Firm Profile > Jones Day > Washington DC, United States

Appellate Tier 1

Jones Day's appellate team 'delivers successful results due to its significant expertise, experience and thorough attention to detail'. Praised by clients as being a 'superb brief writer' and 'always prepared for all potential lines of questioning', Shay Dvoretzky 'handles oral arguments with grace and ease'. At the US Supreme Court, Dvoretzky represented petitioner Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp in a pending case concerning the defense of 'impossibility pre-emption' used by drug manufacturers to preclude liability under state tort law in cases where patients are injured by FDA-approved drugs. Dvoretzky also represented co-respondent Jones Day in a law firm dissolution dispute, in which the California Supreme Court unanimously rejected claims brought by former global law partnership Heller Ehrman. Glen Nager secured a victory for General Electric (GE) in proceedings at the Sixth Circuit brought by GE’s former employees challenging certain amendments in the company’s health benefits program. In a consolidated appeal against the 2015 Declaratory Ruling of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at the DC Circuit, the team achieved a victory for a group of companies seeking to strike down the FCC’s expanded definition of 'automatic telephone dialing system' applicable in establishing violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The Ninth Circuit issued an antitrust judgment in favor of the US Chamber of Commerce, which was represented by a team led by Michael Carvin in appealing against a district court’s decision concerning the City of Seattle’s ordinance authorizing the unionization of for-hire drivers. In a highlight at the First Circuit, Yaakov Roth successfully defended Liberty Cablevision of Puerto Rico against antitrust claims alleging 'sham litigation' distorting competition, brought by petitioner Puerto Rico Telephone Company. The practice group is led by Beth Haifetz and includes, Rajeev Muttreja (New York), David Raimer and Charlotte Taylor, who were recently promoted to partner. Associate Jeffrey Johnson is also noted.

Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 1

Craig Waldman, who splits his time between San Francisco and Silicon Valley, and Brussels-based Bernard Amory jointly lead the global antitrust practice at Jones Day. In a recent highlight, Washington DC-based John Majoras and Los Angeles' Eric Enson are currently collaborating with the Tokyo office to represent NGK and its US subsidiary in several putative class actions arising from the high-profile global investigation into the auto parts cartel. Railway equipment supplier Wabtec appointed a group led by Waldman and David Kiernan - who is based in San Francisco - to defend it in a putative class action brought by current and former employees alleging the client engaged in a conspiracy to depress wages through 'no-poach' agreements with Knorr-Bremse. Chicago-based Paula Render is acting for Deutsche Bank regarding the class action claiming anti-competitive behavior in the trading of interest rate swaps on electronic exchanges. Other key names include Cleveland-based Michelle Fischer and DC's Michael Knight, who is advising a pharmaceutical company on multi-district class action litigation brought by purchasers alleging the client monopolized sales of a drug by engaging in 'product hop' and hindering the entry to market of generics manufacturers. Michael Gleason is also a key name to note. David Wales moved to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 1

The construction practice at Jones Day is especially skilled in assisting troubled projects with successful completion and litigation avoidance. San Francisco-based Rowan Mason, who was recently promoted to the partnership, was part of the team that supported San Francisco-based Stephen O’Neal in a $2.2bn defense of Chevron against multiple claims by CPB Contractors. Claims brought against Chevron's US-based entities were successfully resolved; litigation continues in Australia. Kent Lindsay and David Wallach, who are based in the firm's San Francisco office, were also part of the team. In other headline litigation work, the firm is representing the Transbay Joint Powers Authority, one of the primary parties in the San Francisco Millennium Tower project; the dispute concerns defects with the tower, which have led to sinking and tilting among other issues, and amounts at stake total to more than $1bn. Los Angeles-based Daniel McMillan leads on the matter and has extensive experience in complex disputes; he is supported by a sizable team including of counsel Jeffrey Kirzner, who is based in Irvine, and counsel Jacqueline DeCamara, who is in the Los Angeles office. McMillan also has notable transactional expertise, which was evident in his advice on construction contracts for the next phase of the City of Hope project, which totals $750m. He was supported by Dallas-based Peter Laun. Andrew Ness retired.

Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): plaintiff Tier 1

Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): plaintiff Tier 1

Insurance: advice to policyholders Tier 1

The 'broadly experienced and commercially focused' insurance practice at Jones Day 'has excellent technical skills and also provides great value for money'. Recommended for its expertise in policy structuring and negotiation, work on claims and multi-party settlements, the team handles cases relating to data breaches, sexual abuse, environmental disasters, political campaigns and financial losses. Recommended partner Tyrone Childress in Los Angeles continues to serve as national coverage counsel for Union Pacific Railroad Company, working on environmental disaster and railroad accident claims, while San Francisco-based Richard DeNatale, who 'is very experienced and knowledgeable and has strong relationships throughout the industry', represents Staples in ongoing claims relating to a major data breach. Other names to note include 'knowledgeable and client-caring' Brian McDonald in San Francisco and of counsel Craig Hirsch in Los Angeles. Matthew Jacobs joined as of counsel from Jenner & Block LLP in summer 2018.

Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense Tier 1

The team at Jones Day is appreciated for its 'tremendous experience in all aspects of employment law and related disputes, particularly in high-level and high-stakes matters'. It handles a variety of matters, including wage-and-hour class and collective actions, employment claims, as well as trade secret and employee mobility cases. The 'smart, creative and responsive' practice is led by Matthew Lampe in New York and Chicago-based Michael Gray. The latter was part of the group which successfully represented McDonald's in a state-wide wage-and-hour class action. In New York, Terri Chase and recently promoted Kristina Yost settled a class action jury trial for Bloomberg regarding the question of whether a class of Analytics Representatives were misclassified as exempt from the overtime pay requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act as well as New York and California state laws. Wendy Butler is a further key contact from that office. DC-based Donald Munro as well as Elizabeth McRee, Michael Rossman, Efrat Schulman, and the 'brilliant' Jonathan Linas in Chicago are also noted. Mark Earnest in Irvine and Thomas Chiavetta in Washington DC also made partner in January 2018. The team lost Eric Dreiband, who became the assistant attorney general of the DOJ's Civil Rights Division in October 2018, while Doreen Davis, Lawrence DiNardo and Willis Goldsmith retired.

Labor-management relations Tier 1

Jones Day fields a team of dedicated lawyers experienced in representing employers in a variety of labor matters, including collective bargaining, disputes, and labor strategy. The global labor and employment practice is chaired by Chicago-based Michael Gray and Matthew Lampe in New York. Labor experts in Chicago, David Birnbaum, Brian Easley, and Michael Rossman, were active as the chief spokespeople for the Kraft Heinz Company in negotiations regarding collective bargaining agreements. Donald Munro successfully represented a coalition of the majority of the nation’s freight railroads, the National Carriers’ Conference Committee, in an arbitration against two labor unions regarding proposed healthcare plan design changes and the subsequent potential compensation entitlements. The team is also currently still involved on the side of McDonald's, which is being prosecuted as an alleged joint employer by franchisee employees. Michael Ferrell in Chicago and Jessica Kastin in New York are other names to note. In the Washington DC office, Patricia Dunn and recently promoted partner Thomas Chiavetta are recommended. Associate Samantha Woo in Chicago advises public and private employers. Willis Goldsmith and Doreen Davis retired.

Merger control Tier 1

Jones Day's Kenneth Field and of counsel Phil Proger recently advised Rite Aid on the acquisition of 1,932 stores, three distribution centers and related inventory by Walgreens Boots for $4.4bn. In the telecoms space, Houston-based Bruce McDonald represented Level 3 in its $31bn merger with CenturyLink, while Ryan Thomas was active in the healthcare space where he acted for Essilor in its proposed merger with Luxottica. On the merger litigation front, John Majoras and Michael Gleason defended Parker Hannifin in a DOJ investigation arising from its completed acquisition of Clarcor. Aimee DeFilippo was recently promoted to partner and oversaw GE's $2.6bn sale of GE Industrial to ABB. Other key contacts include New York-based global practice co-head Craig Waldman and Michael Knight; Knight led the advice to Calgon Carbon regarding its $1.3bn all-cash acquisition by Kuraray. David Wales joined Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. Named attorneys are based in Washington DC unless otherwise stated.

Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 1

The 'very efficient' Jones Day 'assembles the strongest teams for each matter' and is 'able to draw on a deep bench of legal, business and technical experts across practices and geographies'. 'Litigation is seamlessly coordinated across several fronts, including district court litigation, proceedings before the PTAB, and non-US proceedings.' In addition to an extremely successful PTAB practice, the team has long-standing experience in the major district courts and the Federal Circuit. Washington DC's Gregory Castanias, the head of the Federal Circuit practice, Chicago's John Marlott and Cleveland's David Cochran represented SAS Institute in a headline-grabbing Supreme Court matter in which the Court ruled in line with SAS Institute's arguments, leading to a change in the PTAB's IPR proceedings. For household appliance manufacturer SharkNinja, the practice secured a victory over Dyson in design patent litigation brought forward over vacuum cleaners. David Witcoff in Chicago 'takes the time to get to know his clients and their businesses, and truly cares about providing the best experience possible.' Marc Blackman, also in Chicago, is 'dedicated' and 'has strong technical skills', and Greg Lanier in Silicon Valley is 'a true leader with the ability to bring out the best in his teams'. San Diego's Anthony Insogna directs the practice, which includes Rita Yoon, who joined from McDermott Will & Emery LLP, and former Paul Hastings LLP litigator Michael Hendershot in Silicon Valley. PTAB expert Matthew Jones in Pittsburgh, Vishal Khatri in Washington DC and Houston-based Albert Liou all made partner. Jacqueline Lee left for Flynn Restaurant Group, Patrick Elsevier joined Celgene and Mark Finkelstein joined Umberg Zipser. Google, Johnson & Johnson and Qualcomm are also clients.

Product liability, mass tort and class actions: consumer products (including tobacco) - defense Tier 1

Jones Day has a broad product liability, mass tort and class action practice and is experienced in a multitude of sectors, including food and beverages, tobacco and home appliances. Dallas-based Matthew Kairis recently defended six colleges and universities in class actions brought on behalf of all former football players, in which plaintiffs allege a failure to warn football players of the adverse effects of concussions, while practice head Stephanie Parker in Atlanta is representing RJ Reynolds Tobacco in Engle progeny cases. In other work, the team defended three wineries in putative class actions alleging that the trace amounts of arsenic in some California wines is excessive and potentially hazardous. Sherwin-Williams and Merck are also among the team’s clients. In March 2018, Frank Bayuk joined the Atlanta office from King & Spalding LLP.

Product liability, mass tort and class actions: toxic tort - defense Tier 1

Jones Day provides comprehensive advice to clients from a wide range of industries on product liability litigation, mass torts and class actions arising from natural disasters, industrial accidents and chemical exposure. Los Angeles-based David DiMeglio, of counsel Nancy MacKimm in Houston and Sharyl Reisman in New York are the key contacts in the practice. Atlanta-based Stephanie Parker heads the wider business and tort department, and of counsel Paul Pohl in Pittsburgh is also recommended. In recent highlights, the team represented Chevron in a lawsuit filed by the City of Richmond relating to an accidental refinery fire, and successfully acted for CBS Corporation in a lawsuit regarding the liability for injuries caused by third-party asbestos added to a producers’ equipment after its sale. Frank Bayuk joined from King & Spalding LLP in March 2018.

