The Legal 500

Within M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m), tier 4

With US offices in Ohio, Washington DC and New York, Thompson Hine LLP acts for emerging, middle-market and large established businesses, both public and private, as well as a variety of investment funds and professionals. Atlanta and New York-based Peter Smith was counsel to KITN Media, in connection with its sale to Adknowledge, a privately held online advertising company, and represented Halyard Capital, a private equity firm specializing in middle-market LBOs, growth equity and structured equity investments in communications and media and other companies, in connection with its acquisition of the cable assets of Newnan Utilities, a municipally owned utility. In New York, John Clapp has extensive experience in the energy, telecommunications, transportation and heavy industry sectors. Clapp was counsel to a Mexican seller in a $450m real estate portfolio sale.

Within Construction (including construction litigation), Thompson Hine LLP is a third tier firm,

Thompson Hine LLP has a sizeable construction practice in the Midwest, with 19 full-time construction lawyers located in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, and approximately 20 additional lawyers located in New York, Washington, Atlanta and other offices handling some construction matters. While the majority of work is undertaken in Ohio, the team handles instructions for URS Corporation from coast to coast; the firm has recently been acting for the design firm on contentious issues across the US worth tens of millions of dollars. The team represents builders, developers, architects, contractors and design professionals, and reaps praise for its ‘excellent bench strength and top value for money’ and ‘high level of construction competence’. It handles transactions and litigation, and is also assisted by six full-time design and construction professionals in a subsidiary business, Project Management Consultants, which offers ADR services. Recent work highlights include acting as partnering facilitators/mediators on Ohio’s $20bn school rebuilding program, currently the largest school building project in the US; the team has been involved in this project for the last decade and it is expected to continue until 2015. The firm also has a strong litigation practice, and handled disputes over claims involving the construction of a major upland raw water reservoir project in Fremont. Jeffrey Appelbaum leads the construction practice and is described by clients as ‘a star’, with a strong success rate in handling disputes. Patrick Sweeney is also recommended, as ‘a top construction contract lawyer’.

Within Real estate, tier 4

The ‘responsive, smart and efficient’ Thomas Coyne chairs Thompson Hine LLP’s 55-member real estate practice. David Salisbury represented Eaton Corporation on its new $170m corporate headquarters project, while Mario Suarez acted for Recurrent Energy on solar ground leases for utility-class facilities in several US states and Canada. Bruce Hopkins has been very active handling leasing transactions for major retail shopping centers, signature art galleries and studios. The ‘bright’ and ‘incredibly talented’ Darrel Davison is representing Principal Financial Group in over $800m worth of transactions, including the disposition of a £110m multi-family property in Washington state and another in California valued at almost $99m. The team completed a wide array of transactions during 2010 including property acquisitions, build-to-suit and joint venture developments, restructuring, workout, foreclosure and loan modification deals. Linda Striefsky is ‘highly knowledgeable, a persuasive negotiator and quick on her feet’. Clients highlight the ‘diligent and resourceful’ associate Jared Oakes who is ‘someone to watch in the leasing industry as he will be a top name in the very near future’. Of counsel Susan Tarnower recently joined the team from McGuireWoods LLP, and is an expert on special servicers.