Firm Profile > Paul Hastings LLP > San Francisco, United States

Paul Hastings LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market ($500m-999m) Tier 1

Paul Hastings LLP is adept at handling large cross-border M&A, venture capital transactions and private equity-related investments, with a particular focus on the media, entertainment, technology and life sciences sectors. The team has also been carving out a niche in the cannabis industry, where it has handled high-value transactions for clients such as Tilray and Canopy Growth Corporation. Carl Sanchez in San Diego and Thaddeus Malik in Chicago jointly head the global M&A practice. Also in Chicago, Amit Mehta co-heads the global corporate practice alongside Atlanta-based Elizabeth Noe, who advises on securities and corporate governance matters, in addition to M&A.

Media, technology and telecoms > Fintech Tier 1

Particularly strong in the areas of the payments, blockchain and cryptocurrency, Paul Hastings LLP's fintech group acts for some of the markets leading players, such as Samsung, Gemini, Coinbase and Circle. The group combines a strong nationwide multi-disciplinary team with the ability to work with the firm's international network in cross-border matters. Atlanta-based practice head Chris Daniel has a strong reputation in the payments space and represents a diverse group of clients, including non-bank and bank financial institutions and other companies active in banking and payment systems. Key contacts in the Washington DC office include of counsel Lawrence Kaplan, and privacy and cybersecurity-expert Behnam Dayanim, who has particular expertise in the gaming sector. Other names to note include San Francisco-based competition and antitrust partner Thomas Brown and of counsels Erica Brennan and Sara Weed, both of whom are based in Atlanta and advise on a range of regulatory and corporate matters.

Real estate > Real estate Tier 1

‘One of the preeminent practices’ in the real estate space, Paul Hastings LLP is a go-to name for development mandate, real estate finance and other transactional matters, with complementary expertise in areas such as environmental law, licensing and zoning and land use. In New York, ‘all-star partner’ Eric Landau jointly oversees the practice with Peter Olsen and John Cahill. The group stands out in particular for its specialized strength in leisure and hospitality work, and its strong focus on cross-border deals, which have recently involved assets in France, Japan and Australia, among other jurisdictions. The practice group is also known for its top-notch developer clients. In a standout example of its activity in the development space the team represented Five Point Holdings in its role as master developer of Candlestick Point and Phase 2 of the Hunters Point Shipyard project in San Francisco. In California, Philip Feder is a standout name for finance, loan workouts, transactions and restructurings.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

Lawyers at Paul Hastings LLP are well equipped to handle government investigations, litigation and corporate compliance, taking on instructions from a variety of multinationals and individual clients. Matters involving financial crime are particular areas of expertise for the group, which is knowledgeable in anti-corruption and FCPA, alongside sanctions investigations and enforcement, cybercrime, life sciences criminal regulatory issues and consumer protection. Kenneth Breen chairs the team from New York and has extensive trial experience. Also in New York, Gary Giampetruzzi is noted for his compliance and investigations work. For individual representations, Washington DC's 'incredibly valuable lawyer' Robert Luskin  is 'second-to-none in court' and has experience before the DOJ, OFAC, and state, federal, and foreign regulators; and Kwame Manley has developed an active financial crime- and sanctions-related practice. Matthew Herrington, who joined the Washington DC office from Steptoe & Johnson LLP in April 2019, is noted for his 'thoughtful, highly intelligent, practical, and sound counsel'.

Finance > Structured finance: securitization Tier 2

Paul Hastings LLP has a particularly strong CLO practice, which handles a range of work for collateral managers and investment banks, as well as issuer clients. Key figures in the team include Eugene Ferrer and DC-based practice head Scott Faga, both of whom have extensive experience advising arrangers and issuers on structured credit and CLO deals. Another contact in Washington DC is Rich Davis, who has been active in matters involving the securitization of microfinance and fintech-originated debt. Nicole Skalla is also recommended in the CLO and structured credit space.

