Advertising and marketing: litigation Tier 1

Based in New York, Proskauer Rose LLP is well regarded for consumer disputes and class action cases, and also has a particularly strong reputation for false advertising claims. Brendan O’Rourke jointly leads the practice and and has wide-ranging expertise across unfair competition, false advertising and trademark law. Leading the team alongside O’Rourke is Lawrence Weinstein, an experienced litigator on Lanham Act cases and class actions, and Baldassare Vinti, a multi-disciplined expert with experience of advertising, trademark and trade secret law. Sector areas of interest for the team include food and beverage, consumer products, telecoms and healthcare. Jeffrey Warshafsky and Jennifer Yang are recommended associates in the practice group.

Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: design Tier 1

Predominantly based in Washington DC, Proskauer Rose LLP fields an extensive team of lawyers with experience across all manner of employee benefits and executive compensation matters. Paul Hamburger has extensive expertise in IRS audits, 401(k) retirement plans, defined benefit plans and executive compensation agreements; he shares leadership of the practice with New York-based Robert Projansky, who has an excellent reputation for advising companies from the entertainment industry on the full range of employee benefits matters. Seth Safra acts as counsel to prominent corporations on health and welfare programs, and is equally adept at advising tax-exempt and governmental employers on 403(b) and 457 plans. New York-based Anthony Cacace acts as fund counsel to prominent multi-employer plan funds and fiduciaries. Senior counsel Justin Alex has experience in advising financial sponsors and employers on multi-employer pension plans.

Venture capital and emerging companies

Advertising and marketing: transactional and regulatory

Financial products

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

Proskauer Rose LLP has an excellent reputation for representing universities, professional sport leagues and law firms, among others, in complex employment matters. The team is involved in class and collective actions, trials and appellate cases, and is jointly led by Joseph Baumgarten and public sector expert Neil Abramson. Elise Bloom has more than 30 years of experience in the employment field, while Los Angeles-based Anthony Oncidi and Kate Gold are well versed in the media and entertainment industries. Bettina Plevan has considerable knowledge of discrimination and harassment cases, Mark Batten is a key contact in Boston, and Nigel Telman is the name to note in Chicago. Keisha-Ann Gray is another practitioner with extensive trial experience. All mentioned individuals are based in New York unless otherwise stated; the office's impressive line-up also includes Evandro Gigante , Allan Bloom, Steven Hurd, Adam Lupion and Rachel Philion.

Labor-management relations Tier 1

Proskauer Rose LLP has a highly regarded labor practice, which is regularly instructed by clients from the US professional sports leagues, education sector and media industry. The team is deeply experienced in advising unionized as well as union-free employers. Public sector expert Neil Abramson and Joseph Baumgarten, who is well versed in collective bargaining negotiations, jointly lead the practice. Mark Batten in Boston has knowledge of labor and union agreements, while Paul Salvatore is another experienced collective bargaining contact. Bernard Plum is a key name for clients in the performing arts, entertainment and sport industries, while Boston's Scott Faust is active in strategic corporate planning matters. Other key practitioners include Michael Lebowich, Howard Robbins, Los Angeles-based Mark Theodore, Adam Lupion and Steven Porzio, who was promoted to partner in November 2020. All individuals are based in New York unless otherwise stated.

Private equity funds (including venture capital) Tier 1

Proskauer Rose LLP is home to a large private funds team which provides comprehensive advice to both sponsors and investors across all asset classes. The firm is also able to leverage its global footprint in order to handle multinational fund deals, a recent example of which was Los Angeles-based Don Melamed‘s representation of RRG Capital Management in connection with the formation of its RRG Sustainable Water Impact Fund, which focuses on projects in the US, Chile, Mexico, and Australia, and closed with over $925m in commitments. Secondary transactions are a key part of the firm’s practice, and the firm has expanded its capabilities in this area with the hiring of Christopher Robinson, who joined the New York office from Kirkland & Ellis LLP in September 2020, and the promotions of Joseph Kasegian and Steven Severo in November 2020. Practice co-heads Howard Beber and David Tegeler are also active in the secondaries space. Fellow co-heads Robin Painter and Stephen Mears are both highly recommended for venture capital and growth equity fund formation matters, while New York based Monica Arora, who was promoted to practice co-head in August 2020, specializes in advising sponsors on buyout, private credit, distressed debt, infrastructure and energy funds. All partners are based in Boston unless otherwise specified.