Transport: aviation and air travel - litigation Tier 1

Jones Day’s aviation litigation practice operates across its US and international network of offices and thus is ideally placed to advise on international disputes in the sector. The team is experienced in defending commercial airline disaster litigation, general aviation accident disputes, litigation involving aviation supply contracts and service agreements, labor matters, and insurance coverage and ground-handling disputes. Matthew Kairis, who is based across the firm's Dallas and Houston offices, represented The Boeing Company in a trade secrets case brought by a Canadian aerospace company involving the development of a military marine surveillance aircraft and its planned use of aircraft for classified projects with the US Government. Joshua Fuchs in Houston represents Air Evac EMS, an air ambulance carrier, in federal lawsuits against Texas and other state officials who administer the states' workers compensation and public employee health insurance systems. Pittsburgh-based practice head John Goetz (‘first-rate’) and Matthew Papez in Washington DC are also recommended, as are of counsels Stephen Cowen in Detroit and Dean Griffith in Washington DC.

Capital markets: debt Tier 2

Regarded by many as ‘the leader in the Midwest’, Jones Day is noted for its ‘very strong issuer practice’. The national department also benefits from a prominent East Coast platform, as well as a strong footprint in the South. The group secured a significant share of energy and natural resources-related deals over the past year, which included Cleveland-based Kimberly Pustulka advising Marathon Petroleum Corporation on its $5.5bn public offering of senior notes. On the TMT front, New York-based Eric Maki and Houston-based Kelly Turner advised Sprint Corporation on the issuance by three wholly-owned special purpose subsidiaries of $3.9bn worth of wireless spectrum-backed notes. In Chicago, Edward Winslow assisted Starbucks with a $1.6bn senior notes offering. On the underwriter side, Cleveland’s Michael Solecki advised the joint bookrunners on Physicians Realty LP’s $350m public offering.

Cartel Tier 2

Jones Day's John Majoras (based in Washington DC) continues to work with Los Angeles' Eric Enson and the Tokyo office to advise a manufacturer on the landmark DOJ investigation into the global auto parts cartel. In the pharmaceutical space, Michael Knight and Geoffrey Oliver, who are also based in DC, represented a pharmaceutical company in an FTC investigation of a drug used to treat opioid addiction, as well as in a private class action brought by wholesalers on the same grounds. Bruce McDonald sits in Houston and is currently counseling an oil and gas client on an internal investigation into the pricing practices of a newly acquired subsidiary. San Francisco-based Craig Waldman jointly leads the global practice with Bernard Amory, who sits in the Brussels office. Marc Siegel in San Francisco is another name to note. David Wales moved to Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP.

Corporate governance Tier 2

At Jones Day, Lizanne Thomas in Atlanta and Kelly Turner in Houston handle a range of work, including advising on corporate leadership issues and public company securities matters. Thomas, Turner, James Dougherty in Cleveland and Detroit-based Timothy Melton also advised USG Corporation on the sale of the company to Knauf following an unsolicited bid, amid a campaign by USG's 31% owner, Berkshire Hathaway, to secure a higher deal price; partly as a result of the firm's work, Knauf paid an additional $4 per share. Other names to note include associate Joanna Sutton in Atlanta, and Amy Pandit in Pittsburgh, who joined the firm from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.

General commercial disputes Tier 2

With one of the largest groups of litigators worldwide, Jones Day 'has plenty of depth in this area and is able to staff matters with the best lawyers'. Its experience takes in numerous sectors of the economy, with clients operating in the retail, energy and pharma sectors, among others. In the first jury trial in Massachusetts regarding a foul ball injury, Christopher Morrison and Kate Wallace in Boston prevailed on behalf of the Boston Red Sox; the case involved issues of stadium proprietors' liability. Elsewhere, Karen Hewitt in San Diego is representing Walmart in opioid litigation and investigations, while Atlanta-based Stephanie Parker has been acting for Merck in lawsuits concerning its osteoporosis drug Fosamax; in 2018, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the appeal by Merck. John Majoras in Washington DC co-leads the business and tort litigation practice alongside Parker.

Healthcare: health insurers Tier 2

Jones Day's health insurer practice advises on a broad range of issues, including M&A transactions and joint ventures, regulation, antitrust, IT, cybersecurity, tax, labor and employment and corporate governance, as well as high-stakes litigation. San Francisco-based partner David Morris advised Centura Health on the formation of a joint venture with health insurer Anthem in relation to the transformation of Colorado's Medicaid program, while Lisa Han in Columbus assisted non-profit organization Carolinas HealthCare System on shared savings programs for its clinically integrated network Carolinas Physicians Alliance. Another recent highlight was the representation of Cardinal Health in the sale of its majority stake in naviHealth, led by Jeffrey Litle in Columbus and Daniel Michaels in Washington DC.

Healthcare: service providers Tier 2

Jones Day's nationwide healthcare practice deals with a wide range of issues, including M&A and joint ventures, False Claims Act litigation, fraud and abuse matters, antitrust, corporate and payment structuring, as well as IT, cybersecurity and employment law. San Francisco-based James Dutro and Jeffrey Kapp in Cleveland advised on the joint venture between client City of Hope and Vantage Oncology, while in another matter, Stephen Sozio assisted Kapp on the due diligence, regulatory advice and contract negotiations necessary for the acquisition of Union Hospital by client Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Washington DC partner Alexis Gilroy continues to provide regulatory advice and transactional support to Onduo, a virtual diabetes care organization part-owned by Sanofi. Other leading practitioners include Atlanta-based litigator Rebekah Plowman and healthcare transactions specialist Thomas Dutton in Columbus.