Intellectual property > Patents: litigation (full coverage) Tier 2

Paul Hastings LLP is particularly well versed in extensive patent disputes, often featuring cross-border issues. Life sciences and pharmaceutical litigation is at the heart of the practice, including biotech disputes, but the group also counts many major technology, telecommunications and financial services companies among its clients. With the practice's additional strength in post-grant proceedings before the PTAB, including inter partes reviews, post-grant reviews and covered business method reviews, and the group's growing ITC practice, the firm is well equipped to assist with high-stakes matters. In the US, the key offices are in Palo Alto, where Yar Chaikovsky is based; New York with Bruce Wexler; Washington DC, where Naveen Modi is based; Chicago, the home turf of Robert Unikel; San Diego and San Francisco. Chaikovsky, Wexler, Modi, and Eric Dittmann share the lead of the practice. Thanks to the firm's international footprint, the group can form cross-border teams, for example with colleagues from the Tokyo office. Palo Alto's Philip Ou made partner in February 2019.

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

Paul Hastings LLP's trade secrets team is especially strong in trade secrets litigation involving both civil and criminal aspects. The team also advises on multi-jurisdictional disputes, and acts for international clients, such as Samsung, in US courts. Victoria Cundiff chairs the global trade secrets group in New York, while Jennifer Baldocchi leads the employee mobility and trade secrets practice from the Los Angeles office.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions): defense Tier 2

Paul Hastings LLP has a highly regarded practice in class actions, in which especially the California-team is highly active. The group regularly acts for  multinational clients in labor disputes, in connection with wage-and-hour claims, in discrimination matters and in government agency investigations. Elena Baca in Los Angeles heads up the practice and has considerable experience defending C-Suite members against a variety of claims. Nancy Abell, based in the same office, is an expert in discrimination law. San Francisco's Jeffrey Wohl is noted for his class action expertise. Barbara Brown in Washington DC is regularly involved in disputes arising out of personnel decisions. Patrick Shea is a key contact in New York. Other prominent practitioners include Paul Cane and Zach Hutton in San Francisco, Neal Mollen, Carson Sullivan and Kenneth Willner in Washington DC, as well as New York-based Marc Bernstein, Emily Pidot and Kenneth Gage. Palo Alto's Bradford Newman advises on trade secrets and employee mobility. Donna Melby and Felicia Davis in Los Angeles are also noted. Jeffrey Webb, who specialises in wage-and-hour collective actions and class actions, joined from Ropes & Gray LLP.

Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling Tier 2

Paul Hastings LLP has a strong footprint in the labor and employment area in its Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York offices. While a strong focus of the practice is on contentious work, the team also counsels multi-national clients on a wide range of employment and workplace matters, such as internal investigations, terminations and compliance systems. Los Angeles' Elena Baca leads the practice, which also includes Nancy Abell and government investigations expert Leslie Abbott. In the New York office, Patrick Shea is a go-to specialist for employment discrimination and wrongful discharge, while Kenneth Gage is well versed in reviewing employment processes and pay equity studies. Carson Sullivan in Washington DC is noted for her expertise in the trade secrets and restrictive covenant field. Bradford Newman is the key contact in Palo Alto for employee mobility matters.

Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory Tier 2

Led by Sherrese Smith, a former chief counsel to the FCC Chairman, Paul Hastings LLP is noted for representing broadcasters and content-focused tech companies regarding emerging technologies. Other key areas of strength include spectrum auction, channel-sharing and national security issues. Associate Andrew Erber, who assists Smith on the most significant matters in this space, is experienced in the regulatory aspects of broadcast transactions. Cyber security expert Behnam Dayanim is another name to note. Smith and Dayanim continue to assist Cox Media with regulatory advice in developing new content and advertising channels as it expands into new content delivery areas. Former department head Eric Greenberg departed the firm for Perkins Coie LLP.

