McDermott Will & Emery LLP > Washington DC, United States > Firm Profile

McDermott Will & Emery LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Healthcare > Health insurers Tier 1

McDermott Will & Emery LLP offers a full slate of services for leading insurers and health networks. On the transactional front, the team expanded its private equity and venture capital work, advising groups such as Gigafund on their investments, and advising new insurance companies on working with venture capital groups. It also advised companies such as Ascension on the establishment of Medicare Advantage plans. Disputes are another area of expertise, with the team acting on claims cases, ERISA litigation and putative class actions. Particularly notable is the team’s regulatory and government advocacy team, with Washington DC-based partners Brian Stimson, Eric Zimmerman, and Miami’s Jerry Sokol providing support to healthcare trade organizations on the No Surprises Act. Jeremy Earl and Kate McDonald , also DC-based, provide strong regulatory support focusing on ACA compliance and government healthcare programs respectively. DC’s Ankur Goel is a well-respected litigator, and Gary Scott Davis leads transactions out of Miami. The team has also recently opened a new office in Atlanta.

Healthcare > Service providers Tier 1

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has extensive bench strength for provider-focused healthcare work, with teams across the nation providing advisory and litigation services. Healthcare M&A continues to be a key driver of the practice, notably advising Virginia Mason on its $4bn affiliation transaction with CommonSpirit Health and related divestments. In addition, the firm offers extensive regulatory and contentious services, with a particular emphasis on telehealth and government investigations, with its most notable case involved advising CIC Health on Massachusetts’ mass and mobile vaccination program. Leading figures in the team include health tech expert Bernadette Broccolo, Miami-based global healthcare head Jerry Sokol, M&A experts Gary Scott Davis, based in Miami, and Boston’s Christopher Jedrey and Kerrin Slattery. Sandra DiVarco leads the team’s COVID-19 response team, in addition to her broad regulatory practice, and Monica Wallace acts on fraud and abuse and other key compliance issues. Craig Smith is also notable for spearheading the team’s Atlanta office opening, while Gregory Fosheim acts on matters involving public health concerns. Lawyers are in Chicago unless otherwise stated.

Tax > US taxes: contentious Tier 1

The tax controversy team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP is highly experienced in IRS audits, administrative appeals, and trial and appellate litigation. The team is particularly strong in SALT and transfer pricing disputes and litigation. Clients are primarily multinationals, including a large number of Fortune 100 companies. In Chicago, practice lead Jane Wells May focuses on SALT matters for clients in the healthcare, energy, and manufacturing industries. She works alongside Jenny Johnson, a specialist in negotiated resolutions with the IRS and DoJ; Andrew Roberson, an expert in representing clients before the IRS Appeals Office and Examination Division; federal and SALT litigator Roger Jones; and Catherine Battin, who often represents multinationals in SALT controversies. In Washington DC, Stephen Kranz is a noted expert in state tax reform and digital goods and services tax disputes, and in Boston, Richard Call specializes in SALT litigation, both before administrative and judicial bodies. San Francisco-based Charles Moll focuses on SALT tax controversy resolution, often before California tax authorities.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 1

Highly rated by clients for their broad capabilities, the ‘indispensable' team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP assists a myriad of clue-chip corporates on high-value transactions and tax planning mandates. Jointly led by Jane Wells May  and Washington DC-based Tim Shuman, the team is also noted for its robust restructuring practice, most recently working with major Fortune 500 companies in online retail and consumer goods. Wells May specializes in state and local tax matters, while Shuman is especially well versed in domestic and cross-border deals, restructurings and liquidations. Damon Lyon is noted for his knowledge of multi-jurisdictional business structures, while the DC-based Caroline Ngo ‘s broad practice encompasses tax-efficient structuring and the application of bilateral income tax treaties. Lowell Yoder handles cross-border transactions for a range of clients from the worlds of tech, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, and financial services. New York-based John Lutz specializes in structured finance, derivatives, and hedge funds. Meaghan Wolfe, who joined from Baker McKenzie LLP in July 2021, focuses on US federal income tax issues for numerous MNCs. All named lawyers are based in Chicago unless stated otherwise.

Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: toxic tort Tier 2

Leveraging longstanding client relationships with high-profile companies, including ExxonMobil and Honeywell, who continue to instruct the firm across many of their most significant toxic tort and product liability mandates, McDermott Will & Emery LLP has strong nationwide reputation. It is appreciated for its trial-ready approach, as well as its deep subject matter knowledge – including as it relates to asbestos and glyphosate exposure, and groundwater contamination. Miami-based Anthony Upshaw , whose ‘excellent trial skills in the area’ are underscored by his selection by Monsanto/Bayer to try its PCB-related matters and its Roundup related trials, leads the team James Pardo  is based out of New York and has an excellent track record defending clients in private and government enforcement actions relating to allegations of hazardous waste, clean water and clean air laws.

Energy > Renewable/alternative power Tier 2

With ‘superb bench strength‘, McDermott Will & Emery LLP is particularly praised for its ‘expertise in renewable energy transactions‘. Its varied client roster is predominantly made up of developers, lenders, large private equity funds and public utility companies which turn to the firm for assistance with the development and financing of renewable energy projects. Additionally, the team has a proven track record in high-value and complex investments in the renewable space involving solar, wind, hydrogen, carbon capture, renewable diesel and biofuels. Edward Zaelke , whose experience in the renewable energy sector spans more than 30 years, leads the global energy project finance group. He is based in Los Angeles, and has a strong background in the representation of companies engaged in the development, financing and operation of wind and solar power, biomass, geothermal and renewable natural gas projects. Tax expert Philip Tingle , who is based in Miami, stands out for his work on behalf of public utilities in obtaining tax equity financing for their renewable energy projects. Carl Fleming  in Washington DC has in-depth knowledge across the entire value chain of the renewable industry and is trusted counsel to public and private entities.

Energy > Energy regulation: electric power Tier 2

The energy regulatory team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP has an ‘exceptionally high degree of subject matter knowledge’. It represents independent power producers and other competitive power companies -including power marketers and merchant transmission developers- on the full spectrum of energy regulatory, transmission, interconnection and compliance issues. The group regularly handles investigation and audits by the CFTC, FERC and other state and federal regulatory bodies, as well as in related appellate and alternative dispute resolution proceedings. Based in Washington DC, practice co-heads Neil Levy and David Tewksbury are ‘leaders in the energy regulatory space’. Stephanie Lim in Washington DC focuses on matters relating to buyer-side market power mitigation rules and other ISO and RTO rules governing the electricity capacity markets.

Healthcare > Life sciences Tier 2

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has bolstered its broad life sciences team with a number of major lateral hires. Most notable in this is its expansion of the IP team, bringing new California-based practice co-head Douglas Carsten from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, expanding the firm’s litigation bench, which offers trial and arbitration services for patent disputes. Its transactional team has also continued to grow, with growing expertise in licensing and collaborations matters based out of the Chicago, Los Angeles and Atlanta offices. Another core element of the offering is regulatory work, with Washington DC-based co-head Vernessa Pollard advising on clinical research, marketing and post-market compliance. Also noteworthy are Boston-based IP experts Sarah Chapin Columbia and Michael Siekman, and Silicon Valley litigator William Gaede.

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

McDermott Will & Emery LLP advises on the management and enforcement of the trademark portfolios of major clients in the life sciences, tech, healthcare, professional services, biotech, logistics, insurance, fintech and alcoholic beverages sectors. Trademark prosecution expert Christina Martini in Chicago leads the team with William Gaede in Silicon Valley. Support is provided by licensing and counseling specialist Jennifer Mikulina in Chicago and in Washington DC by Robert Zelnick, who manages unfair competition and advertising matters, and associate Eleanor Atkins. Orange County office managing partner Sarah Bro assists clients in the alcoholic beverages, IT, blockchain and financial tech and wellness sectors.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 2