Sport Tier 1

Proskauer Rose LLP was one of the first firms to handle sports law as a distinct legal discipline. The team represented The Stars Group in its ground-breaking sports betting partnership with FOX Sports and assists all of America's major professional sports leagues. Not only does the firm advise on corporate and litigation matters such as M&A, finance, and tax, but a key aspect of the practice is its leading sports labor and employment service. The team's expertise includes assisting with collective bargaining and complex matters such as wage and hour litigation. Heading the practice are Joseph Leccese and Bradley Ruskin. Both lawyers have extensive experience in sports practice, with Leccese specializing in transactional work and Ruskin acting as head of litigation. Jon Oram is also recommended, acting as principal outside counsel to Los Angeles 2028, the organization that will host and operate the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. All named lawyers are based in New York.

Workplace and employment counseling Tier 1

The team at Proskauer Rose LLP regularly acts as trusted adviser to an impressive client portfolio comprised of financial services institutions, universities, professional sports leagues and law firms; the group handles compliance issues, training work, internal investigations and assists with government audits. The practice is led by Neil Abramson and Joseph Baumgarten, and includes Bettina Plevan, who is noted for her expertise in harassment and discrimination cases. Guy Brenner in Washington DC is well versed in trade secret and non compete matters, while Keisha-Ann Gray is a key contact for diversity, equity and inclusion issues. Boston's Mark Batten, Elise Bloom and Nigel Telman in Chicago as well as Los Angeles-based Kate Gold and Anthony Oncidi are further standout practitioners.

Copyright Tier 2

Leveraging an on-the-ground presence on both coasts, the copyright team at Proskauer Rose LLP provides comprehensive advice to multinational corporations on copyright litigation and counseling matters. The team has shown particular strengths in the sports and consumer products sectors, but it also has an impressive client roster in the media and entertainment space, including a number of prominent recording artists. Chair of the IP practice Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks divides time between Los Angeles and New York and leads on litigation and transactional matters in the music and entertainment industries. Alexander Kaplan is based in New York and is recommended for copyright litigation and counseling issues relating to the DMCA.

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

Proskauer Rose LLP fields a deep bench of employee benefits and executive compensation experts, who enjoy a healthy workflow of corporate restructurings, high-value M&A transactions, joint ventures and IPOs. The team is also noted for advising CEOs and other senior executives on a broad range of executive compensation issues; contacts in this regard are Michael Album, Washington DC-based Joshua Miller and Colleen Hart in the Los Angeles office. Andrea Rattner has experience across the spectrum of equity-based and deferred compensation and benefit plan matters, and Ira Bogner handles ERISA fiduciary issues relating to private fund formations. Paul Hamburger is a highly respected senior partner in the team. Named lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

ERISA litigation Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP’s ERISA litigation practice is a go-to name for a number of complex litigation proceedings, most notably for disputes involving billion-dollar Taft Hartley multiemployer funds. Recent representative matters saw co-head Myron Rumeld defending household-name entertainment, logistics and food and drink companies in breach of fiduciary duty and withdrawal liability claims. Stock drop litigation and disputes concerning underperforming 401(k) investments and prohibited transactions are also fields of focus: co-head Russell Hirschhorn is representing major companies in the financial services, insurance, technology and IT sectors in high-value proceedings, and also handles DOL investigations. The practice is based in New York.