Patents: licensing Tier 2

Jones Day's practice consists of four areas: strategic alliances, IP-driven private equity and venture capital transactions, IP-driven M&A and licensing in the context of litigation settlements or commercial strategy. Life sciences-related mandates account for the majority of recent highlights, with the group's work on Sanofi's long-term collaboration and license agreement with Denali Therapeutics to find treatments for neurological and systemic inflammatory diseases as a major standout matter. In a recent transactional highlight the group advised Procter & Gamble on its $3.4bn acquisition of Merck's consumer health business. Further, Confluence Technologies instructed the team to advise on the IP aspects of its acquisition by private equity firm TA Associates, which involved agreements regarding Confluence's data-driven financial services platform. Other key clients include Educational Testing Service, Chevron and Astellas Pharma. Silicon Valley's Joseph Melnik directs the US practice group, and Ka-on Li recently made partner.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 2

The transnational restructuring and bankruptcy practice of Jones Day is experienced in international insolvency, workout transactions and multi-jurisdictional reorganization and bankruptcy proceedings. Los Angeles-based Bruce Bennett leads the team, which advises debtors, creditors and lenders in matters across the US, including complex distressed asset sales and Chapter 11. Scott Greenberg in New York is acting as debtor's counsel to M&G Chemicals, one of the largest producers of polyethylene terephthalate resin for packaging in the world, in the company’s Chapter 11 cases filed in 2017; the cross-border spans the US, Luxembourg, Mexico and Brazil. In another highlight, Cleveland-based Heather Lennox is acting for parent-creditor FirstEnergy and its non-debtor affiliates in relation to the 2018 Chapter 11 cases of its subsidiary First Energy Solutions. Also notable in the team is complex corporate reorganizations and distressed acquisitions expert Corinne Ball in New York. David Heiman moved to JAMS Mediation, Arbitration and ADR Services, Pedro Jimenez went to Paul Hastings LLP, Amy Edgy to Linklaters LLP and Erin Brady, Bennett Spiegel and Richard Wynne left for Hogan Lovells US LLP.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): municipal Tier 2

Jones Day is particularly experienced in high-profile municipal bankruptcies and complex distressed asset sales. In addition, the practice has expertise in municipal revitalization, as well as other matters involving government operations, labor relations and debt, from both the debtor and creditor side. Based out of the firm’s Los Angeles office, global practice head Bruce Bennett represents debtors, creditors and business acquirers in reorganizations across different industries. He is leading, along with Benjamin Rosenblum from the firm’s New York office, in representing a group of investment funds in connection with holdings of approximately $1.4bn of secured bonds issued by the Employees Retirement System of the Government of Puerto Rico. In another recent highlight, the team assisted the owners of the Allen W. Vogtle nuclear plant in obtaining a full recovery of their $3.7bn breach of contract claim against Westinghouse Electric, less than nine months after it filed for bankruptcy in March 2017 in the Southern District of New York. David Heiman departed for JAMS Mediation, Arbitration, ADR Services, Pedro Jimenez went to Paul Hastings LLP, Amy Edgy to Linklaters LLP and Erin Brady, Bennett Spiegel and Richard Wynne left for Hogan Lovells US LLP.

Securities litigation - defense Tier 2

Litigation powerhouse Jones Day has a team of more than 100 securities litigators across the US, which has a strong track record in SEC investigations and high-profile litigation for financial institutions, corporations and individuals. It is 'one of the top firms in terms of scale and the quality of client service', according to one source. Scott Fletcher in Houston and Henry Klehm in New York lead the practice. Fletcher secured a favorable settlement for Amedisys in a securities fraud class action arising from a press article that suggested the company might be taking advantage of the Medicare reimbursement system, which led to investigations by the DOJ and SEC. Among the other standout lawyers in the practice are 25-year veteran Robert Micheletto in New York; Walt Davis in Atlanta, who successfully defended HD Supply Holdings in a putative class action; Geoffrey Ritts in Cleveland, who achieved the dismissal of a class action alleging breach of fiduciary duties on behalf of insurer Erie Indemnity; Joan McKown in Washington DC; and Dallas-based Mark Rasmussen.

Shareholder activism Tier 2

Jones Day has a track record of success against leading activist investors. In the Atlanta office, Lizanne Thomas and Joel May advised Newell Brands on settling a proxy contest with Starboard Value, which aimed to replace Newell's entire board, just weeks after another campaign launched by Carl Icahn. James Dougherty in Cleveland also acts for well-known businesses in this space.

Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory Tier 2

Jones Day provides the full range of services to telecoms clients, but is best known for its work with clients in the satellite industry. Group Leader Bruce Olcott has extensive experience in spectrum work, and is assisting Boeing in its development of a global non-geostationary satellite communications network, including spectrum work before the International Telecommunications Union. Olcott also acted for Eutelsat in challenging FCC proposals regarding the re-purposing of C-band spectrum for terrestrial wireless use, and also handled Eutelsat's subsequent negotiations with other leading satellite operators connected to the FCC's proposal. Privacy and consumer protection specialist Michael Hazzard has a strong track record in work relating to cloud communications services, and defends CallFire in consumer protection cases, particularly those involving the TCPA. In another TCPA case, Hazzard is defending Twilio against two state-level class-action lawsuits in Nevada and Tennessee. Hazzard is assisted in litigation matters by associate Kaytlin Roholt, who specializes in cases involving the TCPA. Another key recent mandate for the firm is its work for creditors of iHeart Communications, in connection with iHeart's bankruptcy and subsequent transfer of ownership to its creditors.

Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters) Tier 2

Jones Day has a strong track record in trade secret disputes. Practice head Randall Kay is based in California and acted for Qualcomm in a trade secret and confidential information misuse case against Apple concerning technology used in iPhones and iPads. He also represented Micron Technology in a case against Taiwan-based UMC, which had obtained trade secrets form the client concerning microchip technology.

Trademarks: litigation Tier 2

Cleveland-based Meredith Wilkes heads the practice at Jones Day together with John Froemming who is part of the firm’s Washington DC office. The practice is particularly acclaimed for its work in competitor-versus-competitor cases, with Wilkes and Froemming recently engaged by SharkNinja to defend a Lanham Act claim by competitor Dyson. The matter raised the question of the level and type of proof required when making comparative advertising claims using a competitor’s trademark. Washington DC-based Jessica Bradley also acted on the matter and is an expert in Lanham Act-related litigation. Elsewhere, Wilkes is currently defending McCain in relation to allegations of trade dress and design patent infringement issued by Simplot pertaining to the shape of a French fry product. BMW Group, Abercrombie & Fitch and The Wikimedia Foundation are other high-profile clients.

Workplace and employment counseling Tier 2

The labor and employment team at Jones Day is experienced in advising clients on the full gamut of related matters, including compensation systems, terminations, investigations and compliance. The client portfolio comprises names such as McDonald’s, Verizon and Kraft-Heinz. Joint practice heads Michael Gray, who knows employment policies and disciplinary actions well, and discrimination-specialist Matthew Lampe are based in Chicago and New York respectively. In Dallas, Lindsay Hedrick was engaged on several occasions to conduct investigations regarding allegations of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment, while Stanley Weiner and Brian Jorgensen were active in advising a company on wage-and-hour issues and implementing preventative measures. Deborah Sudbury in Atlanta is well versed in all kinds of investigations, such as inappropriate behavior, code of conduct violations and pay equity. Chicago’s Michael Rossman specializes in discrimination and labor questions. Jonathan Linas, Elizabeth McRee, Michael Ferrell and David Birnbaum are further key contacts in that office. Brian Easley, who divides his time between the Minneapolis and Chicago offices, Joanne Bush in Houston, Columbus-based Tonya Blosser Braun, Terri Chase in New York, and of counsel Elaine Walsh in Atlanta are also names to note. Washington DC-based Thomas Chiavetta made partner in January 2018.

Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings Tier 3

Highly regarded as ‘a leader in the Midwest market’, Ohio-headquartered Jones Day fields a deep national practice, which benefits from strong teams across the country. The issuer-dominated group handles offerings across a wide range of industry sectors, with energy and technology companies among its largest repeat-issuer clients. Among the names to note, Cleveland-based Kimberly Pustulka brings to bear an impressive track record in high-yield debt deals and recently advised MPLX, a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum, on its $5.5bn offering of senior notes. Sprint Corporation is another key client, which turned to the firm for assistance with its issuance, by three wholly-owned subsidiaries, of $3.9bn worth of wireless spectrum-backed notes -- New York-based Eric Maki and Houston-based Kelly Turner led that deal. Other key contacts include Chicago-based Edward Winslow and Cleveland’s Michael Solecki.

Commercial lending Tier 3

The team at Jones Day is extremely popular among borrowers and lenders alike. Led out of New York by Brett Barragate, the team acts for a mix of banks, direct lenders, corporate clients and private equity funds. On top of its impressive network of US offices, the group also works closely with its broader global finance team. This cross-border expertise was brought to the fore in advising AGIC Capital, an Asian-European private equity investor, on the financing for its multimillion-dollar acquisition of Fotona, a US and Slovenia-based developer of laser systems and components. Notable lender-led mandates include advising Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith on the provision of a $1bn facility to KBS Real Estate Investment Trust III to refinance existing debt. The firm also advised Norway's DNB Bank on a $1.4bn loan provided to The Cooper Companies, a global medical device company, to finance its acquisition of Paragard Intrauterine Device from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries. Key partners include Lewis Grimm and Chip Bensinger, as well as Rachel Rawson and Kevin Samuels in Cleveland, all of whom have experience of borrower and lender work.

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 3

Leveraging its global office network, Jones Day stands out for handling multi-jurisdictional and cross-border matters on behalf of corporate clients. Criminal fraud and corruption expert Hank Walther leads the group from Washington DC and has experience coordinating investigations in the US and abroad. Other key figures include Karen Hewitt in San Diego, Roman Darmer in Irvine, Pete Romatowski in Washington DC and Chicago's Theodore Chung and Dan Reidy. Henry Asbill joined Buckley LLP's Washington DC office in May 2018.

Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 3

Jones Day provides ‘creative and practical advice’ across the spectrum of benefits and executive compensation matters arising from M&A transactions. In particular, clients rated Cleveland-based Tricia Eschbach-Hall and associate Sarah Suma as ‘wonderful assets to the team, who are able to stretch far beyond their comfort zone’. Standout transactions saw Eschbach-Hall advising Marathon Petroleum on its $23.3bn acquisition of Andeavor, and practice co-head Daniel Hagen in New York advising Patrón Spirits International on its $3.4bn sale to Bacardi. Other notable clients include General Motors, Reynolds American and Procter & Gamble. Evan Miller co-heads the practice from Washington DC.

