Firm Profile > Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP > Washington DC, United States
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP Offices
115 F STREET, N.W
WASHINGTON D.C. 20004
United States
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Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings
Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP's financial services department has core strengths in securities litigation and derivative actions. Of particular note, the team has recently been involved in multiple standout matters for Deutsche Bank. Jonathan Youngwood is acting for the bank in class actions concerning alleged manipulation of the market for US Treasury securities, and John Terzaken (working alongside Youngwood) is representing Deutsche in a class action in New York alleging collusion with several other banks to fix prices in the Mexican bond market. Paul Curnin regularly acts for clients in securities and derivatives litigation and in connection with government and internal investigations. Other key figures include Joseph McLaughlin, a key advisor to large corporates and investment banks in commercial and securities litigation, with recent highlights for JP Morgan Securities and Petrohawk Energy Corporation and its directors; and Susannah Geltman, who routinely handles litigation and ADR concerning shareholder derivative actions and RMBS, and also has extensive experience of regulatory investigations.
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Key clients
Berkshire Hathaway
The Blackstone Group
Countrywide Financial Corporation
Deutsche Bank Group
Fairfield Greenwich Group
Goldman Sachs
JPMorgan Chase
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Morgan Stanley & Co.
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
UBS
Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 1
Recognized for its 'world-class lawyering', Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has a leading litigation practice with wide-ranging capabilities. The firm ranks consistently among the strongest in insurance litigation. Recently, Bryce Friedman defended Travelers in class action lawsuits on behalf of putative Medicare Advantage Organisations seeking to recover conditional payments; cases were filed in Florida federal court and one is on appeal at the Eleventh Circuit. Alongside traditional strengths in financial services, the practice continues to develop in pharmaceuticals, gaming, manufacturing and transportation industries. A significant development in the gaming space is the team's representation of public benefit company Suffolk Regional Offtrack Betting Corp in a trial in the Eastern District of New York. Among the department's standout lawyers are highly regarded litigator Lynn Neuner; team co-heads Paul Curnin and Jonathan Youngwood who regularly handle securities and corporate control matters; and up-and-coming Linton Mann III, who already stands out from his peers for his securities work for Deutsche Bank and his supervision of the firm's AI research.
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Testimonials
‘The Simpson Thacher team excels at bringing both world-class lawyering and careful attention to client relationships to all of their work.’
‘Lynn Neuner is an exceptional leader and highly valued business partner. She invests time to understand her clients well, and never fails to bring thoughtful and practical approaches to legal strategy. While many firms provide strong substantive legal services, Lynn stands out through her true partnership with clients and ability to craft her team’s approach to the needs of the client business.‘
‘Simpson Thacher’s lawyers engaged in commercial dispute resolution have a unique combination to their approach that involves tenacity, creativity, with an eye on commercial success of their clients. They don’t make a move in litigation without thinking through the commercial impact on the client and its business. This serves the client much better than single-minded focus on destroying an adversary without consideration of the collateral consequences like some other leading firms in this space do.‘
‘Bryce Friedman’s ability to bring the client along and strategic insights are unmatched. He delivers results while also being fun to work with.‘
Key clients
Alibaba
AIG
Bausch Health
Beazley
Best Buy
Deutsche Bank
Foot Locker
Hilton Worldwide Holdings
JPMorgan Chase
KKR
McKesson
Micron Technology
Nielsen Holdings
Paamco Prisma
SeaWorld
TD Bank
Berkshire Hathaway
Blackstone
Travelers
UBS
Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP excels at defending shareholder M&A litigation filed in state and federal courts throughout the US, frequently defeating efforts to enjoin transactions prior to closing, winning dismissals of claims, and litigating post-closing claims for damages. It has a diverse client base of issuers and their boards of directors, special committees, private equity firms and other financial sponsors, and has substantial experience in litigation brought by shareholder activists, post-closing appraisal proceedings, and disputes between merger parties. In New York, global co-chairs of the litigation department Paul Curnin and Jonathan Youngwood lead a practice that is involved in the most high-profile on-going matters. Peter Kazanoff is regarded as one of the finest practitioners in the market and Craig Waldman is an up-and-coming partner who handles deal-related litigation for both corporate and private equity clients. The firm also has skilled litigators on the West Coast, with key partners James Kreissman and Stephen Blake in Palo Alto both highly regarded.