General commercial disputes Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP is well versed in commercial litigation, with particular strength and depth in product liability disputes. The group is also strong in appellate litigation, and has built a strong track record in federal and state court appeals. Timothy Mungovan in Boston stands out for his ongoing work on behalf of the Financial Oversight Management Board of Puerto Rico in connection with the restructuring of Puerto Rico's finances. New York-based Margaret Dale has a wealth of experience in media and entertainment, financial services and consumer products litigation. Contacts in Los Angeles include Michael Firestein, who has a fantastic reputation in bankruptcy litigation, Bart Williams and Susan Gutierrez. Recently, the Los Angeles team has taken on a number of mandates for Monsanto and Bayer concerning their RoundUp product, which plaintiffs allege caused them to develop non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Immigration Tier 2

The highly rated New York-based immigration and nationality practice at Proskauer Rose LLP handles an assortment of corporate strategies and immigration compliance matters for clients in the financial services industry. Overseen by David Grunblatt and counsel Valarie McPherson, the group has an employment based offering and has expertise in the transfer of foreign nationals and international personnel for employers, and non-immigrant and immigrant visa matters for corporations. On the associate level, Erica Loomba has over a decade of experience in employment-based immigration matters as does Jennifer Wexler who represents domestic and international companies in the fashion and retail industry. The group also has experience advising on policy and has an active pro-bono practice.

Insurance: advice to policyholders Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP is well regarded for its handling of coverage issues across multiple lines of insurance, including general and professional liability, product recall, property damage, and business interruption. In New York, practice head John Failla regularly acts on behalf of the firm's prominent client list of private equity and hedge fund companies, such as Sycamore Partners in a coverage dispute related to its investments in portfolio company Nine West, where he was assisted by Nathan Lander. Marc Rosenthal co-heads the practice in Chicago and is a fellow of the prestigious American College of Coverage Counsel.  Seth Schafler is also recommended, with over 30 years of experience in insurance advisory and litigation work.

Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP's 'phenomenal' full-service not-for-profit practice is skilled in corporate tax issues, domestic and international tax planning matters, and transactions. Practice head Amanda Nussbaum in New York advises on structuring joint ventures and tax-free M&A work for exempt organisations, whilst David Miller handles day-to-day operational matters for public charities and private foundations. Employment lawyer Seth Safra  in Washington, DC is the contact for non-profits on deferred compensation, equity and other incentive arrangements. The group retains its strength in the sports and healthcare sectors, counting the Pac 12 and the Hospital for Special Surgery among its key clients. On the corporate side, Lauren Boglivi is singled out by clients for her transactional expertise.

Real estate Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP commands a dominant position within Manhattan’s leasing market where New York-based Ronald Sernau represents landlords and tenants in their retail and commercial leases. In addition to co-chairing the core real estate department, Sernau also serves as co-head of the firm’s dedicated private equity real estate team, which handles investment transactions on a global basis. The practice group also works in close collaboration with the firm’s construction and finance lawyers to provide a one-stop-shop offering for major projects including mixed-use, residential, hotel, retail center, sport stadium and office schemes. Though it is active across a wide variety of asset classes, its expertise in hospitality, gaming and leisure-related property is of particular note, bolstered by the firm’s dedicated teams for each of these sectors. Perry Cacace, Jeffrey Horwitz, Steven Lichtenfeld and David Weinberger also operate from New York, jointly heading the practice together with Sernau and Chicago-based Michael Choate. Beyond partner level, associate Eliska Krausova represents a number of real estate investors including private equity, hedge and sovereign wealth funds.

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP has experience handling IPOs, mergers and tender offers, equity and debt financings and joint ventures for REITs across most major property sectors; however, the team has been most active across office, retail, lodging, healthcare, single-family homes, data centers, industrial, and self-storage facilities. In this regard, the team has significant experience working with non-traded REITs. Practice co-head Michael Choate focuses on securities compliance and corporate governance from the firm's Chicago office, while joint practice head Steven Lichtenfeld in New York is noted for his expertise in public offerings and private debt and equity placement.