Real estate > Land use/zoning Tier 2

With solid bases in Northern and Southern California, Paul Hastings LLP's land use practice at operates as an integrated part of the firm's real estate group, providing legal assistance to private and public clients throughout every stage of large land and real estate projects, from early-stage planning to financing to litigation. Based in Los Angeles, practice co-head Jeffrey Haber is an expert in entitlement law, and has a strong track record in obtaining government approvals for heavily contended development projects. Joint practice head Mitchell Menzer is also based in the Los Angeles office. Also recommended is Gordon Hart in San Francisco, a name to note for complex permitting and issues pertaining to the California Environmental Quality Act.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 2

With on-the-ground tax specialists on both coasts and in the energy capital of the US, Paul Hastings LLP is well placed to provide nationwide tax advice on corporate restructurings, real estate funds and cross-border and domestic M&A. The department is headed by New York-based Joseph Opich, who is recognized for his expertise in the tax aspects of M&A, financial products and structured finance transactions. Similarly, in Orange County Douglas Schaaf advises on a wide range of complex business transactions, and on the taxation of financial products. Greg Nelson in Houston specializes in taxation in the energy sector and tax issues relating to energy partnerships. The tax group also plays a key role in the firm's private equity practice.

Antitrust > Merger control Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP guides clients through HSR filings and multi-jurisdictional reviews, with the option to defend merger-related investigation processes and handle second requests. The department regularly covers an array of sectors such as healthcare, telecoms, financial services and transportation. A key figure in the firm's Washington DC office is counsel Michael Wise regularly leads antitrust transaction advice within the US. Associate Noah Pinegar adds to the team in Washington DC with specific know-how of medical devices and pharmaceuticals industries. Tom Brown heads up the practice group. Scott Hataway left the firm in July 2020.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 3

Continuing to attract high-stakes work for major pharmaceutical and financial services companies, the litigation department at Paul Hastings LLP is regularly seen in courts up to appellate level. In one example, global department chair Barry Sher and Anthony Antonelli defended Barclays in the Southern District of New York against claims it fixed prices on the SSA bond market. A key lawyer is Kurt Hansson, who remains heavily involved in long-running litigation for Plaza Construction against more than 10,000 personal injuries arising from the clean-up effort at the World Trade Center post-9/11.  Manufacturing clients are also a source of complex and mission-critical work; a team including Hansson, Sheila Sundvall and James Worthington is representing General Electric in litigation arising from the emergency landing of Southwest Airlines flight 1380 in April 2018 following the failure of a fan blade in the engine. High-profile departures included noted securities expert Douglas Flaum, who left for Goodwin in March 2019, and Shahzeb Lari, who departed for Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in May 2019.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP has a strong securities litigation offering on both the West and East Coasts, as well as having experienced practitioners in key cities such as Washington DC, Chicago and Houston. From these key centres, the firm handles the full range of securities litigation for financial institutions, investors and corporate clients. Its recent work includes traditional 10b5 securities class actions and Section 11 IPO-related cases. Among its blue-chip clients are Goldman Sachs, Barclays, Royal Bank of Canada, Pfizer and Samsung. Peter Stone Palo Alto leads the practice, in which the key practitioners include New York-based global chair of litigation Barry Sher, Wiliam Sullivan in Los Angeles, Palo Alto-based Edward Han and Christopher McGrath in Orange County.

Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings

The ‘decisive and action-oriented’ group at Paul Hastings LLP represents a diverse mix of corporate issuers, private equity funds, selling shareholders and underwriters in US and cross-border offerings. Best known for its prominent record in Latin America-related deals, the group had a particularly impressive showing in the region’s REIT space of late. Practice co-chair Michael Zuppone is ‘creative and solution-oriented’ and is well versed in both transactional and regulatory securities matters. Yariv Katz advises both issuers and underwriters on equity offerings and is highlighted for his background as a general counsel, which ensures he ‘understands needs from an in-house perspective’. Michael Fitzgerald heads the Latin America practice group and is recommended for his track record in cross-border transactions. The firm sent out a strong statement of intent during 2019, with the hire of several high-profile names into its capital markets group. Among the key arrivals, new group co-head Frank Lopez arrived from Proskauer Rose LLP, Jonathan Ko joined in Los Angeles from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, while New York and Sao Paulo-based David Flechner joined from Shearman & Sterling LLP. Named partners are based in New York, unless otherwise stated.

