Debevoise & Plimpton LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

‘One of the top arbitration practices in London (if not globally).’

‘The team is very experienced and well prepared. Responsive – from the more junior to more senior lawyers, they are always available and very well informed about cases’ details.’

‘It has a very deep bench, made up of specialists not only in general commercial arbitration, but also international law.’

‘Patrick Taylor is a superb lawyer, who runs a really tight ship, and is on top of his brief.’

‘Mark McCloskey is a hard-working, intelligent associate.’

‘Monika Hlavkova is a really bright lawyer – hard-working and very knowledgeable about arbitration.’

‘Aimee-Jane Lee is diligent and has a good sense of balance, both in making arguments and in managing clients. Laith Najjar is smart and scrupulous. He understands complex issues and does not miss details.’

‘Gavin Chesney and Shreya Aren are responsive and well prepared. Although they search for different and creative solutions to accommodate clients’ needs, when required they are firm with their advice and recommendations.’

‘Debevoise offers one of the most diverse and engaged teams around. They really understand clients’ needs and provide the best possible assistance.’

‘Their proficiency in many languages, their understanding of the regional and global mechanisms, and their incredible warmth when dealing with clients show how committed they are to clients’ objectives.’

‘The practice is unique in its ability to combine world-class lawyers with unusual integrity and diligence, putting the interests of the client first and foremost. The commitment to pro bono work is also truly exceptional, often on the cutting edge of the most significant developments in international law.’

‘One of the few truly expert law firms for public international law, with excellent experience in ICJ cases.’

‘Jeffrey Sullivan KC is a personable and effective advocate. ’

‘Samantha Rowe deserves mention for her diligence – it is a pleasure to work with her.’

‘Samantha Rowe and Aimee-Jane Lee are both excellent practitioners.’

‘Conway Blake is thoroughly commercial, understands the key commercial drivers and shapes advice around these – rapidly cuts through the noise to identify the key issues.’

‘I work across Tom Smith on various complex NAV financings, who is a pleasure to work with and understands to fight the commercial points that matter rather than every issue at hand. A highly effective deal lawyer, and a very good collaborator in the industry, both as an adversary but also as a market participant and fellow NAV counsel. ’

‘Almas Daud is an excellent senior associate ripe for promotion.’ 

‘Felix Paterson is reasonable in his negotiation and able to see both sides of an issue.’

‘What sets Debevoise apart is their collaborative culture. They are adept at working closely with clients and other advisors, ensuring strategies are well-aligned and integrated, which maximises the effectiveness of their legal solutions.’ 

‘The individuals at Debevoise & Plimpton stand out remarkably in the legal field due to their distinct qualities and expertise.’ 

‘Alex Bell is a standout lawyer in fund finance. His deep understanding of complex financial structures and proactive client engagement make him an exceptional asset. Eoin Molloy and Tereza Batlova also bring vital enthusiasm and commitment to our team, enhancing our overall success.’ 

‘At the helm, partner Tom Smith showcases exceptional advisory skills. His strategic guidance, underpinned by deep market insight, reliably navigates us through challenges, earning my complete trust.’ 

‘The team is highly commercial and well plugged into the market, often leading new initiatives in the space. There is a deep bench of talent across the team and many top performers across both the partner group and associate group. ’

‘Very pragmatic legal advice; flexibility to do all kinds of work. Excellent skills of staff in the US and UK.’

‘Jane Shvets is a well-established compliance professional with outstanding experience in US sanctions and other financial crime areas. Great client relationship manager.’

‘The deep experience of the superb London white-collar team is very impressive. Karolos Seeger is outstanding in his field and a genuine authority on handling genuinely global investigations.’

‘Calm-headed and practical. Work well and complement each other.’

‘Karolos Seeger is a superb lawyer with very strong negotiation skills.’

‘Debevoise is my go-to white-collar crime practice. The partners and people are of the highest calibre, and also collaborative and open in their communication. This is a unique combination and the quality of the work is very impressive.’

‘Jane Shvets is an excellent professional, with strong knowledge of practical implementation within companies. She has unparalleled experience from working within large and other corporates, and she is able to use that experience and her network to help companies comply whilst managing realistic expectations.’

‘World-leading expertise channelled into pragmatic and useful advice.’

‘Christopher Boyne – Commerciality, clear, concise advice, speed of response, detailed understanding of law, but how to get best result. Hugo Farmer – In-depth knowledge of law and issues. Commercial approach to getting best result.’

‘Debevoise specialises in a very broad range of high stakes commercial disputes. Peter Goldsmith’s reputation, and the firm’s reputation generally, together with their place in the market mean that they are particularly well-suited to handling very complex, high-value and high-profile disputes of all kinds for clients ranging from ultra-high-net-worth individuals to multinationals, state entities and sovereign states. ’

‘Chris Boyne is excellent. He is a trusted commercial advisor to a number of high-profile in-house counsel. He is also a brilliant commercial litigator who punches well above his weight in terms of seniority. As well as being super bright and very sensible in his judgment, he is an exceptional team leader who commands loyalty from his juniors and respect from both senior partners and opponents.’