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

Proskauer Rose LLP advises across the spectrum of trade secrets work, from day-to-day counseling on the hiring and firing of employees possessing confidential information, to drafting confidentiality, non-compete and equity-based compensation agreements. As well as representing clients in high-stakes litigation arising from claims of employee raiding and theft of trade secrets, the firm also assists with compensation arrangements, non-compete issues and other post-termination restrictions. The non-compete and trade secrets group is co-led by Michael Album, who has particular experience in compensation arrangements, and non-compete and post-termination restrictions; labor and employment specialist John Barry; Guy Brenner in Washington DC, who acts in single-plaintiff and class action cases, as well as arbitration proceedings; and Steven Kayman, whose expertise includes agreements containing restrictive covenants and litigation involving the movement of employees between competitors. All named lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.

US taxes: non-contentious Tier 2

The tax group at Proskauer Rose LLP is regularly involved in corporate and commercial tax mandates for various high-profile companies, alternative lenders and investment advisory firms. Led from the New York office by Ira Bogner, the team is particularly adept at handling the tax aspects of private equity transactions and debt issuances, regularly working on complex fund formations, credit facility negotiations and note offerings. David Miller   is a leading name in the market for high-value transactions, while Amanda Nussbaum is especially strong in investment fund structuring and tax matters affecting professional sports teams and organizations. Stuart Rosow is regularly sought out by the firm’s multinational clients for assistance with tax structuring and post-transactional matters. Martin Hamilton  is also recommended.

Alternative/hedge funds Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP is particularly recommended for fund restructuring mandates, with practice co-head Christopher Wells having recently advised Jeneq Management on the restructuring of its offshore and onshore long/short funds. Acting alongside Wells, the practice is jointly led by Robert Leonard, who is highly experienced in funds-of-one, seed deals, and placement agreements; and Michael Mavrides, who handles fund formation, seed and strategic arrangements, and portfolio management. The firm is also frequently involved in cross-border matters, with recent highlights including advice to Northleaf Capital Partners on the launch of a US private credit fund.

Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP's data protection group is perhaps best known for advising leading sports interests such as the NBA and MLB, but also acts for key players in the telecoms, healthcare and media sectors. Jointly led by Ryan Blaney and Jeffrey Neuburger, the practice group recently advised the NFL on matters relating to Covid-19 testing of players, coaches and staff, a matter which featured a negotiated agreement with Bio Reference Laboratories. The group advises corporate clients on a range of regulatory compliance issues, including those pertaining to information sharing and online advertising, and also represents clients in the defense against class action suits.

Environment: transactional Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP's environmental group handles a significant domestic and international workload, covering all aspects of environmental law in the context of M&A, finance, capital markets, bankruptcy and real estate transactions. Many of these deals take place in highly scrutinized industries (chemicals, pharmaceutical, life sciences and telecoms), and involve extensive environmental due diligence, multi-facility agreements and permit transfer issues. Gail Port is the head of the department; she has extensive experience handling environmental risks in complex corporate transactions and environmental compliance matters. Senior counsel Aliza Cinamon often advises US and global clients on risk allocation and climate change issues. Both attorneys are based in New York.

International tax Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP's international tax group is particularly active in the funds space, reflective of a what is a core strength of the wider firm. In this regard, Amanda Nussbaum in New York and Chicago-based Arnold May, Scott Jones and Stephen Severo advise on tax-forward strategy relating to highly sophisticated fund formation mandates, and also provide ongoing tax advice for transactions throughout a fund's life cycle. The team acts for a huge variety of sponsors, which sees it advising on buyout funds, venture capital funds, mezzanine funds, secondary funds and funds-of-funds. Also recommended in New York are David Miller and Martin Hamilton, who have expertise in cross-border M&A and financing transactions, including the tax treatment of financial products and derivatives.

Media and entertainment: litigation Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP is a reputed name in the music industry, with a client roster consisting of household names including U2, Madonna, Sony Music and Live Nation. In this space, the team is adept at handling copyright infringement claims, royalties disputes, and other contractual issues. Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks works between New York and Los Angeles and has acted in high-stakes music copyright cases, most recently defending BMG in a case brought by former members of the group Yellowstone concerning the song "Lucid Dreams" by Juice Wrld. Employment is another cornerstone of the practice, with Anthony Oncidi recently representing Viacom in a dispute with Netflix concerning its alleged poaching of Viacom's employees. Renowned trademark and advertising litigator Brendan O’Rourke is another key name.

Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP is particularly well known for its work with business development companies, providing a full service across both the public and private BDC spaces, with a client list that includes Crescent Capital BDC, Apollo Investment Corporation, and Neuberger Berman BDC, among others. Nicole Runyan leads the firm's BDC group, and is highly experienced in transactional work, recently advising on the sale of Garrison Capital to Portman Ridge. Runyan also heads up the firm's closed-end and interval fund offerings. Stuart Coleman leads the broader registered funds practice, and acts for many of the firm's largest clients including The BNY Mellon Family of Funds, the Lazard Funds, and the iShare ETFs. David Stephens is another key figure within the team, advising on regulatory developments, along with the development and structuring of new products. All lawyers are based in New York.

Outsourcing Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP advises media, financial services, and technology companies, among other sectors, on outsourcing service agreements and software licensing agreements. The practice is jointly led by Robert Freeman and Jeffrey Neuburger, both based in New York. Wai Choy, who was promoted to partner in November 2020, has expertise in representing clients from the technology and financial services industries in outsourcing matters.

Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP provides strategic governance and restructuring advice to debtors and their boards of directors, as well as to hedge funds, their managers and their boards. The team is also known for advising private and public investors on distressed investments and turnarounds. Key figures in the New York office include practice co-chair Martin Bienenstock; Vincent Indelicato, who has played a lead role in some of the firm's most significant recent corporate reorganization mandates; and David Hillman, who represents alternative lenders and distressed investors in special situations and restructurings both in and out of court. Practice co-chair Jeff Marwil is the key contact in Chicago. Maja Zerjal Fink left for Arnold & Porter in September 2020.

Securities litigation: defense Tier 3

The securities litigation and regulation practice at Proskauer Rose LLP is known for its 'cross-border experience and a service-oriented approach to clients' needs'. Led by Ann Ashton in Washington DC, the group handles high-profile litigation and regulatory enforcement matters for corporate issuers and financial institutions. Also in DC, Ralph Ferrara is playing a prominent role in the firm's work for the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico in matters arising from the territory's $74bn of bond debt and $55bn of underfunded public pension liabilities. Additionally, Ashton and Ferrara secured several victories for trucking company YRC Worldwide, including the dismissal of a securities class action alleging that the company failed to disclose a governmental investigation. Gregg Mashberg in New York is the key contact on the East Coast.

Trademarks: litigation Tier 3

Based in New York, the team at Proskauer Rose LLP has recently been involved in trademark cases in jury and non-jury trials for a number of Fortune 500 companies. Practice co-leader and trial lawyer Brendan O’Rourke focuses on representing clients in the entertainment industry in copyright, trademark, and trade dress cases; Baldassare Vinti stands out for her experience representing clients at the International Trade Commission; and Lawrence Weinstein is a name to note for Lanhamn Act cases and class action lawsuits for clients in the fashion, retail, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices sectors. In October 2020, Alexander Kaplan departed for Oppenheim + Zebrak Law.

Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 4

The team at Proskauer Rose LLP is regularly involved in bet-the-company antitrust litigation. Particularly active in conspiracy and price-fixing cases, the department is most active in the agriculture and food sectors, and, more specifically, in matters involving agricultural co-operatives. Stationed in the firm’s Washington DC office, monopolization and competitor foreclosure expert Colin Kass and price-gouging specialist Christopher Ondeck jointly head the practice group. Financial services, healthcare and sport are additional sector strengths for the team.