Finance > Capital markets: global offerings

Paul Hastings LLP is recognized for the strength of its Latin America offering, which has a strong profile for Mexico-related deals. The firm’s broad network of offices in Europe and Asia also translates into significant activity in those jurisdictions. Equally proficient in issuer and underwriter-side representations, the mainly New York-based team acts for a range of sovereign and corporate issuers as well as major US and international banks. Michael Fitzgerald chairs the Latin America practice and is widely acknowledged as a market leader due to his deep experience in the region. The ‘concise and clear’ Cathleen McLaughlin focuses on cross border financings in Latin America and Europe and had a strong recent showing in sovereign debt matters. Joy Gallup is another key contact for Latin American corporate finance transactions and is highlighted, together with Fitzgerald, for her ‘constant involvement and innovation in the field’. Other recommended senior names include Latin America specialist Arturo Carrillo and capital markets co-chairs Michael Zuppone and Frank Lopez. Talented Washington DC-based associate Alex Herman is noted by sources as a rising star. In 2019, the team was boosted by the arrival of Latin America specialist David Flechner, who joined from Shearman & Sterling LLP — he is based between New York and Sao Paulo.

Finance > Commercial lending

Paul Hastings LLP is well regarded for its strong expertise in representing banks on major leveraged buyouts, refinancings, and syndicated loans. The firm is a popular choice among private equity houses for sponsor-designated mandates, and has a reputation for commerciality. New York hosts most of the team, including Jennifer Yount who leads the global finance and restructuring group, and highly respected leveraged finance co-chairs Michael Baker and John Cobb. Other key centers for the firm include Los Angeles, where Katherine Bell is a lead partner, and Chicago, where Maureen Sweeney has a strong debt finance practice. The firm also represents direct lenders and has a strong offering on the borrower side, advising both corporates and private equity funds.

Finance > Project finance

Paul Hastings LLP has an experienced team of energy and infrastructure lawyers led by the highly respected Robert Kartheiser out of the firm's New York office. The team is especially experienced in major Latin American projects where it represents both sponsors and lenders. Among the partners, several key individuals standout, including New York's Cathleen McLaughlin and Elicia Ling. Other names of note include William DeGrandis in Washington DC and Peter Weiner in San Francisco, who is active on the renewables side.

Industry focus > Energy regulation: conventional power Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP is rated for its regulatory expertise associated with large-scale power projects and battery storage programs. The group also has extensive experience before FERC, including handling transmission rate cases and enforcement proceedings. Washington DC-based William DeGrandis heads up the energy regulatory team and has substantial experience in energy regulatory, litigation and transactional mandates. San Francisco partner Peter Weiner leads the California energy team and regularly advises on the regulatory aspects of large-scale projects. Washington DC's Michael Spafford is highly rated for enforcement matters.

Industry focus > Environment: regulatory Tier 3

The California-based team at Paul Hastings LLP is often involved in matters addressing complex and emerging areas of environmental policies and regulations. The practice group has significant experience in the permitting of solar energy facilities, and has also developed a strong track record in National Environmental Policy Act (CEQA) and California Environmental Quality Act (NEPA)-related matters. Based in San Francisco, practice head Peter Weiner has core strengths in contaminated site clean-up issues and renewable energy. Other key figures include Deborah Schmall, who has experience in multi-jurisdictional enforcement proceedings; Gordon Hart, who advises on a range of permitting and transactional issues; and Jill Yung, a contact for matters involving endangered species, as well as issues relating to NEPA and CEQA. All named attorneys are based in San Francisco.

Industry focus > Environment: transactional Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP's environment and energy practice advises on the environmental considerations associated with complex M&A, major investment transactions and project finance deals, large-scale real estate transactions, and brownfield developments. The practice is well-versed helping international clients navigate US environmental liability concerns in relation to their inbound investments. The practice group is led out of the San Francisco office by Peter Weiner, who specializes in solar power and other renewable energy matters. Another contact in San Francisco is Deborah Schmall, who advises on a huge variety of corporate transactions and brownfield development matter. In Washington DC, Tom Mounteer is a key contact for capital markets transactions, real estate acquisitions and private equity deals, having recently advised on several project financing transactions in Latin America.