Widely recognized in the ESOP space, the team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP has demonstrable experience in advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies, as well as financial services and healthcare-sector clients on M&A and leveraged buyout transactions. Key clients include Kaiser Aluminum, Novant Health and Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, among others. In Boston, global head Andrew Liazos focuses on executive compensation and ERISA fiduciary issues, while ‘terrific’ Erin Turley and Allison Wilkerson, who both operate from the firm’s Dallas office, advise on pension and 401(k) plans, in addition to ESOPs. Based in Chicago, Todd Solomon, who is noted for his experience in ERISA Title 1 issues, handles deferred compensation arrangements, and Diane Morgenthaler focuses on the employee benefits aspects acquisitions and divestitures.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m) Tier 2

McDermott Will & Emery LLP predominantly operates in the middle to upper-middle market field, handling transactions in the $50m-$1bn range. The practice is bolstered by dedicated healthcare, TMT and IT groups and is also known for its work in the energy, food and beverage, manufacturing and chemicals sectors. Based in Miami, Harris Siskind serves as global head of the transactions practice group, handling a variety of acquisitions and divestitures, and leveraging previous experience working in the securities and manufacturing industries. Todd Finger operates from New York, serving as head of the local practice, leading on mergers, stock and asset deals, LBOs, joint ventures and restructuring transactions, among other deal types.

Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing Tier 2

McDermott Will & Emery LLP is equally adept at acting for customers and providers in outsourcing deals, handling transactions involving the outsourcing of a wide variety of business processes. The practice has a strong client base in the healthcare sector, where it is particularly active on the outsourcing of revenue cycle management. Blockchain technology is another area of focus for the team, which acts both for companies in this sector as well as companies seeking to use blockchain in the outsourcing of processes. Shawn Helms and Jason Krieser lead the team from Dallas; both have considerable expertise in transactions involving technology such as cloud computing and the blockchain. David Guedry and Heather Bethancourt are also key names in the Dallas office. Guedry is experienced in advising on the outsourcing of IT and business processes, while Bethancourt specialises in acting for healthcare clients.

Tax > Financial products Tier 2

Tax > International tax Tier 2

McDermott Will & Emery LLP advises multinationals on tax aspects of international M&A transactions, transfer pricing, and corporate restructuring. The team is also highly experienced in tax planning and advisory work, as well as advising high-net-worth individuals in complex multi-jurisdictional tax disputes and litigation. In Washington DC practice leader Tim Shuman is an expert in cross-border acquisitions, restructurings, and dispositions. He works alongside international tax planning expert Caroline Ngo  and Britt Haxton, a specialist in tax-free and taxable acquisitions, restructurings, and liquidations. Operating out of Chicago, Damon Lyon deals with cross-border M&A and international tax controversies, Brian Jenn covers US taxation of foreign currencies and transfer pricing, and Lowell Yoder focuses on cross-border M&A and global tax planning. In Miami, Michael Silva advises on cross-border transactions. The team expanded in 2021 with international tax planning specialists Alex Farr joining from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in February, Michael Hardgrove joining from DLA Piper LLP (US) in May, and Jeff Maydew and Meaghan Wolfe joining from Baker McKenzie LLP in July. Lauren Ferrante and Alysse McLoughlin departed in January and August 2021.

Antitrust > Merger control Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has long-standing strength in the healthcare antitrust space, handling numerous hospital mergers alongside clearances for other deals in the sector, combining this with merger control advice in a wide range of other sectors, with the team often brought in to specifically handle antitrust elements of deals, including standard filings through to merger challenges and litigation against the DOJ and FTC. The firm also handles merger arbitrage matters, working with hedge funds and other investor clients to identify potential transactions that will survive regulatory oversight. A notable representation during 2021 was that of Constellation Brands in its sale of 34 wine and spirit brands to EJ Gallo, for an estimated $1.7bn, a transaction facing an FTC Second Request and ongoing remedy negotiations. The team is led by Raymond Jacobsen, who has a strong record in defending complex mergers, and is currently representing Lockheed Martin in its proposed acquisition of Aerodyne. Joel Grosberg is also active in the merger space, handling clearance applications and litigation for deals in a wide range of sectors, including technology, chemicals, and life sciences. Katharine O’Connor in Chicago focuses her practice on merger defense, representing clients before regulatory agencies, judges, and juries. Lawyers are in Washington DC unless otherwise stated.

Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)

Since its establishment in 2019, McDermott Will & Emery LLP‘s appellate practice has been consistently involved in high-stakes administrative and constitutional litigation — as well as complex business disputes. The team is a particularly strong performer in US Supreme Court cases, where it has argued ten matters since January 2019. The firm also continues to notch up involvement in significant cases before federal and state appellate courts. Paul Hughes and Michael Kimberly co-chair the department from Washington DC and they recently paired up to represent David Wilson, a member of The Board of Trustees of the Houston Community College System, in a case discussing the authority of elected bodies to censure their members for speech protected by the First Amendment. Associate Andrew Lyonsberg, also based in Washington DC, provides capable support.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP's mainstay include defending accounting firms and their partners, healthcare litigation cases, intellectual property issues and securities matters. John Calandra in New York has niche expertise in proceedings relating to space law and satellites. Jon Dean  in Los Angeles has a practice encompassing antitrust cases, patent litigation matters, trade secrets cases, and unfair competition cases. Calandra and Dean lead the group together with William Donovan (Los Angeles) and David Rosenbloom  (Chicago). Andrew Kratenstein is a key contact for energy and healthcare clients.

International Trade > Trade remedies and trade policy Tier 3

Insurance > Insurance: non-contentious Tier 3

The team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP regularly supports clients with transactional insurance deals, working closely with colleagues from other practice groups, such as tax or private equity. The practice is also notable for its experience in the insurtech sector as it acts for various players, from start-ups to industry incumbents. Michael Halsband leads the practice, drawing on extensive experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry. Michael Byrne has expertise in insurtech, insurance transactional and regulatory matters. John Mulhern  left the firm in May 2021. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York.

Insurance > Advice to insurers Tier 3

The insurance practice at McDermott Will & Emery LLP helps its broad client base, which includes prominent names in the industry, ‘achieve positive, practical outcomes that make long term sense’. The team handles contentious insurance coverage litigation, reinsurance disputes and offers regulatory advice and representation. Of note is its expertise in captive insurance and risk retention group matters as well as in the insurtech sector. The team is led by Ryan Smethurst, who has a wealth of trial and appellate experience, and Margaret Warner, ‘an outstanding litigator and strategist‘ in Washington DC together with Jane Byrne  in New York, who advises clients in high-value coverage and transactional disputes as well as reinsurance litigation and arbitration.

Intellectual property > Patents: prosecution (including re-examination and post-grant proceedings) Tier 3

Operating from key innovation hubs, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Washington, DC, McDermott Will & Emery LLP‘s practice prepares and prosecutes patent applications and manages and protects the patent portfolios of clients such as Amgen, CRISPR Therapeutics, Facebook, and Shutterstock, showcasing its particular expertise in the life sciences and technology spaces. The prosecution group is headed by Chicago’s Ahsan Shaikh, while William Gaede in Silicon Valley acts as global head of the IP group. Other key attorneys include Boston’s Edward Gordon, who often takes the reins in negotiations in transactions involving IP assets as well as in negotiating joint ventures and strategic collaborations for global companies. Fellow Bostonian Michael Siekman‘s skills shine through in life sciences side of the practice. The later two are based in Boston.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design Tier 3

Noted for its expertise in the financial services and healthcare sectors, McDermott Will & Emery LLP advises public companies, individual executives and management teams on various executive compensation issues, as well as qualified retirement plans. In the firm’s Boston office, global chair Andrew Liazos frequently handles employment and severance agreement matters for senior executives, while Chicago-based Todd Solomon advises public and private companies, and tax-exempt entities, on deferred compensations plans. Also in Chicago, Judith Wethall focuses on health and welfare programs, and Lisa Loesel advises on 401(k) and pension plans, while Erin Turley and Allison Wilkerson are also key members of the team.