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Testimonials
‘STB’s M&A litigation defense team is incredibly knowledgeable about the practice area, but also extremely efficient, practical and results-oriented.‘
‘Peter Kazanoff has an exceptional knowledge of the relevant case law and his charismatic personality is an asset in all aspects of litigation.‘
Key clients
The Blackstone Group L.P.
CVC Capital Partners
Hellman & Friedman LLC
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Microsoft
Silver Lake Partners
TD Bank
Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP continues to have a role in high-stakes securities matters and its recent work includes complex matters for high-profile corporate clients such as Valeant Pharmaceuticals, PharMerica, KKR Biomet and Best Buy, as well as leading underwriters such as UBS and Morgan Stanley. The firm also has a strong private equity client base in which the Blackstone Group features prominently. Clients appreciate the firm's strong trial capability and the breadth of its practice in both litigation and regulatory enforcement matters. Jonathan Youngwood and Paul Curnin in New York lead the practice, in which 26 partners handle securities litigation. Youngwood's work for SeaWorld in a 10b5 class action, Curnin's work for Valeant in federal securities cases and Palo Alto-based James Kreissman's work for Alibaba in IPO and SEC matters put the practice firmly in the top bracket for securities litigation. ‘Fantastic younger partner’ Craig Waldman and Janet Gochman in New York and Stephen Blake in Palo Alto are also making their mark in high-profile matters.
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Testimonials
‘Counsel’s advise is timely and proactive. The solutions are practical and focused on outcomes. Communication, written or oral, is efficient and easy to interpret. We use Stephen Blake and the outcome, so far, is above expectations.‘
Key clients
Alibaba
Bausch Healthcare (f/k/a Valeant Pharmaceuticals)
The Blackstone Group, LP
CBS
Deustche Bank AG
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
La Quinta Holdings, Inc.
Micron Technology, Inc.
Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc.
SeaWorld
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
UBS Group AG
Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings
A firm fixture on the underwriter side of major debt offerings, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP also secures an impressive share of issuer-side mandates, particularly in the private equity and financial services spheres. The comprehensive practice covers the full spectrum of debt products from investment grade and high-yield debt through to structured finance and mezzanine finance instruments. Mainly divided between the firm’s bases in New York and Palo Alto, the group also draws on its network of offices in Asia, Europe and Latin America to shine in cross-border offerings. New York-based global capital markets head Arthur Robinson is widely acknowledged as a market leader and has a strong record in complex debt financings connected to acquisitions. New York-based David Azarkh is best known for his underwriter-side practice and enjoys close relationships with all the major investment banks. In Palo Alto, office head William Brentani consistently advises both issuers and underwriters on public and private debt offerings and convertible debt financings. Kevin Kennedy is another key contact in Palo Alto and brings to bear strong expertise in technology-related transactions. Up-and-coming partner Daniel Webb is an increasingly prominent figure in Palo Alto and advises on securities and corporate governance matters, with a focus on the technology space.
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Key clients
Allegion plc
Altria Group
APX Group, Inc. (a/k/a Vivint Smart Home)
Aqua America, Inc.
Ascend Learning, LLC
Barclays
Blackstone Holdings Finance Co. L.L.C.
BMO Capital Markets
BofA Merrill Lynch
The Carlyle Group
CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc.
Cirsa Finance International S.a r.l.
Citigroup
CNO Financial Group, Inc.
Credit Suisse
Dell Inc.
Deutsche Bank
FedEx Corporation
GFL Environmental Inc.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
Ingersoll-Rand plc
iStar Inc.
ITC Holdings
Johnson Controls International plc
Jefferies
J.P. Morgan
KKR
Mars, Incorporated
Masonite International Corporation
Mizuho Securities
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
MUFG
National Vision Holdings, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets
SS&C Technologies, Inc.
SunTrust Robinson Humphreys
TD Securities
TPC Group
Wells Fargo Securities
Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s national practice impresses on the issuer side, where it consistently ranks among the top two firms by deal value for equity offerings, including flagship IPOs. The team also secures a sizeable share of underwriter-side mandates and it acts for all the leading investment banks, including recent work for Citigroup Global Markets, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Securities. Its broad industry focus spans all key market segments, with recent strong showings in the life sciences, healthcare, technology and real estate spheres. In addition, the firm routinely plugs into its significant international network to advise on headline global IPOs. On the East Coast, New York-based Joseph Kaufman has an enviable record in healthcare, REIT and private equity-related offerings. New York is also the seat of global capital markets head Arthur Robinson, who is well versed across a wide range of transactional and corporate governance matters. In Washington DC, Joshua Ford Bonnie is widely regarded as a leading equity lawyer, with extensive experience in IPOs, secondary offerings and spin-offs. On the West Coast, Palo Alto-based Kevin Kennedy is recognized for his involvement in major technology IPOs. Palo Alto office head William Brentani is also a key contact.