Industry focus > Healthcare: life sciences Tier 3

To some clients, Paul Hastings LLP is 'one of the top life sciences IP firms for litigation', and indeed, the firm is involved in many of the market’s most high-profile and complex cases. Demonstrating this, IP specialist Bruce Wexler and Eric Dittmann successfully represented Boehringer Ingelheim in the largest-ever Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA) litigation against AbbVie relating to the filing of an application to create a biosimilar version of Humira. Further, Preston Ratliff is acting for Sucampo Pharmaceuticals in a patent infringement dispute against Sun Pharmaceuticals related to Sucampo’s Amitiza. The team hasalso recently been involved in a number of multimillion-dollar corporate, M&A and capital markets transactions, and data privacy and cyber security issues. New York-based Gary Giampietruzzi and Morgan Miller, who splits his time between Washington DC and London, are the names to note for investigations and white-collar defense matters. All individuals mentioned above are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

Investment funds > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP acts for mutual funds across the entirety of their life cycles, from initial formation, to fund adoptions, acquisition, and liquidations and de-registrations. Recent highlights saw New York-based practice head Michael Rosella and of counsel Vadim Avdeychik advising Gabelli Funds on an innovative proposal to convert its Comstock Fund to an operating company. David Hearth, based in San Francisco, is active both in transactional and standalone regulatory matters – in 2019 he represented Kayne Anderson in preparing and submitting an exemptive order application for co-investment transactions by its energy closed-end funds and a proposed business development company. The team is also recognized for its work on the formation of Unit Investment Trusts (UITs).

Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactional Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP’s interdisciplinary team is noted for its work in broadcast transactions for household-name broadcast clients, particularly those involving spectrum issues and channel-sharing. It also handles traditional telecoms work, including representing clients before the FCC. It also provides assistance in areas such as labor and employment, and white collar crime investigations involving foreign providers. Based in Washington DC, Sherrese Smith, a regulatory and transactional expert in the broadcast space, leads the team after its former practice head Eric Greenberg left to join Perkins Coie LLP. Led by Smith, it represented 21st Century Fox in a $1bn acquisition of television stations from Tribune Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group. Associate Andrew Erber, who joined the firm from the FCC, assists Smith on the most significant matters in this space.

Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP's client roster includes public and private REITs, underwriters and investors in domestic and international equity and debt securities offerings. In New York, Michael Zuppone and Frank Lopez, a new arrival from Proskauer Rose LLP, jointly chair the practice group, which is rated for its ability to handle corporate governance and disclosure matters, securities compliance, and tax planning, in addition to high-value capital markets offerings, and major corporate and property transactions. The practice group also stand out for its strength in Latin America-facing work.

Tax > International tax Tier 3

Paul Hastings LLP is routinely involved in international financing and corporate transactions, and has a particularly strong track record in cross-border deals involving Latin America, Asia and Europe. Key figures in the practice group include Joseph Opich (New York), who handles CLO issuances for some of the market's largest financial institutions; Greg Nelson (Houston), an energy-sector specialist, who was involved in high-value transactions for CrossAmerica Partners and Lotus Midstream, among others; Douglas Schaaf (Orange County), a contact for private equity-related work; and Thomas Wisialowski (Palo Alto), who specializes in structuring real estate transactions.

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 4

Paul Hastings LLP offers the full spectrum of antitrust assistance including defense in follow-on civil litigation, particularly for Korean and Japanese businesses. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals, technology and telecoms as well as banking and financial services are among the well-represented sectors of the team's client list. Michael Spafford in Washington DC has particular focus on the defense of financial institutions at the intersection of antitrust and alleged violations of federal securities, commodities and banking laws. Tom Brown heads the team following the departure of Scott Hataway in July 2020.

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

Paul Hastings LLP has a core strength in appeals involving constitutional law issues, an area where Stephen Kinnaird is a go-to advisor. Kinnaird leads the appellate group in Washington DC, which is also prominent in the patent litigation space thanks in part to the experience of Naveen Modi and Joseph Palys. Away from the nation's capital, though still in the area of IP, Palo-Alto-based Yar Chaikovsky handles appeals for a mix of tech sector clients. The team on the West Coast is also known for its work in precedent-setting employment appeals. San Francisco-based labor law expert Paul Cane is the key figure in this space.

Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation Tier 4

From its offices in New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago, Paul Hastings has represented financial services companies in private litigation and agency investigations throughout the US. New York-based Barry Sher co-chairs the firm's global litigation practice. Anthony Antonelli, also based in New York, is a name to note for white-collar crime investigations and regulatory enforcement proceedings targeting CEOs and other high powered individuals.

Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 4

The ‘extremely professional, fast, thorough and efficient’ team at Paul Hastings LLP benefits from the firm’s network across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. In particular, the team has expertise both in commercial and investor-state arbitration, specifically focusing on disputes arising in relation to IP issues, trade secrets, and trade credit insurance. Indeed, the group has been experiencing a surge in activity in the IP sector. Contacts in Washington DC include Igor Timofeyev and practice head Joseph Profaizer. The department lost some of its firepower in Latin America-related commercial arbitration with the departure of New York-based Camilo Cardozo to Vinson & Elkins LLP in July 2019.

Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense Tier 4

Paul Hastings LLP has significant litigation capability in both New York and California, as well as in other key centres such as Houston and Chicago. It frequently acts for leading financial institutions, including large investment banks, in deal-related litigation. Chair of the securities litigation practice Peter Stone in Palo Alto, Samuel Cooper in Houston and Kevin Broughel in New York are among the firm's notable practitioners.

Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings

Over the past year, Paul Hastings LLP’s capital markets team was augmented through a series of high-profile hires. Most notably, ‘outstanding securities lawyer’ Frank Lopez joined as new department co-head from Proskauer Rose LLP, while Jonathan Ko joined in Los Angeles from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP. The ‘very professional’ group is arguably best known for its stronghold in Latin America-related deals, where New York-based Michael Fitzgerald enjoys a leading reputation for both issuer and underwriter-side work. Joy Gallup and Arturo Carrillo are also key contacts for Latin America work. John Cobb co-chairs the leveraged financed practice and is well versed across the full scope of banking and securities transactions. Cathleen McLaughlin is ‘always willing to go the extra mile’ and has an emphasis on cross border financing, particularly Latin America and Europe-related transactions. Named partners are based in New York, unless otherwise stated.

Finance > Capital markets: high-yield

Paul Hastings LLP strikes the right note with its ‘exceptional exposure to high-yield Latin American markets’, while its client focus, communication skills and market experience are also recurring themes among sources. Particularly well versed in representing investment banks as underwriters, the group also advises private equity sponsors, corporate issuers and debt funds on high-yield debt transactions. The firm made significant moves to diversify its practice during 2019, with a flurry of high-profile lateral hires. Most notably, Frank Lopez joined in New York from Proskauer Rose LLP as new co-head of global capital markets alongside Teri O’Brien, Jonathan Ko joined in Los Angeles from Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, while of counsel James Shea arrived in New York from Sullivan & Cromwell LLP. Other key names in the team include New York-based leveraged finance specialist John Cobb, who is particularly experienced in advising banks on high-yield deals. Michael Fitzgerald is roundly praised for Latin America-related work and is highlighted together with Arturo Carrillo and Joy Gallup as forming an experienced team that is ‘almost impossible to replicate in the current market’.

Industry focus > Energy transactions: conventional power Tier 4

Combining 'best in class FERC knowledge and experience' with corporate, capital markets and commercial expertise, Paul Hastings LLP provides a very rounded service to a range of clients, including private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds and public corporations. 'Efficient and knowledgeable' Washington DC-based corporate partner William DeGrandis personifies the firm's strength at the overlap between regulatory and transactional work, and regularly advises clients on regulatory and transactional matters relating to restructuring and open access transmission matters, including Regional Transmission Organization and Exempt Wholesale Generator issues.

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

Paul Hastings LLP is particularly adept at disputes requiring ITC and federal court expertise. The group acts for respondents and complainants, regularly taking on high-stakes competitor matters in a broad range of sectors, including the medical device and technology sectors. Led by the Palo Alto-based Yar Chaikovsky and the New York-based Bruce Wexler as the joint global chairs of IP, the team also includes key ITC practitioners Blair Jacobs and Christina Ondrick in Washington DC as well as Philip Ou, based in Palo Alto and partner since February 2019. In addition to the firm's bi-coastal presence in the US, the firm also offers an international footprint, with the Tokyo office being of particular strategic importance for matters involving Japanese clients.