Energy regulation: conventional power Tier 3

Houston-based Jeffrey Schlegel heads the 18-partner energy department at Jones Day. Key areas of work include regulatory assistance with transactions, compliance counseling, litigation before FERC and the representation of clients in appellate proceedings. Highlights included a group led by Kenneth Driver (DC) representing SCANA before FERC with regard to its $14.6bn merger with Dominion Energy; assistance was provided with a joint application requesting FERC approval of the merger. Also in DC, James Beh represents American Electric Power in FERC proceedings concerning the California Energy Crisis. DC-based electric transmission specialist David Connelly is also of note.

Energy: transactions: oil and gas Tier 3

Jones Day advises clients operating in the upstream, midstream and downstream oil and gas markets on M&A, asset disposals, joint ventures and other commercial transactions and corporate restructurings. The Houston-based team is headed by Jeffrey Schlegel, who acted for Western Refining de México in connection with the formation of a joint venture with CFEnergía for the design, development, construction, operation and maintenance of a strategic storage center for petroleum products in Mexico. Also recommended are Houston-based Stephen Olson, who specializes in private equity investments, and Elise Zoli, who joined the Boston office from Goodwin and focuses on the development, financing and operation of clean energy projects. Key clients include Southern Company, Total and Chevron. Omar Samji left for Shearman & Sterling LLP.

Environment: litigation Tier 3

Jones Day is assisting GenOn in challenging three CWA permits that the Maryland Department of the Environment issued to three of GenOn’s Maryland plants, attempting to apply the EPA’s recently promulgated Effluent Limitation Guidelines for steam power generating stations. In other work, it advised clients on matters relating to natural resources damages, CERCLA and other contaminated sites, RCRA, CAA, hazardous waste, climate change, and other environmental liability, regulatory compliance and enforcement procedures. Kevin Holewinski heads the environmental health and safety practice from Washington DC. In San Francisco, Thomas Donnelly is the practice head for California, where the firm has a strong presence. In Atlanta, Christine Morgan is another key contact. Boston-based Elise Zoli joined from Goodwin in June 2018. John Rego left for Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP in March 2018.

ERISA litigation Tier 3

The ERISA litigation team at Jones Day is particularly well known for its expertise in withdrawal liability, benefits issues in bankruptcy, and pension de-risking cases. Dallas-based Stanley Weiner and Chicago-based Michael Rossman secured a win for GE in a nationwide putative class action challenging changes to its post-retirement medical benefits. Evan Miller in Washington DC is acting for Well Fargo in an class action alleging that the company should be properly considered as a fiduciary under ERISA and therefore neglected its duties while acting as a master mortgage servicer. Representative clients for Washington DC-based Miguel Eaton include the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, Alpha Natural Resources and Harsco. Sarah Pikofsky recently left the firm for Steptoe & Johnson LLP.

M&A: large deals ($1bn+) Tier 3

Jones Day's national and international coverage is virtually unrivalled and this continues to enable it to maintain and build an enviably broad and illustrious client base. The firm is often praised not only for its geographic coverage, but also its breadth of expertise with other strong departments including intellectual property, labor law and government regulatory teams having a key role on many big transactions. Clients include Marathon Petroleum, Procter & Gamble and Conagra Brands. While being a considerable force in global M&A by volume, it also ranks highly by value of deals with it now frequently earning roles on headline and high-value transactions. This is in part enabled by the presence of eminent practitioners in New York, such as global M&A practice chair Robert Profusek and global M&A leader Randi Lesnick. Cleveland's Lyle Ganske and James Dougherty are also key leaders of the M&A group. Ganske and Dougherty worked alongside fellow Cleveland partner Benjamin Stulberg to advise Marathon Petroleum on its $23.3bn acquisition of Andeavor to create a leading US refining, marketing, and midstream company. The firm also advised Conagra Brands on its $10.9bn acquisition of Pinnacle Foods. Palo Alto partner Daniel Mitz is recommended for technology deals and advised Oclaro on its $1.8bn acquisition by Lumentum Holdings.

Product liability, mass tort and class actions: pharmaceuticals and medical devices - defense Tier 3

The ‘well prepared and thoughtful’ tort litigation and product liability practice at Jones Day is valued for its ‘excellent skills’ as discovery, trial and appellate counsel. Practice head Stephanie Parker in Atlanta is defending Merck in the ongoing Fosamax litigation. Further, a team led by San Diego-based Karen Hewitt is representing Walmart in the nationwide opioid litigation, including the MDL, individual cases and federal investigations, while David Alden in Cleveland obtained dismissal of a wrongful death claim filed against Indivior, alleging failure to warn and design defect claims after a patient who had been prescribed opioid-addiction maintenance drug Suboxone died of a heroin overdose. Other key members of the team include Chicago-based trial lawyer José Isasi II and of counsel Daniel Reidy.

Real estate Tier 3

Real estate2 Tier 3

Jones Day 's real estate practice handles acquisitions, dispositions, borrower and lender financing, joint ventures, construction, real estate-related dispute resolution, REIT matters and tax advice. Clients include international developers, commercial investment banks, real estate funds, property companies, retailers, hotels and hospitality companies, financial institutions, investors and lenders. Recent highlights include advising Mill Creek Residential Trust on the recapitalization of the company and buyout of its existing investors. The firm also acted as counsel to Meyer Bergman in relation to the formation and closing of its €990m European retail real estate fund MBERP III. Atlanta-based Richard Rosenblatt advised Wells Fargo Bank, National Association on a $750m revolving credit facility to a publicly traded home builder and an amendment and restatement of a $225m revolving credit facility to a large mid-Atlantic home builder. Chicago-based Robert Lee and Brian Sedlak head the team. Dallas-based Michelle Brown and Andrew Van Noord, who made partner in January 2018, are also recommended. Former practice head Michael Haas left for Latham & Watkins LLP in April 2018.

