The Legal 500

Within Banking and finance, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a third tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s versatile corporate finance practice advises large corporations on debt, equity and hybrid financings. It also handles acquisition finance work and an increasing volume of complex financial restructurings. It recently advised Vivendi on obtaining a €1.5bn credit facility. Other clients include Technip, BNP Paribas and Goldman Sachs. Fabrice Baumgartner is ‘trustworthy, creative and extremely responsive’, and Valérie Lemaitre and Marie-Laurence Tibi are also recommended.

Within Capital markets, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a first tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP handles a broad range of high-end work. Its flagship ECM practice is of ‘exceptional quality’, but the practice’s expertise also encompasses Yankee bonds, high-yield debt, liability management, and convertible bonds. Its diverse client base includes large corporations as well as underwriters. The team has been busy with numerous complex transactions, often in a US and international context, including advising Morgan Stanley on Technicolor’s $191m capital increase and acting for the underwriters of Total Capital International’s $1.5bn SEC-registered note offering. Marie-Laurence Tibi, Andrew Bernstein, John Brinitzer and Valérie Lemaître are recommended.

Within Commercial litigation, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP manages a very impressive caseload for leading corporations involved in high-stakes cases, such as including post-acquisition and commercial litigation. The team has recently represented numerous clients in shareholders’ disputes, regularly acted as mediator between parties, and handled large private enforcement cases. The firm recently defended Sanofi-Aventis in proceedings brought by Rhodia. Jean-Yves Garaud is a first-class litigator who provides ‘very precise analysis of given situations’, and counsel Delphine Michot is ‘a good professional’.

Within International arbitration, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s expertise encompasses sovereign and public international law matters as well as commercial arbitration. Its high-profile caseload includes strategic investment gas disputes in Eastern Europe and Russia. The firm is a regular adviser to the Russian Federation, which it is representing in the huge Yukos case, and also acts for Argentina and Republic of Congo as well as numerous blue-chip corporations. The team leaders are Claudia Annacker, Jean-Yves Garaud, senior counsel Robert Greig, and counsel Roland Ziadé.

Within Stock market litigation Other recommended firms

Within White-collar crime Other recommended firms

Within EU competition and distribution, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is famous for its superb EU practice and also has great experience in co-ordinating the defence of companies facing parallel investigations in the US and EU. It represented Henkel in the cartel on detergent prices and acted for Hachette in a matter regarding the sale of e-books, which led to the signature of the first transatlantic settlement. The team also excels at merger control and state aid matters. Antoine Winckler, François Brunet and newly promoted counsel Frédéric de Bure are assisted by eight associates.

Within Insolvency, tier 4

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has an impressive record in complex cross-border financial restructuring and is also increasingly involved in domestic matters. The practice advised a commercial partner on Doux’s bankruptcy. Fabrice Baumgartner, François Jonemann, Jean-Yves Garaud and Jean-Marie Ambrosi are highly recommended.

Within Mergers and acquisitions, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s highly experienced and versatile team advises major corporations conducting strategic business transactions. The practice recently advised BNP Paribas on its €1.5bn sale of shares in Klépierre. The emerging markets have been generating a significant amount of work. The 14-partner team includes the outstanding Pierre-Yves Chabert, François Jonemann, Jean-Marie Ambrosi, Andrew Bernstein, John Brinitzer, Fabrice Baumgartner, Marie-Laurence Tibi, Gamal Abouali, and newly promoted partner Amélie Champsaur.

Within Private equity Other recommended firms

Within Energy Energy

Within Project finance, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a second tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a strong adviser for major energy and mining projects in Africa. Jean-Pierre Vignaud, Barthélemy Faye and Gamal Abouali head the team, which advises sponsors, project companies and governments on high-profile hydroelectric and oil and gas developments. It is advising the Gambia River Basin Organisation on the construction of a hydroelectric dam project and acted for the Iraqi Oil Ministry on the creation of the Basrah Gas Company joint venture.

Within Tax, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a third tier firm,

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s ‘level of service is outstanding’, and the practice includes some of the market’s leading tax advisers in senior counsel Gilles Entraygues, Anne-Sophie Coustel and consultant Pascal Coudin. The team is highly recommended for highly complex corporate tax issues, audits and tax litigation. The team frequently advises on corporate and capital markets transactions. Clients include many of the world’s leading companies and investors.