Investment funds > Alternative/hedge funds Tier 4

Paul Hastings LLP is particularly experienced in fund restructuring and handling the transactional work of funds-of-funds. Practice head Art Zwickel focuses on structuring and organizing hedge and hybrid funds, as well as counseling investment advisers and broker-dealers on federal and state regulatory issues. Since joining the firm in 2016, Yousuf Dhamee has bolstered the firm’s practice; in addition to representing advisers and managers on fund formation, he has a strong investor-side practice, acting for sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and institutional investors. Also recommended is Ira Kustin in New York, who focuses on fund management, complex restructurings, succession planning, conflict resolution, and consent solicitations. The firm is also recognized for its work with start-up hedge funds. Named lawyers are based in Los Angeles unless stated otherwise.

Investment funds > Private equity funds (including venture capital) Tier 4

Paul Hastings LLP handles fund formation across a variety of asset classes, with particular expertise in private equity real estate funds. In this regard, the team is often working in conjunction with the firm's global real estate group. The firm also represents traditional private equity funds and major institutional investors, including public and private pension plans and international sovereign wealth funds. Moreover, clients benefit from the availability of experts in the firm's tax and regulatory groups, enabling it to provide comprehensive service across the full lifecycle of fund activity. The practice is led by Lawrence Hass, who has unique regulatory insight in the funds space thanks in part to his prior experience working at the SEC. Joshua Sternoff and Los Angeles-based Siobhan McBreen Burke are also recommended. All partners are in New York unless otherwise mentioned.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 4

Recent highlight matters for Paul Hastings LLP’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice involved private equity acquisitions of fully ESOP-owned companies (with asset classes covered under ERISA) and multijurisdictional spin-offs for high-profile public companies. Eric Keller heads the Washington DC office team, where he advises – and often acts as lead benefits counsel to – a global client portfolio consisting of hedge funds, financial institutions and conglomerates. Palo Alto-based Dan Stellenberg assists the team with all tax and securities-related questions concerning deferred compensation and golden parachute negotiations, while Stephen Harris leads the Los Angeles-based team.

M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts Tier 4

Paul Hastings LLP represents funds, investment banks, and sponsors in life-cycle private equity investments, covering acquisitions, portfolio company advice, divestments and exits. Clients are active in the manufacturing and industrials, life sciences, healthcare, software and technology sectors. In addition, the private equity team is supported by the firm's tax structuring and debt financing practices. Brian Richards and Brandon Howald jointly head the practice from Chicago and Orange County, respectively, with other key individuals spread across offices in California, New York, and Washington DC, and close co-operation with the firm's London office. The nationwide platform was bolstered by the recent hires of Alex Kaufman from Morrison & Foerster LLP in Palo Alto and Adam Brown from Hogan Lovells US LLP in DC.

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 4

The Washington-based privacy and cybersecurity team at Paul Hastings LLP is recognized by clients for providing 'thoughtful, creative solutions to difficult privacy problems'. The group has a breadth of expertise ranging from regulatory compliance to incident response work, with particular experience in the financial services, technology, retail, leisure and health sectors. Behnam Dayanim (a contact for work in the gaming, advertising and marketing, and fintech sectors) jointly heads the team alongside cybersecurity expert Robert Silvers, and 'superstar' Sherrese Smith and Jacqueline Cooney, who are names to note for regulatory compliance advice. Clients also benefit from access to the firm's privacy consultancy service group, PH Privacy and Cybersecurity Solutions Group, which provides practical non-legal privacy advice.

Real estate > Real estate

Antitrust > Cartel

Price-fixing investigations as well as follow-on class actions are the core of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP's cartel practice. A specific focus lies on the electric components sector as well as energy and telecom industries. Jacob Sorensen and firmwide leader Roxane Polidora share the department lead, with both team heads stationed in San Francisco. Polidora fields additional knowledge of the retail and hospitality business, and Sorensen has experience with international investigations. In Washington DC, William Sullivan brings his corporate investigations expertise to the antitrust group, in particular with regard to internal investigations.