability and mass tort defense: consumer products (including tobacco), tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP benefits from a longstanding relationship with pharmaceuticals and tobacco clients and is a ‘trusted’ adviser in major class actions. George Lombardi is ‘a bet-the-company trial lawyer’, and has acted as lead counsel for Phillip Morris in litigation brought by the federal government. Lombardi is ‘extremely easy to work with’ and strikes up a ‘great rapport with juries’. The team’s senior advisers are supported by ‘first-rate junior partners’ that consistently show ‘tremendous knowledge and judgment’. Alexander Shaknes has played an important role in advising Phillip Morris in arbitration concerning the 1998 Master Service Agreement, and senior litigator Dan Webb - the firm’s chairman - has a ‘well-deserved reputation’ for successfully trying cases. Thomas Quigley heads the practice group, which ‘matches up well against other go-to firms for bet the company litigation’. John Moss recently represented LG Electronics in national class action concerning its microwave ovens, which were sold under the General Electric brand. Other names to note include Jennifer Malin and Luke Connelly in New York, as well as Lawrence Desideri and Scott Glauberman in Chicago.

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Within Product liability and mass tort defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP is best regarded for its representation of Pfizer’s subsidiaries. Dan Webb and John Moss acted for Wyeth and Pharmacia & Upjohn in hormone therapy litigation encompassing 10,000 personal injury claims, arising from patients’ use of Prempro, Premarin, and Provera. Nathan Hoffman won a significant federal court trial for Wyeth Pharmaceutical, clearing its client of any liability in a hormone therapy case. Abbott Laboratories and Anchen Pharmaceuticals are other key clients. Thomas Quigley heads the practice, which includes newly promoted partner Nicole Wrigley.

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Within Securities: shareholder litigation, tier 5

Winston & Strawn LLP’s ‘advice is always timely, appropriate and well-reasoned’. The securities litigation group is chaired in New York by the May 2012 hire from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP, James Smith, ‘a very polished, experienced and articulate advocate, able to distill complex issues into simple terms’. Chicago’s Caryn Jacobs leads the firm’s substantial auditor defense practice. Jacobs, with firm chair Dan Webb continues to work on the Navistar International Corporation vs Deloitte & Touche case, which succeeded a federal shareholder class action. In another representative case, New York’s Richard Reinthaler is working with John Schreiber from the Los Angeles office, to represent certain current and former officers and directors of Omnicare in a complex shareholder derivative action alleging, inter alia, breach of fiduciary duty, and unjust enrichment. Also recommended by clients, in Los Angeles Neal Marder is ‘very efficient and smart, he pinpoints the arguments without needing to raise obscure defenses’.

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Within Supreme Court and appellate, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

In 2012, Winston & Strawn LLP’s Jim Hurst and Steffen Johnson won a significant 9-0 victory before the US Supreme Court in Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories v Novo Nordisk, in which it was held that the firm’s client could force a correction when the brand submits misleading patent information to the FDA, a decision which is likely to save billions for consumers through lower-priced consumer drugs. The firm is also representing Grant Thornton LLP on an ongoing basis in its mammoth criminal fraud Refco litigation, in which the firm has won a series of victories, including a $2bn dismissal of a suit brought by the Refco litigation trustee. The firm is also experiencing momentum in False Claims Act and securities work, as well as a growth in matters before the Ninth Circuit. William Ferranti was promoted to the partnership in 2012.

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Within White-collar criminal defense , tier 5

Winston & Strawn LLP’s glowing reputation shows no sign of diminishing, following a slew of high-profile instructions, including defending William Cellini in a public corruption case brought by the US Attorney’s Office in Chicago, and acting for former BP CEO Tony Hayward in Deepwater Horizon litigation. It also defended former CEO of Spectranetics, John Schulte, against charges alleging offenses relating to the use of certain medical devices; following trial, he was acquitted of 11 of 12 charges. The scope of the team’s work is wide-ranging, taking in FCPA, money laundering, tax violations and healthcare fraud. Another advantage is its geographical spread, with lawyers on the ground in New York, Washington DC, Charlotte and San Francisco. The ‘excellent’ Daniel Rubinstein, who recently joined from Greenberg Traurig LLP attracts rave reviews, with multiple clients noting his ‘personal investment in the cases and outcome’, as well as the ‘priceless care that was provided throughout’ by Rubenstein and his team. The ‘highly respected’ Dan Webb and Tom Kirsch are key contacts.