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Key clients
10x Genomics, Inc.
Allakos Inc.
American Electric Power Company, Inc.
Aqua America, Inc.
Avantor, Inc.
Barclays
Blackstone Mortgage Trust, Inc.
BMO Capital Markets
BofA Merrill Lynch
Change Healthcare Inc.
Citigroup
frontdoor Inc.
GDS Holdings Limited
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Grocery Outlet Holding Corp.
Invitation Homes
ITC Holdings
Jefferies
J.P. Morgan
KKR & Co. Inc.
Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC
National Vision Holdings, Inc.
RBC Capital Markets
Wells Fargo Securities
Finance > Capital markets: global offerings
‘One of the strongest capital markets practices on the street,’ Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s global offering combines broad product knowledge with deep geographical coverage. The US team often leads on headline multi-jurisdictional offerings from New York, while it can also lean on the firm’s offices in Brazil, China, Japan and the UK for further cross-border firepower. The practice strikes a balance between issuer and underwriter representations and it shows equal dexterity in its ability to resource debt and equity offerings. On the debt side, it is well versed across the full spread of products, from investment grade and high-yield debt to mezzanine finance instruments. On the equity side, it remains a leader for international IPOs and ranked within the top three firms globally by value for issuer-side IPOs during 2020. Arthur Robinson heads the group and handles a broad mix of corporate finance transactions, with high-yield debt and IPOs particular sweet spots. Ryan Bekkerus continues to raise his profile in the market and specializes in advising private equity sponsors, and their portfolio companies, and corporate issuers on public and private debt offerings. Latin America specialist David Williams is also recommended.
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Testimonials
‘One of the strongest capital markets practices on the street.’
‘Demonstrates solid judgment and execution skills honed through a long history of working on cutting-edge and/or high-profile transactions for the largest and most sophisticated clients.’
‘We value its attention to detail and conservative lenses combined with practical judgment.’
‘They have a deep bench of excellent lawyers. These are lawyers who are thoughtful as well as quick under pressure. In addition to the qualities mentioned above, they are excellent mentors to their associates who are the backbone of quality execution.’
‘Well-connected globally – the Japan partners are well connected with NY/DC and other offices and are able to provide the clients with fair and reasonable advice reflecting the best practice in other offices.’
‘Given that all three resident partners in Tokyo are committed to Japan/Asia work and specialize in capital markets, they are outstanding and maintain an incomparable competitive advantage over the peer firms.’
Key clients
AerCap Holdings N.V.
Alibaba Group Holding Limited
ARUHI Corporation
Aston Martin Capital Holdings Limited
Barclays
BK Brasil Operação e Assessoria a Restaurantes S.A.
BNP Paribas
BRF S.A.
Celulosa Arauco y Constitución S.A.
Cirsa Gaming
Citigroup
Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank
Credit Suisse
Daiwa Securities
Deutsche Bank
GDS Holdings Limited
GFL Environmental Inc.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Intercorp Financial Services Inc.
J.P. Morgan
Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW)
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.
Mitsui Fudosan Co., Ltd.
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.
Mizuho Securities
Morgan Stanley
MUFG
Qudian Inc.
Republic of Guatemala
Republic of Peru
RBC Capital Markets
Ruhnn Holding Limited
Shinsei Bank
Société Générale
Stonegate Pub Company Financing plc
TD Securities
Unigel Luxembourg S.A.
Wells Fargo Securities
YPF Energía Eléctrica S.A. (YPF Luz)
Finance > Capital markets: high-yield
An established leader in high-yield debt transactions, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s broad practice combines high-end experience in both company and underwriter-side mandates. The New York-based group is a popular choice for riskier first-time issuers, but it also remains a key partner to seasoned private and public issuers, as well as domestic and international banks. In addition, the team leverages the wider firm’s top-tier private equity practice to offer strong expertise in advising private equity sponsors, and their portfolio companies, on complex high-yield matters. Arthur Robinson heads the capital markets department globally and has deep experience in high-yield debt deals, particularly in the life sciences, energy, communications and retail sectors. Marisa Stavenas had a strong year on the high-yield side, which included advising Sirius XM Radio on two high-yield offerings totaling $2.7bn. Richard Fenyes is recommended for his emphasis on representing private equity sponsors on high-yield debt matters. John Ericson also continues to build up his reputation in the high-yield area, with a strong recent run of high-profile underwriter-side deals.Practice head(s):
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Key clients
Affiliated Managers Group, Inc.