Trademarks: non-contentious (including prosecution, portfolio management and licensing) Tier 3

Jones Day handles trademark clearance, prosecution, licensing and enforcement matters. In Cleveland, Carrie Kiedrowski  serves as counsel to the WikiMedia Foundation, helping the client with prosecution, opposition and enforcement matters arising from its portfolio of 2,000 trademarks in over 110 jurisdictions. Abercrombie & Fitch and Square Enix are also clients, with the latter entrusting the team for strategic portfolio management advice and to file and maintain US trademark applications and registrations. Cleveland-based Meredith Wilkes and John Froemming head the practice, which also includes Tracy Stitt and Jessica Bradley. Susan Kayser departed to join K&L Gates while Tom Vitt joined the firm’s Minneapolis office from Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Attorneys are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise.

Venture capital and emerging companies Tier 3

From its offices in Chicago, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Irvine (California), among other locations, Jones Day's team maintains a solid presence in the venture capital and emerging company sector. Key areas of strength for the firm include medical technology, healthcare, AI, life sciences, and cybersecurity. The group advised Cibus Global, a biotechnology company developing plant traits for the global seed industry, on its $70m Series C preferred stock financing, and in another matter, it acted for a health care investor regarding the $100m Series C preferred stock financing of RefleXion Medical, a medical technology company developing a biology-guided radiotherapy system for targeted cancer treatment. Michael Earley in Chicago and New York-based Andrew Levine share leadership of the practice. Other notable names include John Saada, Jr in Cleveland; Timothy Curry in the Bay Area; and Kenneth Polin and Taylor Stevens, both based in San Diego.

Capital markets: equity offerings Tier 4

Jones Day houses a diverse capital markets practice that is equally adept at advising underwriters and issuers, with strong recent showings in the consumer products, financial services and energy sectors. The firm’s comprehensive national practice is particularly prominent in Cleveland, where corporate finance specialist Michael Solecki recently advised Conagra Brands on a $575m stock offering. In another headline issuer mandate, Kimberly Pustulka, who is also based in Cleveland, assisted YETI Holdings with its $288m IPO. Among its manager-side highlights, key contact Christopher Kelly, who splits his time between New York and Cleveland, advised the underwriters on KeyCorp’s $425m public offering of depositary shares.

Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 4

The ‘top-notch’ Jones Day team is headed by Los Angeles’ Daniel McLoon. He and litigators John Vogt and Adam Wiers (based in Irvine and Chicago respectively) have acted for Experian in class actions related to the client’s alleged violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and to an identity thief accessing consumer records from databases allegedly owned by the client and two other companies. New York’s Mauricio Paez has been advising Cardinal Health on data protection matters concerning the acquisition of new businesses and the implementation of a local data protection compliance program in various countries. Boston-based Lisa Ropple, who specializes in breach investigation and response, is ‘a joy to work with’.

Energy regulation: oil and gas Tier 4

Administrative litigation, regulatory due diligence on M&A transactions, rate and tariff cases and compliance and enforcement matters are some key areas of activity for Jones Day's energy department, which is led by Houston-based Jeffrey Schlegel. Highlights included James Olson (Houston) assisting Mach Resources with obtaining a waiver from FERC in the context of its acquisition of oil and gas assets from Chesapeake. Olson also represented an upstream oil and gas company in rate proceedings before FERC initiated by an LNG pipeline, in which the pipeline seeks to remove all rate regulation through the mechanism of market-based rates. DC-based James Beh is another name to note.

Energy: renewable/alternative power Tier 4

Jones Day advises project sponsors and developers on the financing, development, and ongoing commercial and operational activity of renewable energy projects. Houston-based Jeffrey Schlegel heads the global energy practice, and is advising Southern Power Company on its $1.2bn sale of a 33% minority interest in its solar portfolio to Global Atlantic Financial Group. Key figures in Washington DC include Danielle Varnell, who has expertise in M&A and project development in the clean energy space, and Gerald Farano, who focuses on sale and purchase agreements involving a variety of renewable and conventional energy assets. Also of note, Elise Zoli joined the Boston office from Goodwin. NRG Energy, South Carolina Electric & Gas and Xcel Energy are among the team's longstanding clients.

Energy: transactions: conventional power Tier 4

Acting for electrical utility providers, transmission entities, independent power producers and developers, Jones Day advises on the full range of corporate and commercial contracts associated with conventional power projects. In the Washington DC office, Gerald Farano and Danielle Varnell acted for NRG Energy in its sale of ownership in NRG Yield, in addition to its renewables energy development platform, to Global Infrastructure Partners for $1.4bn. Further, Farano assisted South Carolina Electric & Gas Company with its $180m acquisition of a natural gas-fired power plant in South Carolina, and Varnell acted for an energy-sector asset manager in its sale of stake in an electric generating facility. Jeffrey Schlegel heads the practice from the Houston office.

Financial services litigation Tier 4

Primarily based out of New York but also leveraging significant strength across the firm's extensive national network of offices, Jones Day provides a 'high-quality service' to clients including Wells Fargo, Deutsche Bank and BNP Paribas across a wide range of private litigation and regulatory enforcement actions. The firm has been involved in numerous credit crisis-related matters relating to the RMBS sector, and is acknowledged for its 'in-depth expertise in the trustee/securitization arena'. Howard Sidman has been at the forefront of many of these cases, including, recently, on behalf of Quicken Loans, which he defended in an RMBS putback case before the New York Court of Appeals. Co-head Jay Tambe has also been central to many of the firm's successes in the structured products arena, and along with Sidman has been defending Wells Fargo in numerous actions brought by institutional investors concerning over 280 separate RMBS trusts. Other highlights included the firm's work for BNP Paribas in several financial benchmark market manipulation matters. Praised for his 'adept navigation of highly complex issues', Boston-based Matthew Martel is also recommended.