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Within Marketing and advertising, Winston & Strawn LLP is a first tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP’s lawyers provide an ‘extraordinary level of service, promptly and courteously’, advising advertising agencies, promotional companies and major consumer product manufacturers on advertising substantiation, FTC review and counseling, sweepstakes and promotions, NAD and network concerns, talent and sponsorship contracts, privacy law issues, trademark and copyright review and litigation. The ‘thorough, thoughtful’ group wins particular praise for its handling of ‘food labeling litigation’ and for ‘keeping abreast of litigation trends’. Brian Heidelberger, chair of the advertising, marketing and entertainment practice, who is considered ‘a leader among advertising lawyers’ and ‘understands the business of the law’, handled media matters regarding the firm’s representation of Guggenheim Partners and Magic Johnson, as co-counsel, in the $2.15bn acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers and assisted American Honda and its advertising agency RPA with the creation of its Super Bowl television commercials, featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Matthew Broderick. ‘Excellent all-round advertising lawyer’ Liisa Thomas, who is ‘particularly strong on trademarks and privacy’ as well as email, text and behavioral advertising, provides counseling and clearance for Taco Bell’s advertising and promotions. The ‘extremely intelligent and creative’ Ronald Rothstein handles major false advertising cases, notably representing Pennington Seed against Scotts in two cases involving grass seeds and garden products. Dan Webb and Stephen D’Amore represented the Corn Refiners Association in the high-profile false advertising litigation involving high fructose corn syrup. Mary Reed is handling multiple NAD challenges for two manufacturing companies. Brian Fergemann advises Michael Stores on “truth in advertising" pricing issues and other regulatory compliance. In Washington DC, Anthony DiResta handles FTC and consumer protection matters. Trademark and cyber law expert Paul McGrady joined from Greenberg Traurig LLP.

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Within Technology: data protection and privacy, Winston & Strawn LLP is a third tier firm,

Supported by the firm’s strength in advertising and marketing, labor and employment, and healthcare and financial services, Liisa Thomas and her team at Winston & Strawn LLP provide ‘highly tailored and valued advice’ to represent major consumer brands, advertising agencies and consumer research companies. Anthony DiResta is handling four business critical FTC investigations. The group has particular expertise in online privacy, mobile and interactive advertising and helps clients develop data protection programs under US laws, including Massachusetts law and the FTC Red Flag Rules, and manage compliance audits and internal and external investigations. Thomas, who is privacy and data security counsel for Chicago Sun-Times, assisted Live Nation with the revamping and streamlining of its privacy policy. On the contentious side, Norman Beck is defending Motorola Mobility against a putative multidistrict litigation class action alleging the monitoring of keystrokes and other consumer information.

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Within Antitrust, tier 5

Present in four offices nationally, Winston & Strawn LLP’s antitrust practice benefited from a flurry of hires in 2012, when nine highly respected partners and one of counsel joined from the now-defunct Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP. In particular, Jeffrey Kessler (now one of the practice chairs) and David Feher are singled out as ‘the premiere antitrust advocates in cases involving major entities in the world of sports’. In this context, the firm recently represented a number of professional football players in a case challenging the legality of the NFL’s lockout imposed on all NFL players, claiming that it was an illegal group boycott and price-fixing agreement designed to eliminate competition. Well known for its litigation capabilities, work highlights also saw the team represent NorthShore University HealthSystem against an antitrust class action alleging that the merger of Evanston Hospital and Highland Park Hospital raised prices for healthcare services. Dan Webb has ‘no visible weaknesses’ and is ‘not afraid to take prudent risks for his clients’, and Mark McCareins, Paul Griffin and Robert Ruyak co-chair the practice alongside Kessler. The group garners praise for its ‘instant responses and very good industry knowledge’.

