Mr Damien Zoubek > Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP > New York, United States > Lawyer Profile

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, which has recently made waves in the US M&A market, continues to ‘invest in top-notch legal talent‘, including core corporate and transaction specialists from elite firms in this space. The New York-based team is now prepared to handle numerous high-end, bet-the-company M&A on behalf of household-name clients from the worlds of tech, energy, manufacturing, life sciences and private equity, among other sectors. Standing out for its ability to navigate sensitive issues in the context of hostile M&A, takeover defense and shareholder activism, the group is led by the powerhouse duo Damien Zoubek, ‘a very powerful negotiator and asset in any M&A transaction‘, and Ethan Klingsberg, a leading figure in cross-border and domestic deals. Other key individuals include Paul Tiger, whose experience also covers private equity investments, and Sebastian Fain, who takes the lead on several contested and negotiated transactions, as well as joint ventures involving a range of industries. The highly-rated Jenny Hochenberg joined from Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP in May 2022. All members are based in New York.

Based in New York, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is notable in its full-service offering, running the gamut of shareholder activism defense and preparation, including negotiations, navigating wolf-packs, settlement agreements and proxy fights with activists. Clients turn to the group for complex shareholder activism matters, a recent example of which was advising Euronav on its pending merger with Frontline Ltd, a reflection of the  group’s abilities to handle complex activism matters in the context of contested M&A situations and cross border transactions. Ethan Klingsberg, who also co-leads the firm’s M&A department, leads the team alongside Elizabeth Bieber, who stands out for her ‘expert, relevant, timely, nuanced, and actionable’ advice. Another influential team member is Damien Zoubek who is also co-head of the firm’s M&A practice and specializes in matters arising from complex and contested transactions.