‘They are a first-class commercial litigation outfit, taking on the biggest and most complex disputes, often with an international angle.’

‘Chris Boyne is a standout partner. He is incredibly smart, commercial and an astute tactician. He leads his team brilliantly from the front and is a pleasure to work with. Luke Duggan is an associate to watch. He is very bright, diligent and sees the heart of the case.’

‘The team is relentless and without peers. You really want them in your corner on the toughest big ticket commercial disputes as they know what it takes to win and they consistently deliver excellent results.’

‘Christopher Boyne is absolutely superb. He is finely attuned to his clients’ commercial objectives and delivers high quality results every time. He has built a wonderful and diverse team of associates that handles huge complex commercial cases with real expertise and common sense. Hugo Farmer is a huge asset to any team. He pays attention to the details and drives innovative strategies to obtain consistently excellent results for his clients. Luke Duggan is a gifted strategic and creative thinker and develops often nuanced and effective approaches to overcome challenges in a case. Catalina Diaconeasa is one to watch. She is an excellent associate.’

‘Patrick Swain – very experienced; strategically brilliant.’

‘I think the Debevoise team excels in terms of legal knowledge and execution – in general, the quality of the team members is really exceptional, which leads to a higher level of work product.’

‘I would point out Alan Kartashkin who moved to London from the Moscow office and is implementing his over 20 years of experience from Moscow to the Eastern Europe emerging markets. Alan is a true legal and business leader in his ability to coordinate and move forward large projects.’

‘They have deep understanding of emerging markets, and they are servicing their clients in a multidisciplinary manner. For example, their ESG team has people from various departments and their service offering is seamless. They work well within their teams and with local counsel.’

‘Geoffrey Burgess – is an exceptional lawyer, very pragmatic, very commercial and a deep understanding of the law, the client’s needs and the market. Mark Hume is very effective, clear, prompt and engages well with all parties.’

‘The firm’s practice stands out for its knowledge of each emerging market and its peculiarities. You will always reach one member of the team that knows the specific rules applicable in that market and the specific market’s practices. The practical experience of the team really adds value to the firm’s services. ’

‘Geoffrey Burgess is efficient, sharp and with a superb commercial approach. He gets the deal done, knowing how to manoeuvre in complex scenarios.’

‘D&P combines fierce client representation with a forward-thinking approach to achieve the best possible outcomes. Their team isn’t afraid to get into the weeds with complex data sets, giving the client a strategic edge. They are very collaborative.’

‘I have worked with Lord Goldsmith. An outstanding figure in the international arena. He possesses a thorough understanding of the law in his practice area. He conceives compelling legal arguments. These qualities differentiate Lord Goldsmith from competitors who might rely solely on experience or reputation.’

‘Overall, they have exceeded expectations and delivered value for our firm and investors. Consistent, thoughtful and timely advice has enabled to grow successfully over the last eight years.’ 

‘Geoff Kittredge – the brains trust, commercial, deals with complex issues with ease, and has a solid team supporting him on a day-to-day basis.’

‘Richard Ward – the leader in this field, very experienced, advice that you can rely on.’

‘Patricia Volhard – a pleasure to work with and has extensive knowledge of the latest regulatory developments across all our key jurisdictions.’ 

‘Advice is delivered with confidence, is trusted, and is appropriately balanced. Where necessary, the team also draws upon expertise within the wider firm and, from the client’s perspective, there appears to be no internal barrier to obtaining the right advice.’ 

‘We have a long standing and trusted relationship with Geoff Kittridge and John Rife. Both are exceptional top-ranking lawyers who are experts in private funds legal advice and are able to find the right balance between legal and commercial advice on all matters.’ 

‘Matt Dickman knows his craft supremely well, delivers clear advice and also practical solutions, and is highly personable at the same time.’ 

‘The corporate reinsurance team is small and focused, with a strong presence in London.’

‘Clare Swirski has an exceptional eye for detail, whilst maintaining a calm and measured approach throughout.’

‘Strong on financial services regulation and outsourcing regulatory requirements.’

‘Claire Swirski and Katie Power are both highly responsive, amiable and knowledgeable.’

‘The practice is unique in its ability to combine world-class lawyers with unusual integrity and diligence, putting the interests of the client first and foremost. The commitment to pro bono work is also truly exceptional, often on the cutting edge of the most significant developments in international law.’

‘Samantha Rowe deserves mention for her diligence; it is a pleasure to work with her.’

‘Richard Ward is outstanding, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of his files.’

‘Top people, global footprint.’

‘Very skilled, deep know how and experience, commercial.’

‘Unlike lots of other practices, they really know the law. They also combine that with a deep understanding of funds and asset managers.’

‘Richard Ward is an exceptional practitioner. He is thoughtful, considered and measured. He has excellent judgment.

Jenny Wheater is an absolute star. She is smart, dynamic, energetic, and she will rise to the very top of her profession. A first port of call for any technical issue. ’

‘The Debevoise tax team are technically excellent, very responsive and great team players.’

‘Jenny Wheater is extremely dedicated, brilliant and gets things done.’

‘They have strong technical knowledge and are up to date with market practice.’