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Within M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m), Winston & Strawn LLP is a second tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP’s ‘legal teams are extremely responsive, knowledgeable regarding the relevant law and their clients’ businesses, and practical in their advice; and they act as our partners to get deals done’. The practice stands out for its ability to combine corporate/M&A and regulatory advice. Key mandates for the firm included representing Guggenheim Partners, as co-counsel, in connection with the $2.15bn acquisition of the Los Angeles Dodgers by Guggenheim Partners and Magic Johnson, the purchase price being the largest ever for a professional sports franchise, and including the purchase of a 50% interest in the property surrounding Chavez Ravine and stadium parking lots; acting for Motorola Solutions in connection with the repurchase of 23.7m shares of common stock from Carl Icahn, as part of a $3bn share repurchase program; acting for Star Atlantic Waste Holdings II in connection with its announced agreement to purchase Veolia ES Solid Waste from Veolia Environmental Services North America Corporation, pursuant to which Star Atlantic will combine its existing investments in Advanced Disposal Services and Interstate Waste Services with the acquired Veolia operations, the combined business operating as Advanced Disposal Services, the largest privately owned environmental services business in the US; advising Beam in connection with its $605m acquisition of the Pinnacle Vodka and Calico Jack Rum brands from White Rock Distilleries, the purchase involving the purchase of substantially all of the assets of White Rock Distilleries; and acting for NGL Energy Partners in connection with its $693m merger with High Sierra Energy, a Colorado-based limited partnership whose three core business segments are crude oil gathering, transportation, and marketing, water treatment, disposal, recycling, and transportation, and natural gas liquids transportation and marketing. Other highlights included acting for X-Rite in the $478m sale of the company to Danaher Corporation, pursuant to a tender offer and subsequent merger; advising The Martin-Brower Company (Martin-Brower) in connection with the $400m acquisition of Keystone Foods’ distribution and logistics businesses in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific from Marfrig Alimentos, resulting in Martin-Brower now becoming McDonald’s largest distributor worldwide; and acting for Silgan Holdings, a supplier of rigid packaging for consumer goods products, in connection with its acquisition of Rexam’s plastic thermoformed food business. Chicago partner Oscar David leads the firm’s M&A practice, which also includes former corporate practice chair, Steven Gavin, and seasoned deal lawyers Robert Wall and Bruce Toth, supported by Gregory Bynan, Brian Schafer and Matthew Bergmann. David is an ‘exceptional lawyer and business partner; he is always extremely responsive, combines depth of legal knowledge with a practical, solution-oriented approach, and his ability to build strong personal relationships is excellent’. Matthew Costigan is an ‘exceptional M&A partner’; and a prominent private equity buyouts practice is led by New York-based Bradley Vaiana and Brian Kozlowski in Chicago. Recently, Robert Rawn joined the New York office from Bryan Cave LLP; and James Faley Jr arrived in the Chicago office from Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Faley has structured, negotiated, documented, and closed a variety of transactions, ranging in size from several million dollars to over $1bn. Todd Bloomquist left to join client Beam, as associate general counsel; Derek Linde went in-house with client Illinois Tool Works, as associate general counsel; and Terrance Brady exited for client Underwriters Laboratories, as general counsel.

