Intellectual property > Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing) Tier 2

Industry focus > Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 3

Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products Tier 3

The derivatives practice at Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. is diverse, encompassing a wide variety of asset classes, including equity, FX and increasingly environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments. The group advises buy-side and end-user clients, including an impressive array of institutional investors. Areas of expertise include traditional and more exotic hedging and derivatives, project finance-related hedging agreements, over-the-counter and structured derivatives, as well as ISDA regulatory and prime brokerage advice. Contacts in the team include Houston-based Neal Kaminsky, who leads the practice group; Giorgio Bovenzi, who has built a strong global credit risk practice and is rated by clients for his 'solution-oriented' service; Matthew Frankle, a specialist in equity derivatives and margin loans; and Brian Sung, who maintains a very broad practice covering a variety of structured transactions for buy- and sell-side clients. Washington DC's Phil Lookadoo is an expert in energy and project finance-related derivatives and commodities issues. Named lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 4

Haynes and Boone, L.L.P. handles a wide variety of M&A and related transactions, including spin-offs, divestitures, strategic alliance and distressed transactions, representing both buyers and sellers. Tom Harris heads the M&A practice group from Dallas.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 5

Haynes and Boone, L.L.P.'s employee benefits and executive compensation practice has been advising clients in the energy, healthcare, retail, financial services and food and beverages sectors on high-value acquisitions, restructurings, and benefit transfers. Recent work for the group includes advising hospitality company Landry's on the $745m sale of its online gaming subsidiary, Golden Nugget Online Gaming, to Landcadia Holdings II; practice head Susan Wetzel and associate Scott Thompson led on this matter from the Dallas office. Houston-based Jesse Gelsomini has expertise in incentive compensation and equity arrangements.