Labor and employment > ERISA litigation Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has offices across the US, covering a wide range of bases and allowing it to access state-level and federal expertise. The firm offers an integrated platform, with experts across a range of subject matters, including executive benefits, employee issues and broader labor law matters. The ERISA litigation team is led by Chicago-based partner Ted Becker and Miami-based partner Christian Nemeth.

Labor and employment > Immigration Tier 3

At McDermott Will & Emery LLP, the immigration practice works closely with the firm’s private client practice to offer an extensive offering across employment law, cross-border trusts and tax work to its corporate clients. The team also represents several German companies operating in the US. Led by Joan-Elisse Carpentier in New York, the group handles non-immigrant and immigrant visa work, compliance matters and employee transfers. Malati Lal is a core member of the team as is associate Abigail Kagan who conducts internal investigations.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP handles a range of employment litigation and compliance work for its corporate management and media industry clients. Led by Chicago-based Michael Sheehan, the group specializes in trade secret and non-compete litigation, but also deals with accessibility cases, wage and hour claims and class and collective actions. In San Francisco, the practice features Ellen Bronchetti, with experience standing before relevant courts in trade secret, whistleblower and wrongful termination disputes. Also in San Francisco, Ron Holland handles wage and hour class actions, whistleblower cases and harassment disputes, while Chicago-based Rachel Cowen has experience dealing with discrimination and wrongful termination matters. Maria Rodriguez in Los Angeles acts for domestic and international clients in single plaintiff and wage and hour class actions.

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has offices across key commercial centers in the US, allowing the firm to cover a wide range of bases and to understand local issues in all major regions of the contiguous United States. In addition to this, the firm enjoys a growing profile and has secured several significant victories for its clients. The overall labor management team is led by Chicago-based partner Michael Sheehan. Ron Holland leads the San Francisco arm for the practice, counseling Fortune 500 companies on labor strategy, union-avoidance and responses to union-backed corporate campaigns.

Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has offices across the US, with members of the workplace and employment counseling team based in Chicago, New York, Miami, Washington DC, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Although the firm works in many industries, it is especially prominent in representing many of the country’s major movie studios. The team has been increasingly involved in pay equity reviews, and has also seen an uptick in work involving the labour aspects of M&A transactions. The workplace and employment counseling team is led by Chicago-based partner Michael Sheehan, who can regularly be found assisting companies against allegations of harassment. He is supported by Rachel Cowen, who is sought by multiple companies for advice on pay equity issues. Maria Rodriguez in Los Angeles handles retail and entertainment cases.In New York, Daniel Doron left the firm at the start of 2022.

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 3

McDermott Will & Emery LLP works with clients on cybersecurity compliance matters and in the planning of incident response plans. The firm’s worldwide network guarantees competent advice in connection to global regulation frameworks, including CCPA, CPRA, GDPR and regarding international data transfers post-Schrems II. Health data privacy lawyers Ed Zacharias in Boston and Daniel Gottlieb in Chicago, Los Angeles-based cybersecurity and video game technology expert Michael Morgan , and Todd McClelland in Atlanta, who specializes in tech transactions and breach response, jointly lead the team. Jiayan Chen in Washington DC ‘is a rock-star lawyer’, while Chicago’s Ryan Higgins ‘provides practical, concise constructive and extremely helpful advice.’