Healthcare: life sciences Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP counsels mature pharmaceutical and biotech companies, early-stage medical technology developers, investors and research institutions on corporate and commercial activities, FDA regulations and patent litigation. It also demonstrates expertise in areas including immunology, oncology and neurology, and a strong background acting in cases concerning biosimilars and post-grant challenges. Siegmund Gutman in Los Angeles assists biologics, pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device clients in developing and executing market exclusivity, including patent office and FDA regulatory strategies. Gutman also has experience in biologic drug patent and Hatch-Waxman cases. In Boston, Steven Bauer and Fangli Chen focus on patent infringement and patent portfolio developments. Robert Cantone in New York leads on transactional matters.

Healthcare: service providers Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP runs a multi-disciplinary healthcare group, which handles a variety of transactions in the sector, as well as labour and employee benefits matters, and regulatory and compliance work. The team has a particularly strong reputation for working with private equity investors. Of recent note, Ryan Blaney advised the NBA on compliance and contracts for the establishment of its Covid-19 bubble. He also advised the NFL on matters relating to its testing regime. Richard Zall left for King & Spalding LLP in 2021, and David Manko now chairs the firm's healthcare group.

Media and entertainment: transactional Tier 4

Based in New York, Proskauer Rose LLP excels in M&A, joint ventures, private equity and commercial agreements, with standout expertise in handling content distribution deals. TMT practice co-head Robert Freeman is a key name for these arrangements; he recently advised AMC on its content distribution agreement with AT&T. Jointly leading the TMT group is Jeffrey Neuburger, who is an expert in telecoms, cybersecurity and privacy issues. Lauren Boglivi is the key contact for M&A and private equity deals, and recently assisted Discovery with its acquisition of Golf Channel Latin America. The team also has significant expertise in copyright law, an area where Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks is a name to note.

Private equity buyouts Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP handles a wide range of transactions, advising private equity and growth capital funds on buyouts, investments, and sales, as well as portfolio company M&A, restructurings, and equity financing. The practice is particularly noted for its capabilities in early-stage and growth investments, from seed rounds to later large-scale investments, working in close collaboration with the firm's private credit and investment funds teams. It also has a strong record in working with key relationship funds on biotech, life sciences, and healthcare deals. The team is led from New York by Daniel Ganitsky and Lauren Boglivi. In Boston, Steven Peck advises standout clients such as Seacoast Capital and Firmanent Group on a diverse range of transactions across the US, Canada, and Europe, and also advises on corporate governance and securities issues.

Technology transactions Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP has a dedicated team with good expertise in outsourcing, IP and data licensing agreements, as well as cloud infrastructure, blockchain and SaaS. It also provides broad support on technology and life sciences related M&A and capital markets. The firm is also well known for its strong sports practice, which, in this space, sees the team advising on all related betting and gaming data agreements. Jointly leading the team are New York partners Jeffrey Neuburger, who has an extremely strong technology background, and Robert Freeman, a member of the sports law group in addition to co-leading the TMT group. Recently promoted partner Wai Choy also has a broad range of technology-sector expertise.

Telecoms and broadcast: transactions Tier 4

Based in New York, Proskauer Rose LLP is experienced in handling transactions involving both traditional and digital broadcasting platforms, with particular strengths in the sports broadcasting space. Robert Freeman is a key contact in this regard, and is noted for his experience of media rights, content distribution deals and M&A. He works alongside M&A expert Lauren Boglivi, who recently advised Discovery on its acquisition of Golf Channel Latin America. Also recommended is TMT specialist Jeffrey Neuburger, who recently assisted iHeartMedia with its acquisition of podcasting network Voxnest.

M&A: large deals ($1bn+) Tier 5

Proskauer Rose LLP stands out for its range of sector strengths, with particular expertise in growth industries including healthcare, life sciences, media, hospitality, and technology; it also has an established reputation in distressed M&A. Lauren Boglivi and Daniel Ganitsky now co-lead the global M&A team, working on transformative deals in key industries, and handling both public and private company M&A. Boglivi is noted for her work in the media and entertainment sectors, particularly gaming, working with established industry players and growth companies; while Ganitsky is heavily involved in standard M&A and private equity transactions. Michael Ellis specializes in strategic public M&A, acting for a variety of listed companies including long-standing client Bed Bath & Beyond.