APX Group, Inc.
Ascend Learning, LLC
Aston Martin Capital Holdings Limited
Barclays
BMO Capital Markets
BofA Merrill Lynch
BRF S.A.
Cedar Fair, L.P.
CHS/Community Health Systems, Inc.
Cirsa Finance International S.á r.l.
CNO Financial Group, Inc.
Credit Suisse
Dell Inc.
Deutsche Bank Securities
Ensign Drilling Inc.
GFL Environmental Inc.
Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC
Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
J.P. Morgan
Masonite International Corporation
Morgan Stanley
RBC Capital Markets
Sirius XM Radio Inc.
SS&C Technologies, Inc.
Summit Materials, LLC
SunTrust Robinson Humphrey
TD Securities
TPC Group Inc.
Wells Fargo Securities
Finance > Commercial lending
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has an excellent pedigree for both top-end, cross-border borrower and lender-led financings. On the borrower side, this includes advice to blue-chip corporates such as Altria, as well as major private equity sponsors, including KKR, The Blackstone Group, and Hellman & Friedman. Partners such as Jennifer Hobbs, Alden Millard, and Brian Steinhardt (who also represents infrastructure sponsors) are top names to consider when it comes to borrower-led work. On the lender side, key institutional relationships with banks such as JP Morgan Chase ensure a steady flow of complex mandates, including bridge and acquisition financings, restructurings and debtor-in-possession financings. Key individuals on the lender side include William Sheehan and Alexandra Kaplan. Other names of note include practice head Patrick Ryan , James Cross, and Houston-based partner Matt Einbinder. All named lawyers are based in New York unless otherwise stated.
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Key clients
Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Bank of Montreal
Citigroup
Credit Suisse
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan
KeyBank National Association
Morgan Stanley
Royal Bank of Canada
Toronto Dominion (Texas)
Wells Fargo
Blackstone
Blue Buffalo Pet Products
CBRE Group
Centerbridge Partners
Dell Technologies
Hellman & Friedman
Hovnanian Enterprises
Ingersoll-Rand
Internet Brands
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
KSL Capital Partners
Mars, Incorporated
New Mountain Capital
NextEra Energy Capital Holdings
Twenty-First Century Fox
Walgreens Boots Alliance
WME Entertainment/WME IMG Holdings
Industry focus > Insurance: advice to insurers Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP’s insurance practice focuses on primary coverage matters and excess insurance, including bad faith allegations, terrorism-related coverage, data breach and crime coverage, residual value policies, environmental issues, and natural disasters. Other key offerings include the investigation of business practice issues in the insurance sector such as allegations of fraud, shareholder lawsuits, false claims, and data breach. Practice head Mary Beth Forshaw handled a lawsuit on behalf of Travelers against Northrop Grumman over coverage for pollution-related losses dating back to the 1930s. Susannah Geltman and counsel Summer Craig represented national insurers in asbestos and environmental coverage litigation. Bryce Friedman advised the underwriters of Lloyd’s of London in connection with a ransomware attack on a health information technology company. All lawyers are based in New York.
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Key clients
AIG and its affiliates
AXA XL
Beazley Group and its affiliates
Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group, National Indemnity Company and their affiliates
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Insurance Company
FM Global
IFG Insurance Group
New York State Superintendent of Financial Services
The Travelers Companies and its affiliates
Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, Equitas and their affiliates
Utica Mutual Insurance Company
Investment funds > Private equity funds (including venture capital) Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP continues its work at the top end of the funds market, working with major sponsors on the formation of market-leading multibillion-funds, recently including the $14bn Blackstone Infrastructure Partners fund and the $16bn Hellman and Friedman Capital Partners IX. The team supports clients in the formation and management of a variety of strategic and sector funds, including venture capital and other alternative investment funds, as well as infrastructure and technology-focused funds. Michael Wolitzer leads the investment funds team, and has extensive experience working with well-known private equity sponsors on fund formation, transactions, and investments, as well as advising financial institutions on employee investments. Barrie Covit represents major PE funds as well as specific industry funds and investors, including infrastructure and financial markets, notably working with the US Treasury on its $30bn Public-Private Investment Program. Thomas Bell focuses on management matters, advising a variety of clients including Carlyle and Macquarie on fundraisings, establishments, and secondary issues. The team also expanded its partner strength with several promotions: Robert Guo (Palo Alto), Benjamin Wells, Peter Vassilev, James Hays (Houston) and Crystal Frierson (Washington DC) were all promoted to partner in January 2020. All lawyers mentioned are in New York unless stated otherwise.
