Choate, Hall & Stewart > Boston, United States > Firm Profile

Choate, Hall & Stewart > The Legal 500 Rankings

Industry focus > Education Tier 1

Choate, Hall & Stewart’s Boston-based team showcases particular strength in advising research universities and medical centers on compliance risks associated with international research collaborations, economic and academic espionage. Co-practice head and compliance expert Christine Savage is highly esteemed for her foreign influence expertise. With a separate complex trial and appellate litigation team, co-chaired by joint practice head Joan Lukey and including Justin Wolosz, the group boasts particular strength in consumer class action as well as complex high-stakes litigation and is adept to represent colleges, universities and academic medical centers in internal investigations and government investigations, including investigations pertaining to alleged sexual misconduct, Title IX and fraud. Lyndsey Kruzer and Alison Reif, chair of the firm’s labor and employment group, advise on all aspects of employee relations. Senior associate Mark McPherson has a dedicated foreign influence practice and handles educational matters involving healthcare fraud, securities fraud, and the False Claims Act.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 1

Based in Boston, Choate, Hall & Stewart offers representation to a host of acquirers, targets and investment banks in the context of public and private M&A  in the US and around the world. With particular strength in the private equity segment, the team is particularly well versed in corporate transactions involving tech and life sciences players, and often serves as US counsel to companies located in Canada, Israel, the UK and Ireland. John Pitfield is a reference for private and growth equity clients, most notably those with operations in the healthcare, life sciences and TMT sectors. He jointly leads the business and technology group with Brian Goldstein, who brings extensive experience advising venture capital investors and high-growth companies in the healthcare and IT industries. Corporate and securities attorney Tobin Sullivan advises life sciences and technology clients, ranging from start-ups to global public companies, on an array of transactional mandates.

Insurance > Advice to insurers Tier 2

Choate, Hall & Stewart‘s Boston-based team specializes in advising insurers and reinsurers on multi-jurisdictional disputes, including coverage issues, reinsurance arbitrations and subsequent appeals. The firm advises major insurers on their exposure in a number of notable areas, including widespread opioid exposures, COVID-19 reinsurance and retrocession matters, sexual abuse litigation, large-scale disasters such as wildfires and mass shootings. The practice is headed by David Attisani, who offers extensive experience representing insurers and reinsurers engaged in coverage and life rate increase disputes, Robert Kole, who supports clients involved in mass shooting, product liability and sports injury litigation, and J.P. Jaillet, who also handles coverage disputes and reinsurance arbitrations. Kevin Finnerty represents insurers and reinsurers in coverage disputes.

Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings) Tier 4

Choate, Hall & Stewart‘s Boston-based team is led by Charles Lyon, Brian Reese and Kristen Buteau, who offer expertise in patent-related life sciences work; alongside Charles Lyon, Brenda Herschbach Jarrell chairs the firm’s life sciences group, advising a broad array of companies, from clinical candidates to well-established organizations and institutions on biotech, pharmaceutical, and specialty chemical matters in particular. Atop its solid prosecution work, the team has a strong reputation for its post-grant and re-examination practice, with partner Stephanie Schonewald having handled a significant number of such matters at the PTAB.

Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters) Tier 4

M&A/corporate and commercial > Venture capital and emerging companies Tier 4

Choate, Hall & Stewart has a strong focus on the investor side of the market, representing several leading venture capital and growth equity funds. The team regularly assists investors on every stage of the venture process, from seed and series A financings, later stage equity financings and onwards to IPO or sale. Clients also benefit from the firm’s broader expertise in related areas such as patent portfolio strategy, licensing and collaboration. The firm’s advice to Surveyor Capital, as co-investor on a $300 million series C investment into the biotech company Acelyrin, was a recent highlight. Partner Brian Goldstein  leads the largely Boston-based team and has especially good credentials on the life sciences and healthcare side. Tobin Sullivan also has a strong track record.

Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers Tier 5

Joan Lukey – Choate, Hall & Stewart

M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+) Tier 5

Choate, Hall & Stewart has a strong track-record in mid-market mandates, offering robust cross-border capabilities across a broad range of industries including TMT, manufacturing and financial services. T.J. Murphy leads the Boston-based team, regularly advising clients in growth equity investments, recapitalizations, and M&A, both domestically and internationally. Lee Feldman and Sarah Camougis are also key contacts, while Brian Lenihan has particular expertise in financial technology and IT solutions within the healthcare and financial services industries. Daniel Riley has a solid reputation in the market, advising numerous global mid-market investment funds including Great Hill, BV Investment, and Long Ridge Equity Partners.

Real estate Tier 5

Choate, Hall & Stewart‘s practice is based in Boston and is particularly known for its transactional and leasing work in the life science sector. The practice is also instructed on joint ventures, negotiation of management agreements, urban and condominium development, land use and zoning and foreclosure matters. It also advises on construction contracts, architects contracts, and related matters, particularly on behalf of owners. Paul Laudano is the lead partner.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 5

Choate, Hall & Stewart‘s Boston-based tax practice specializes in complex middle-market transactions, with a focus on advising leading private equity funds, venture capital funds, and their portfolio companies. M&A involving both strategic and financial buyers, international tax planning, and investment fund formations are all core workflows for the group. Practice head Louis Marett is a key point of contact for the firm’s extensive private equity fund clientele, while Judith Fiorini‘s expertise further spans matters involving partnerships, foreign tax credits, and cryptocurrencies. Olivier Léger advises private equity fund sponsors at all stages of their operations, with a dual focus on fund formations and portfolio company acquisitions and divestitures.

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 6

Operating out of Boston, Choate, Hall & Stewart’s finance and restructuring practice represents companies and creditors in relation to all aspects of corporate restructurings, workouts, distressed asset and debt acquisitions, and insolvency proceedings. The practice is particularly strong representing lenders in the retail, sports, real estate, healthcare, and technology sectors, and insurers in litigated bankruptcy proceedings. Jennifer Fenn, Sean Monahan, and John Ventola jointly lead the department, while, with considerable experience advising in relation to debtor-in-possession lending and senior, second lien, and mezzanine debt in complex restructurings, Douglas Gooding plays an important role in the team.

Finance > Commercial lending