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

The appellate group at Proskauer Rose LLP is primarily split between New York and Boston, with each team being led, respectively, by practice co-heads Mark Harris and John Roberts. The team prides itself on its high-profile work in all levels of the federal appellate court system as well as in state courts. In a significant ongoing highlight, the practice is acting as lead outside counsel to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico in multiple sets of appellate proceedings arising out of the country’s debt restructuring; standout recent court appearances include arguments at the First Circuit and in the US Supreme Court. Multiple team members combine appellate credentials with substantive law expertise in areas such as sports, financial services, IP, and ERISA, among others.

Commercial lending

Proskauer Rose LLP is the go-to firm for middle market transactions involving direct lenders, and is lauded throughout the market for its expertise in this space. Having recognized the importance of this rapidly developing market before many of its competitors, the group maintains close relationships with a number of large alternative lenders, including Ares and KKR. Firm chairman Steven Ellis works with a variety of funds, and co-leads the private credit practice alongside Stephen Boyko, who is the relationship partner for a number of key lender clients. Both split their time between the New York and Boston offices, while leveraged finance experts Justin Breen and Ron Franklin operate exclusively from New York.

Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

Based in New York, Proskauer Rose LLP’s white-collar defense and investigations practice has deep trial experience and is well equipped to handle international criminal and regulatory investigations. Areas of focus for the group include securities, tax, and antitrust issues, as well as FCPA matters, money laundering, and bribery. The team includes several former prosecutors and government officials, and counts large global financial institutions and senior executives among its key clients. Group co-head Robert Cleary handles SEC investigations, enforcement matters, civil litigation and extradition proceedings; he jointly heads the team alongside Dietrich Snell, who focuses on criminal investigations and prosecutions brought by federal and state agencies.

Latin America: International firms > Banking and finance Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP's Latin America practice has a sizeable emphasis on banking and finance transactions. Much of this is centred in Sao Paulo where it has several senior banking and finance specialists covering pre-export finance, acquisition finance, project finance, syndicated term and revolving loans, hedging and derivatives, along with other financing products. It has close connections to a wide range of lenders, including Brazil-based and other Latin American banks. The Latin American team has also worked with a number of regional corporates, including those that have carried out major restructuring exercises. New York-based head of the Latin America practice Carlos Martinez is a multi-talented individual with deep experience in the region, including large corporate restructurings and cross-border financings. Head of the Sao Paulo office Antonio Piccirillo is a recognised banking and finance specialist, notably pre-export finance, syndicated loans, project finance, debt restructurings and securitizations. David Fenwick is also rated for pre-export and trade finance, and syndicated loans; he recently advised Itau Unibanco on its $100m term loan facility agreement with Standard Chartered and Wells Fargo, the first ever syndicated loan financing in Latin America structured on blockchain technology. Fabio Yamada is another prominent figure in pre-export and trade finance, along with restructurings and syndicated loans.

Latin America: International firms > Corporate and M&A Tier 3

Proskauer Rose LLP has a high level of senior Latin America M&A experience in its New York office, complemented by a large and well-established team in Sao Paulo. Many within the team are native Latin Americans. The firm has built an impressive client base of multilatinas, multinationals, financial institutions, and financial investors, with clients such as AccorHotels, BTG Pactual and Frontera Energy routinely turning to the firm for big-ticket deals. The group recently advised Brazilian financial services heavyweight BTG Pactual on the sale of its 40% interest in NASDAQ-traded Estre Ambienta. Head of the Latin America group Carlos Martinez has a significant focus on M&A, for both Latin American clients and other international businesses; he has worked on a series of deals for Frontera Energy over the years. M&A partner and fluent Spanish speaker Daniel Ganitsky is an experienced figure in cross-border deals, including a high proportion of Latin America-related transactions; BTG Pactual and Graña y Montero are among his clients. Antonio Piccirillo and Fabio Yamada provide further support from Sao Paulo. Named individuals are based in New York unless stated otherwise.