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Within Construction, tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP’s construction litigation specialists have experience representing clients in every forum, including state and federal trial and appellate courts, industry and international arbitration panels, federal and state boards of contract appeals, and other ADR proceedings such as mediations. The firm also advises on transactional matters, with notable expertise in energy and infrastructure sector construction. The firm has acted for XL Insurance in resolving 21 lawsuits amounting to approximately C$100m following claims asserted by Shell Canada Ltd, which arose from the design and construction of an oil refinery. It has also represented The Industrial Company (TIC) in connection with EPC contacts for two cement plant modernization projects valued at $260m. Its work with TIC included representing the company in two major construction disputes that were resolved through ADR. Key contact David Romm concentrates on the prosecution and defense of complex construction cases.

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Within Real estate, tier 5

Corey Tessler chairs the 18-partner real estate practice at Winston & Strawn LLP, and has developed mortgage conduit and securitization programs for lending institutions across the country, involving retail, multi-family, hotel, and office properties. Also recommended are Chicago-based Christine Graff and Mark Henning, the latter heading the real estate side of the firm’s leveraged leasing practice. The firm advised Wells Fargo Bank on the origination of a $165m first mortgage loan, which was secured on 1 South Wacker Drive, Chicago. It also advised Prime Retail, Prime Group Realty Trust, Capital Automotive REIT, Macquarie Real Estate, AMLI Commercial Properties, and underwriters such as Friedman, Billings, Ramsey & Co, Wachovia Securities, and RBC Capital Markets. Susan Chalfin has joined the team.

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Within Domestic tax: Central, Winston & Strawn LLP is a second tier firm,

Winston & Strawn LLP’s service is ‘consistently excellent’. The Chicago-based team consists of 12 partners including practice leaders James Lynch and Lou Weber. The ‘very creative’ Roger Lucas is a ‘top tax practitioner’ and focuses on advising private equity firms on complicated leveraged buyout transactions. Lucas represented Monitor Clipper and its portfolio company, MSC Care Management, in connection with its merger with One Call Medical. The team works across a range of industries but has a particular strength collaborating with the firm’s energy, project development and finance group on the development and finance of electricity generation projects. Head of federal tax controversy Daniel Dumezich is ‘knowledgeable’ and ‘timely’ and the team’s strength lies in favorably resolving matters before litigation. The firm also represented Sunrun on the tax aspects of the securitization of its residential solar income streams while realizing the full value of energy tax credits and depreciation; John Lorentzen was the key partner in the matter.

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Within Domestic tax: East Coast, tier 5

Winston & Strawn LLP provides ‘thoughtful and well reasoned’ advice. ‘Outstanding tax attorney and a valued business advisor’ Edmund Cohen chairs the East Coast tax practice from New York, where the majority of the tax practice is based following the departure of Washington DC partners James Warren and Alexander Zakupowsky to Miller & Chevalier Chartered. Mitch Moetell has a wealth of experience advising commercial and investment banks and hedge funds on tax matters. The firm’s broad practice encompasses tax controversy and tax planning for an impressive client base, including a number of financial institutions.

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Within Domestic tax: West Coast, tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP’s West Coast practice comprehensively covers state and local tax matters. Charles Moll leads the San Franscisco-based team and is joined by Troy Van Dongen. The practice has extensive local tax knowledge, including experience with hotel occupancy taxes, property taxes, business license tax and other excise taxes. The firm focuses primarily on the resolution of tax controversies before various California authorities and on the federal level before the IRS. Work highlights included representing both Genentech and Elan Pharmaceuticals in a number of first impression cases involving high-profile biotech industry issues.

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Within Tax controversy, tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP’s federal tax controversy practice is chaired by Washington DC-based Daniel Dumezich and co-chaired by Chicago-based James Lynch and Louis Weber, representing clients interests at all administrative and judicial levels. The SALT practice is co-chaired by Chuck Moll in San Francisco and has one of the most diverse practices in California and across the country, providing services on the full range of SALT controversy issues. The tax controversy team has built a reputation for its client-oriented approach and ‘strong knowledge of the law’. The team represents individuals, major finance institutions and public accounting firms, including the recent representation of Thrifty Oil before the US Tax Court in a case, regarding ordinary and necessary business expenses linked to a contingent liability tax structure, against the IRS.

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