Healthcare: life sciences Tier 4

Jones Day assists pharmaceutical, medical device and biotechnology clients with regulatory, transactional and contentious matters. The team's expertise spans from antitrust, business and tort litigation to labor and employment, IP and healthcare matters, and M&A and tax issues. Maureen Bennett, who splits her time between Boston and San Francisco, co-heads the practice with Stephen Sozio in Cleveland. Highlights included assisting Celgene with IP and technology transaction aspects of its cash-and-stock merger with Bristol-Myers Squibb, and advising Incyte Pharmaceuticals on its strategic collaboration and license agreement with Innovent Biologics for the regulatory development and commercialization of three clinical stage pharmaceutical products for treatment of hematological and oncological diseases in China. Other names to note are global IP practice chair Anthony Insogna in San Diego, Jonn Beeson in Irvine for M&A deals, and commercial litigator Tina Tabacchi from the Chicago office.

International arbitration Tier 4

Recent standout matters for the team at Jones Day include representing World Wide Minerals and Alhambra Resources in two separate ICSID arbitrations against the Republic of Kazakhstan, and representing Omega in a $100m ICSID claim against the Republic of Panama under the US-Panama BIT. The department is headed by Washington DC-based Gregory Shumaker and includes Melissa Gorsline and Andrew Ness, also in Washington DC, as well as San Francisco-based Steven L. Smith and Stephen V. O’Neal. Also recommended are Marcus S. Quintanilla, who splits his time between San Francisco and Mexico City, and Thomas Lynch, who is based in the firm's New York office.

Outsourcing Tier 4

Jones Day has considerable experience of outsourcing matters for companies in the cybersecurity, digital marketing, artificial intelligence and automotive manufacturing sectors; the team also has significant clients in the aviation and retail industries. Highlights have included New York-based practice head Mauricio F. Paez has renegotiated a $450m IT outsourcing agreement on behalf of an energy company. Another key contact is Atlanta-based Todd S. McClelland, who is especially experienced in advising on outsourcing transactions in the infrastructure management, power distribution and transportation sectors.

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

Jones Day impresses with a strong PTAB practice and a deep bench of life sciences and technology specialists. The group acts for patent owners and petitioners alike in IPRs and covered business method reviews, and recently secured a major Supreme Court victory for SAS Institute, wherein the court ruled that the PTAB must issue a final decision on every patent claim challenged by a petitioner. The practice also successfully defended AbbVie against an IPR filed by Sandoz regarding a patent covering AbbVie's antibody therapeutic, adalimumab, sold as Humira, the world's best-selling drug. Anthony Insogna in San Diego directs the global intellectual property practice, while San Diego-based Tamera Weisser and New York-based Adriane Antler co-chair the global prosecution group. Newly promoted partner Matthew Johnson in Pittsburg leads the PTAB practice together with Gasper LaRosa in New York. Other key names include Cleveland's David Cochran and New York-based Vishal Khatri, who also recently made partner. Michael Hendershot joined the team from Paul Hastings LLP. Other clients include Canon, Qualcomm and Celgene.

Private equity buyouts Tier 4

Jones Day has a tremendous record in the middle market, applying its deep resources and multiple US offices to great effect. The firm is also building its profile amongst the big-ticket buyout houses such as Blackstone, Carlyle and CVC Capital Partners. Other clients include Cortec Group, EagleTree Capital, One Equity Partners and The Riverside Company. New York partner Andrew Levine is global co-leader of the private equity group and advised EagleTree Capital on the sale of Paris Presents to Yellow Wood Partners. In Washington DC, Daniel Michaels led the team which advised Carlyle on the $4bn sale of Signode Industrial Group to Crown Holdings, and also assisted CVC Capital Partners with its $703m acquisition of Teva Pharmaceuticals' women’s health business outside of the US. Cleveland's James Dougherty, Charles Hardin and Denise Carkhuff are also recommended, as is Ira White in New York and Lisa Lathrop in Chicago.

US taxes: non-contentious Tier 4

Jones Day demonstrates expertise across a broad range of tax fields spanning M&A, joint ventures, restructuring and innovative tax planning. Key partners include Richard Nugent and Candace Ridgway in Washington DC acting on behalf of lenders and noteholders of iHeartCommunications in relation to the development of a taxable structure for iHeartMedia’s emergence from bankruptcy. Further, the team advised Procter & Gamble on the acquisition of Merck’s consumer healthcare business. Associate Matthew Waterhouse assisted Nugent on the tax aspects of Conagra’s $10.9bn acquisition of Pinnacle Foods, in a combination of stock, cash and debt, and Edward Kennedy assisted Newell Brands with the divestiture of its Waddington business. The Carlyle Group and Cardinal Health are also active clients. All partners are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

US taxes: contentious Tier 5

The 25-partner team at Jones Day is led by Joseph Goldman and Edward Kennedy, who are based in Washington DC and New York respectively. Other key names include former assistant attorney general of the DOJ's Tax Division Kathy Keneally, based in New York, who focuses on civil and criminal tax controversy matters, Michael Wynne in Chicago, and John Allan in Atlanta. The group covers contentious tax audits and litigation at federal, state and local level. Recent work includes Wynne acting as lead trial counsel to CA Technologies in an Illinois Independent Tax Tribunal challenge to an income tax assessment arising out of audit adjustments by the Illinois Department of Revenue to CA’s apportionment of income from foreign income from intangibles. Other notable clients include Einstein Noah Restaurant Group and Waste Management of Illinois, Inc.