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Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 1
With a particularly strong roster of private equity clients and their portfolio companies, the employee benefits and executive compensation professionals at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP have strength in handling high-value M&A transactions and spin-offs, along with structuring and implementing pension plan investments. Practice head Brian Robbins, Gregory Grogan, Andrew Blau, David Rubinsky, Jeannine McSweeney and Laurence Moss – all based in New York – routinely assist with equity compensation packages, deferred and other non-qualified retirement plans, CEO succession matters and golden parachute arrangements. Robbins also leads on ERISA Title 1 and other plan asset management matters. On the West Coast, Tristan Brown’s Palo Alto desk has an impressive portfolio of technology, life sciences, entertainment and retail clients, with regular advice provided on executive compensation disclosure rules governed by the SEC, particularly in connection with IPOs.
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Testimonials
‘David Rubinsky pairs a deep knowledge of the issues with a practical and deal-focused approach.‘
‘Andrew Blau truly understands client needs and seems to always have the answers. He is always available and seems to be two-steps ahead of everyone else. Knowledgeable, intelligent and hardworking; all the key attributes of a lawyer.‘
Key clients
Airbnb
Alibaba Group
AMP Capital
Ant Financial
Apax Partners
ARAMARK Corporation
The Blackstone Group
BlackRock LTPC
Blue Buffalo
BrightView
The Carlyle Group
CBRE
Centerbridge Partners
Corsair Capital
Dell Technologies
DirecTV
Electronic Arts
EQT Partners
First Reserve Corporation
Harsco
Hellman & Friedman
Hilton Worldwide
Ingersoll Rand
Johnson Controls
JPMorgan Chase
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR)
KSL Partners
La Quinta (now CorePoint Lodging)
Lightyear Capital
L3 Technologies
Masonite
Microsoft Corporation
Motel 6
Nielsen Holdings
Oaktree
Office Depot
Owen & Minor
Palladium Equity Partners
Patricia Industries
People’s United Bank
PetSmart
PPL Corporation
SeaWorld Entertainment Inc.
Silver Lake Partners
Team Health
Teleflex Inc.
Toronto Dominion Bank
The Travelers Companies
TPG Sixth Street Partners
USAA
Walgreens
Weight Watchers
M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+) Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is active in strategic public and private M&A, and also has standout strength in private equity to complement the wider corporate offering. The team has an established reputation in complex cross-border transactions, thanks to the expertise of the New York office in combination with the firm's presence across key international commercial centers. A prime example of the team's global reach is its involvement in Refinitiv's sale to London Stock Exchange for an estimated $27bn, a transaction with New York and London elements. The team is engaged in numerous other high-value deals, alongside a steady flow of smaller deals on behalf of clients in key regulated industries such as finance, banking, aerospace, and defense. Alan Klein and Mario Ponce jointly head the practice, with Lee Meyerson being another name to note. The team was also further strengthened by three internal promotions: Naveed Anwar, Juan Naveira, and Jakob Rendtorff were promoted to partner in January 2019.
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Key clients
Best Buy Co.
Cooper-Standard Holdings
Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
Fifth Third Bancorp
First Data Corporation
Gardner Denver Holdings
Genesee & Wyoming
Gympass
Harsco Corporation
Gerdau
Johnson Controls International
L3 Technologies
Mars
Melrose Industries
Microsoft Corporation
The Mosaic Company
Owens & Minor
People’s United Bank
Refinitiv
RPM International
Sirius XM Radio
Teleflex
Walgreens Boots Alliance
Waste Management
Versum Materials
Vivint Smart Home
M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP enjoys a leading reputation in the market, with its primarily New York-based team advising many of the top fund managers, including BlackRock, Blackstone, KKR, and Silver Lake Partners on significant and high-value transactions. Mandates include strategic acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, and exits in a range of industries, including healthcare, technology, telecommunications, and leisure. Marni Lerner heads up the practice, and is widely recognized as a leading player in the transactional market. Other names to note are Gary Horowitz, senior counsel Wilson Neely, Anthony Vernace, and Palo Alto-based partner Richard Capelouto. Also recommended is Elizabeth Cooper, who has recently been involved in major strategic transactions both on behalf of Blackstone and KKR. Cooper also took a leading role in BC Partners' strategic partnership with Blackstone. All lawyers named are in New York unless otherwise stated.