International Trade > Trade remedies and trade policy Tier 3

The increasingly prominent team at McDermott Will & Emery LLP is noted for its ‘depth of experience with respect to all aspects of international trade‘. Among its new mandates, the firm was appointed by the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT) — together with consortium partners TLT and Borden Ladner Gervais LLP — to advise on three trade agreements, including the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Counsel Timothy Hruby leads the DIT work. Practice co-head Carolyn Gleason is ‘extremely knowledgeable‘ and recently teamed up with counsel Raymond Paretzky and senior counsel David Levine to represent Musco Family Olive Co in several antidumping, countervailing duty, USCIT, and WTO proceedings involving US olive imports from Spain. Trade remedy and policy specialist Joanne Osendarp, Eric Parnes and counsel Alan Kashdan, among others, left the firm in May 2023. Named attorneys are based in Washington DC.

Antitrust > Cartel Tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery LLP represents clients in a broad range of cartel defense proceedings, including litigation brought by the FTC, DOJ and international antitrust bodies, as well as handling regulatory investigations and follow-on civil damages claims. The firm has a long-standing strength in the healthcare section, handling cartel cases in the highly-scrutinized generic pharmaceuticals space, and also represents clients in other investigations of note, including the international auto parts cartel, and the ongoing investigation into no-poach agreements. The team is led by Ray Jacobsen, a vastly experienced antitrust counsel with a success record in litigation, while Gordon Greenberg is a key name for civil and criminal government investigations.

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery LLP provides full-spectrum antitrust services for its clients and is particularly well regarded for its expertise in the healthcare sector, although its industry focus also extends to consumer goods, packaging, steel, and technology. Raymond Jacobsen leads the practice from Washington DC, while healthcare and antitrust expert Stephen Wu is located in Chicago alongside ‘outstanding litigator and advocate’ Katharine O’Connor. In early 2021, the firm added a number of new partners to its DC antitrust bench: Justin Murphy, who was previously at the DOJ and focuses on bid-rigging, price-fixing, hiring practices, and market allocations, former Hogan Lovells US LLP partner Andrew Lee, and Lesli Esposito, who joined from DLA Piper LLP (US).

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

McDermott Will & Emery LLP offers ‘a deep bench of sharp, practical lawyers with experience in helping companies navigate complex investigations and litigation’. It has a wealth of experience in FCA and FCPA matters, with a strong track record in the healthcare industry. Other key areas of focus include white-collar defense, anti-corruption issues, and government and internal investigations. The team is headed by Chicago’s Steven Scholes, Boston’s Laura McLane and the Los Angeles-based Russell Hayman. In late 2020, Caitlyn Campbell joined in Boston from the SEC; and in July 2021, Ted Diskant joined in New York from the US Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. Former co-head David Rosenbloom left for an in-house role.

Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products Tier 4

Energy > Energy transactions: electric power Tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery LLP handles a range of transactions across the energy sector, notably in the nuclear, hydroelectric, coal, oil and gas segments, as well as renewables. Advising on investments across all energy types, the practice group also provides a strong energy tax practice to clients including private equity funds and public utilities. The team is co-led by Los Angeles-based Edward Zaelke and Philip Tingle in Miami.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has added bench strength to its West Coast capabilities with the arrival of Douglas Carsten; a skilled litigator with a good record in the life sciences IP arena formerly at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The ‘exceptional team’ has also bolstered its East Coast life sciences practice with the arrival of DC-based partner Adam Burrowbridge, who also joined from Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, Silicon Valley’s William Gaede heads the group, which remains a one-stop-shop for clients thanks to its full range of patent litigation expertise, which they put to use not only at state level, but also nationally and globally. Praised for developing ‘innovative solutions’, the practice boasts an excellent reputation in the healthcare, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology space, as evidenced by its client roster, which includes names such as Amgen, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, and United Therapeutics. Sarah Chapin Columbia in Boston; Thomas Steindler, who leads the IP litigation group in Washington, DC; Chicago’s Charles McMahon; Shane Nichols in Atlanta, who holds a degree in electrical engineering; and Mandy Kim in Orange County, who extensive ITC experience, are other key members of the department. Nicole Jantzi and Paul Schoenhard left in January 2022.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (International Trade Commission) Tier 4

McDermott Will & Emery LLP's practice counts several former lawyers from regulatory and enforcement authorities among its ranks, making the group a safe choice when in-depth, comprehensive experience in ITC investigations is needed. Jay Reiziss in Washington DC, who brings to bear his 12 years serving in the Office of the General Counsel, the Office of a former chairman, and the Office of Unfair Import Investigations at the ITC, is the key contact of the group. As part of the firm's wider patent litigation team, the practice is also adept at handling disputes involving an ITC component and federal court litigation. Chicago's Charles McMahon is another name to note. William Gaede in Silicon Valley heads the global IP practice group.