‘They can cut through the complexity and explain in clear commercial terms.’

‘Alan Davies has an immense amount of market knowledge that he can use to guide you to a sensible and pragmatic conclusion.’

‘Pierre Maugue is very commercial and has a calm approach. He is very good at simplifying the complex.’

‘The terrific Almas Daud is adept at running transactions and has intricate knowledge of the latest documentary technology.’

‘Strong insurance debt capital markets practice. Adept at working collaboratively with issuers. Good reg cap knowledge.’

‘Nick Pellicani – strong US capital markets lawyer with deep knowledge of the ins and outs of stand-alone and programme issuances. Reliable, confident and assured – never out of his depth.’

‘Tony Dymond considers all possible scenarios to ensure the best outcomes for his clients. His solutions are always well researched to ensure that his clients’ positions are optimised.’

‘Very intellectually capable lawyers.’

‘Rob Hoose is incredibly smart and Tony Dymond is a good strategist.’

‘Very experienced in all aspects and types of construction and infrastructure projects. Excellent analytical thinkers with strong advocacy skills. Associates are smart and very hard-working.’

‘Dedicated to client needs and deadlines. Strong in presentation and trial advocacy skills. Creative in developing solutions to difficult and complex issues. Good communicators of complex information. Very hard workers. Professional with opponents.’

‘A premier global private equity practice with an excellent offering out of its London office.’

‘The team are proactive and respond to requests promptly. They are able to draw on experts from different jurisdictions who attend calls well briefed to assist with the matter at hand. The team has real quality in depth, meaning there is confidence in relying on even the most junior of associates.’

‘Great firm to work with. Quick and proactive approach.’

‘Debevoise & Plimpton’s EU and competition are a centre of excellence for EU and other antitrust filings, providing us with insight on the application of potential regulatory filings in M&A transactions, and helping us to navigate applicable requirements.’

‘Tim McIver has an excellent breadth of experience and has provided us with pragmatic advice in a timely way.’

‘The best, bar none. We work closely with Tim McIver on all of our matters. On top of being incredibly knowledgeable about just about every ex-US jurisdiction, the client service is unmatched.’

‘Excellent communication, very quick, and always excellent advice.’

‘Excellent team. For private equity clients, the financial services regulatory team is streets ahead of any other practice in London. Tremendous technical expertise coupled with unbeatable market knowledge.’

‘Patricia Volhard is the best funds regulatory lawyer in Europe.’

‘Very strong financial services regulatory practice, with particular strengths in insurance and bank regulation. One of the very few firms to have real transatlantic strength and depth.’

‘Pragmatic and commercial, incredibly strong technical skills and great people to work with.’

‘Excellent team, solid domain knowledge. Very impressive.’

‘Very much a grounded team.’

‘Debevoise has one of the strongest arbitration teams in the market. They really work as a team, with a great sense of collaboration. They have full ability to work in English or Spanish, which is essential for disputes in Latin America, with professionals trained in Civil Law and Common Law. In addition, they show a great commitment to diversity.’

‘The partners are truly hands on. Dietmar Prager has great strategic thinking and is into all the details. Samantha Rowe is super-talented, demonstrates excellent client management skills and excels at cross-examination. Patrick Taylor demonstrates a wealth of experience in complex disputes and excellent practicality. Associate Sol Czerwonko is extremely talented and a rising star.’

‘I highly recommend Debevoise & Pimpleton’s exceptional team for international arbitration, especially for matters concerning Latin America and Mexico. Their expertise in this field, coupled with their deep understanding of the region’s legal landscape, makes them a top choice for complex disputes. In particular, Mark Friedman, Dietmar Prager, Sol Czerwonko, and Sebastian Briceño stand out for their outstanding skills and dedication to achieving favorable outcomes for their clients.’

‘Mark Friedman, mastermind but easy to work with. Dietmar Prager, practical and savvy. Sol Czerwonko, the best managing associate. Sebastian Briceño, keen research and questions.’’

‘Dietmar Prager is a thoughtful strategist and a trusted leader of his big team. He is very calm, thoughtful and prudent. At the same time he is very meticulous in forming the best strategies in winning the case and open and transparent to his client and his co-counsel. Excellent advocat both in written and oral! Excellent communicator with arbitrators. Laura Sinisterra is a very tenacious and enthusiastic counsel. She never leaves stones unturned in seeking the best strategies. She is an excellent communicator and very good at bridging communications with witnesses and experts. ’

‘Ina Popova is also one of the best arbitration lawyers in the world. She has unmatched intelligence, which is accompanied by a great personality. Her work consistently receives praise and he has extraordinary skills in cross-examining witnesses and experts.

‘Laura Sinisterra is a brilliant lawyer, extraordinarily intelligent, deeply committed to the cases she handles, and always prepared. Additionally, she is very charismatic and kind, and clients find it a pleasure to work with her.’

‘Julio Rivera Rios already has enormous experience in arbitration and his work is very solid and stands out a lot. He is very intelligent and analytical. Furthermore, he is an excellent person and has a very friendly personality, which makes it very easy to work with him. In my opinion, his contribution to the team is enormous.’