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Key clients
AEA Investors
Alinda Capital Partners
Apax Partners
BC Partners
BlackRock LTPC
The Blackstone Group
Calera Capital
The Carlyle Group
Centerbridge Partners
Corsair Capital
CVC Capital Partners
EQT Partners
First Reserve
Global InfrastructurePartners
Hellman & Friedman
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
KSL Capital Partners
Lexington Partners
Lindsay Goldberg
New Mountain Capital
Oaktree Capital Group
Palladium Equity Partners
Platinum Equity Capital Partners
Primavera Capital Group
Riverstone Holdings
Silver Lake Partners
Snow Phipps Group
Sterling Partners
Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners
Technology Crossover Ventures
True Wind Capital
Warburg Pincus
Real estate > Real estate Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is at the top of the market for development, leasing, joint ventures and partnership matters. The real estate team benefits in particular from its collaboration with the broader banking and capital markets, M&A, private funds and tax practices, enabling it to handle large-scale M&A, portfolio and individual asset transactions, and complex financing matters. Practice head Gregory Ressa has a particular focus on the representation of real estate opportunity funds, while Krista Miniutti has experience acting for private equity funds and their portfolio companies in commercial asset transactions. Whitney Salinas is another name to note. Recent highlights included representing Blackstone in its $18.7bn acquisition of 179 million square feet of urban, infill logistics assets from GLP. Named lawyers are based in New York.
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Key clients
The Blackstone Group
KKR
The Carlyle Group
Hilton Worldwide Holdings
Northwood Investors
Centerbridge
Crown Acquisitions
Invitation Homes
BioMed Realty
CorePoint Lodging
Lindsay Goldberg
Westbrook Partners
Tax > Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations) Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acts for a range of not-for-profit organizations, including private foundations, public charities, and social welfare organizations, as well as their governing boards and donors. The core team has strong tax, governance and corporate expertise, and leverages the firms full-service capabilities to assist with intellectual property, trusts and estates, and litigation matters. David Shevlin heads the practice; his experience ranges from advising universities, foundations, hospitals and cultural institutions on the investment of their endowments, to assisting governing bodies with internal investigations. Other names to note include senior counsel Jennifer Franklin, who handles a range of transactional and tax matters; counsel John Bennett who frequently advises universities, foundations, hospitals, cultural institutions on investment activities; and recently promoted counsel Maura Whelan, who specialises in formation and governance of nonprofit organizations and domestic and international grantmaking.
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Testimonials
‘Super professional, excellent work product and great at meeting deadlines. Simpson’s nonprofit group provides superb advice on a range of tax exempt topics, including complex PRI and deal structures. We have been particularly impressed with their support of our investment team and endowment – practical, cost-effective, timely and the firm’s strong investment expertise means they can always pull in an expert if needed.‘
‘Dave Shevlin is amazing to work with. His work product is always perfect and on time.‘
Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 1
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is a market leader in the tax treatment of private equity deals, a skill set that was highlighted this year by its involvement in five of the ten largest US private equity deals in the first half of 2019. Marcy Geller has expertise in REIT taxation, private investment fund formation and corporate restructurings, and Jonathan Goldstein is rated for his work on the tax aspects of financing transactions and bankruptcies. Andrew Purcell is also recommended, as is Nancy Mehlman, who now heads the firm's tax practice. All listed attorneys are based in New York. John Hart retired at the end of 2018 and Robert Holo left for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in March 2020.
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Key clients
Alibaba Group
Apax Partners
The Blackstone Group
The Carlyle Group
Centerbridge Partners
Dell Technologies
Digital Colony
EQT
Hellman & Friedman
Hilton Worldwide
Ingersoll Rand
Johnson Controls
JP Morgan
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Lightyear Capital
Microsoft Corporation
Silver Lake
Versum Materials
Antitrust > Merger control Tier 2
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is retained by private equity firms, their portfolio companies and multinational corporations alike to advise on strategic deals and transformative transactions across a wide range of industries. Spearheaded by Peter Guryan in New York and Washington DC partners Sara Razi and John Terzaken, the team is also experienced in navigating the global regulatory landscape and is praised for its 'practical approach' as well as 'availability around the clock'. The trio was promoted to global antitrust co-chairs in September 2019. Additional skills include second request investigations by FTC and DOJ as well as litigation in relation to proposed mergers and acquisitions. Andrew Lacy, in Washington DC, brings significant litigation experience to the table and represents clients in merger investigations. In New York, counsel Ellen Frye advises clients on pre-merger notification compliance with a focus on international merger control.