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

Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation Tier 4

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 4

With a robust network of national offices, McDermott Will & Emery LLP has extensive experience advising investment banks, private equity and institutional lenders in complex structured finance transaction, and continues to be known for its handling of financing transactions involving iconic buildings in New York. David Broderick concentrates on mortgage and mezzanine financing, debt syndication, preferred equity and loan securitization transactions. Jeffrey Steiner chairs the global real estate department, with Keith Pattiz leading the finance sub-team. All attorneys are based in New York.

Finance > Commercial lending Tier 5

Though capable of advising lenders, it is McDermott Will & Emery LLP‘s borrower-side work that is most worthy of note. The firm routinely works with private equity houses, as well as corporate borrowers, on acquisition financing, asset-based lending, bond financing and loan workouts. Michael Boykins  and Stephanie McCann  are the names to note in Chicago; both have vast experience in advising on matters relating to the healthcare sector, an area whether the firm is particularly strong. Gary Rosenbaum , based in Los Angeles, leads the team alongside McCann and Boykins. Jared Bryant, arriving from Kirkland & Ellis LLP, joined the New York office in January 2021.

M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts Tier 5

McDermott Will & Emery LLP has an active mid-market private equity offering that combines bench strength and geographical reach, advising relationship clients such as Blue Sea Capital, CenterGate Capital, and Comvest on buyouts, investments, and exits, with a particular speciality in life-cycle portfolio company support, including internal corporate governance and financing issues. The firm’s industry knowledge encompasses financial services, manufacturing, technology, and food and beverages, complimenting its long-standing strength in the healthcare sector. Key names in the team include Miami-based corporate head Harris Siskind , a prolific dealmaker for the likes of H.I.G. Capital, with private equity co-chair Frederic Levenson also active from the Miami office. In Chicago Gregory Metz has a strong record in energy and industrials deals, notably on behalf of Sterling Group, while Kristian Werling co-chairs the PE team and is noted for his healthcare and biopharma expertise. New York’s Frank Steinherr plays a crucial role in the firm’s portfolio company practice, while Chicago’s Brooks Gruemmer remains a strong performer. The practice was bolstered by the January 2021 arrival of Christian Fabian from Mayer Brown and Andrew Warmus from Baker McKenzie LLP, adding to the firm’s bench strength in Chicago.

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 6

McDermott Will & Emery LLP offers a global team, knowledgeable in all aspects of distressed transactions, with key expertise within the bankruptcy and restructuring niches of healthcare and life sciences. Notable representation includes Quorum Health Corporation where it acted as counsel in its pre-packaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. The practice is led by Felicia Gerber Perlman. Partners Nathan Coco  and Megan Preusker departed the practice in September 2021, while versatile corporate restructuring transactional advisor Daniel Simon joined the practice in February 2021 from DLA Piper LLP (US). All lawyers mentioned are in New York.

Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital) Tier 6

The ‘extremely experienced and trusted advisers‘ at McDermott Will & Emery LLP assist a variety of institutional, boutique and first-time sponsors, particularly dominating the middle to upper middle market arena. Under the leadership of New York-based Ian Schwartz, the team has built up an impressive track record in the fundraising space, across a spectrum of investment strategies including buyout, real estate, mezzanine debt, loan origination, venture, fund of funds, infrastructure, region-specific, secondary and co-investments. The firm’s strong reputation in the healthcare sector also ensures that the group is viewed as a go-to counsel for funds work with a nexus to this industry.

Investment fund formation and management > Alternative/hedge funds