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Testimonials
‘Always accessible and prepared to deliver practical and actionable advice without hedging.’
‘Responsiveness and availability around the clock; practical approach; willing to take a position and have a point of view; pragmatic.’
‘Sara Razi is a valued resource for complex antitrust matters arising from M&A contexts as well as evolution and diversification of my company’s business lines.’
‘Sara Razi has a deep knowledge of antitrust laws and regulations, which she expertly distils into practical advice that can be understood and implemented by non-experts. She keeps herself well-informed on current issues, decisions and agency positions on antitrust matters, ensuring that clients are mitigating risk within the context of today’s regulatory environment.’
Key clients
Best Buy
Blackstone Group
BMW Group
Daiichi Sankyo
First Data Corp.
Gerdau, S.A.
K2M Group Holdings
KKR
L3 Technologies
La Quinta Holdings
Sedgwick Claims Management Services, Inc.
Taiyo Nippon Sanso
The Boeing Company
Vistra Energy Corp.
Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is gaining ground in relation to both corporate and individual representations in government investigations and enforcement, regularly advising multinationals, financial institutions, private equity funds and their officers in high-profile, and often multi-jurisdictional, matters. In April 2019, New York's Stephen Cutler was appointed global head of the firm's government and internal investigations group, taking over from co-chair of the firm's litigation department Paul Curnin, who is known for his investigations work. In Washington DC, Cheryl Scarboro is a key contact for FCPA work, including compliance programs, SEC reporting, disclosure and corporate governance; while Jeffrey Knox has significant experience in FCPA, FCA, securities fraud and international AML cases. In New York, Michael Osnato is adept at representing financial institutions in regulatory and government investigations (particularly involving the SEC) and Brooke Cucinella is a specialist in cases involving securities fraud and responding to cybersecurity incidents.
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Key clients
Bankrate
Board of Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Hain Celestial Group
Valeant Pharmaceuticals (n/k/a Bausch Health Companies)
The Natural Resources Defense Council
Alibaba
Ericsson
Stryker Corporation
BRF
Finance > Project finance
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP handles a broad mix of energy and infrastructure projects, and while the bulk of the firm's advice is to lenders, the team also advises sponsors on project acquisitions. New York-based practice head David Lieberman has developed an extremely good reputation for complex, high-end project financings. He works closely with lawyers such as Matt Einbinder in Houston, where the firm has an active presence on oil and gas projects, including major pipeline developments. Renewables is another strong area of focus, and the firm is often first choice as designated lenders' counsel. The team, which is smaller and more focused than those of its rivals, also has good expertise in telecoms, utilities, and port and toll road projects.
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Testimonials
‘David Lieberman as partner has strong ability to coordinate and manage disparate lender concerns’
Key clients
BlackRock Energy and Power Infrastructure Group
Blackstone
Citibank
Credit Agricole
EQT Infrastructure
Goldman Sachs
Energy Capital Partners
Global Infrastructure Partners
JP Morgan
KeyBank National Association
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Macquarie CAF Management
Mizuho Corporate Bank
Morgan Stanley
MUFG
Pan American Energy
Riverstone Credit Partners
The Royal Bank of Canada
Santander Bank NA
Société Générale SA
Stonepeak Partners LP
Terra-Gen
Tiger Infrastructure Partners
Western Renewables Partners
Industry focus > Energy: renewable/alternative power Tier 2
Although New York-based heavyweight Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP may lack the degree of industry specialization and critical mass of some of the firms in the rankings, its ties with many of the leading worldwide financial institutions and funds clients ensures that it regularly handles big-ticket corporate and financings across the gamut of solar, wind, geothermal and biofuel projects. Led by David Lieberman, the team is praised for its 'ability to provide guidance to lenders on renewable energy transaction risks' and regularly advises lenders and borrowers on syndicated financings to facilitate big-ticket M&A in the space.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
Strong sponsor relationships with good knowledge of precedent transaction terms.
Good ability to provide guidance to lenders on renewable energy transaction risks and documentation terms to address.
Key clients
American Electric Power Company, Inc.
Aqua America, Inc.
BlackRock Energy and Power Infrastructure Group
Blackstone
Blue Water Worldwide
Citibank
Edison International
GFL Environmental Inc.
Global Infrastructure Partners
Harsco Corporation
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Mountain Sunrise Portfolio, LLC (a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc.)
Riverstone Credit Partners
Stonepeak Partners L.P.
Terra-Gen LLC
Western Renewables Partners LLC
Industry focus > Energy transactions: conventional power Tier 2
Able to marshal the resources of lawyers within the firm's broad-based market-leading private equity and banking practices, the energy and infrastructure practice group at New York powerhouse Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, which is headed by David Lieberman, provides a 'strong and highly competent service' to funds, utilities, banks and independent power producers across the spectrum of power-related corporate and financing work. Work includes financing and M&A mandates relating to electric power and transmission, pipelines and infrastructure. The firm is, however, best-known for its ability to handle big-ticket utility consolidations, as well as later stage private equity acquisitions. Brian Chisling is a key member of the team and provides M&A, capital markets and banking expertise to a wide range of stakeholders in the power sector.
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Testimonials
The firm provides a strong and highly competent service.
Key clients
Alinda Capital Partners
American Electric Power
Barclays Capital
Blackstone Capital Partners VI, L.P.
Citibank
Credit Agricole
Energy Capital Partners
Entergy Corporation
First Reserve Corporation
Goldman Sachs Lending Partners LLC
ITC Holdings Corp.
JP Morgan
KeyBank National Association
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Michigan Electric Transmission Company
Morgan Stanley
MUFG Union Bank
Mizuho Corporate Bank
Ohio Valley Electric Corporation
PPL Corporation
Talen Energy Corporation
Industry focus > Energy transactions: oil and gas Tier 2
Drawing on the market-leading capabilities of banking, capital markets, M&A and restructuring lawyers dispersed throughout the firm's Houston, New York and Washington DC offices, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is a prominent presence in many high-profile and high-value financings, investments, acquisitions and disposals in the oil and gas sector. In addition to handling public M&A work, the team also regularly acts on behalf of the firm's institutional private equity client base, including Blackstone and KKR, on transactions in the sector. Finance partner Robert Rabalais heads up the Houston office and is a key member of the team that also includes New York-based head of energy and infrastructure David Lieberman.
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Testimonials
The team is very knowledgeable about oil and gas, and reserve-based lending financings.
The responsive, enthusiastic, and helpful Erland Modesto is creative and commercial on financing mandates in the oil and gas space.
Eli Hunt is responsive and practical.
Christopher May and Eli Hunt are excellent lawyers, with calm and collaborative demeanors.
Key clients
Aqua America
Arsenal Resources (fka Mountaineer Keystone)
Bank of Montreal
The Blackstone Group
Crestwood
Dixie Electric, LLC
EIG Management Company
First Reserve Corporation
Goldman Sachs
JPMorgan Chase Bank
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Marathon Oil Corporation
Merrill Lynch
Morgan Stanley
MUFG Union Bank
Navigator Energy Services, LLC
Riverstone Credit Partners
Riverstone Holdings
Royal Bank of Canada
Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners
Templar Energy LLC
Tudor, Pickering & Holt Union Bank
Wells Fargo Bank
Industry focus > Environment: transactional Tier 2
Working closely with the firm's corporate and transactional groups, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acts for corporates, investors and bank lenders, providing comprehensive environmental law advice on a litany of corporate and financing transactions, and bankruptcy matters. Particularly active in heavily regulated industries, the practice group advises across the spectrum of environmental law; from the identification, allocation, management and disclosure of environmental risk, to regulatory and enforcement proceedings. Washington DC-based senior counsel Adeeb Fadil stands out for his expertise in the environmental aspects of transactions such as divestitures, securities offerings and restructurings; especially those involving complex cross-border elements. Fadil jointly leads the practice group alongside Mike Isby in the New York office, who has extensive experience of the environmental issues arising from M&A, capital markets transactions and financing matters; he also provides standalone advice on environmental regulatory compliance.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
The Blackstone Group
Centerbridge Partners
Crestwood Midstream Partners
First Reserve
Genesee & Wyoming
Gerdau Ameristeel
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Hellman & Friedman
Hovnanian Enterprises
Ingersoll Rand
Johnson Controls
JPMorgan Chase
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
Microsoft Corporation
Owens-Illinois
PPL Corporation
Silver Lake Partners
Tesoro Corporation
US News and World Report
Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Tier 2
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP's REITs team is rated for its experience of REIT-related M&A, investment and joint venture transactions, fundraisings and public financing transactions, fund formation, and compliance and corporate governance matters. The team is jointly headed from New York by Brian Stadler, Edgar Lewandowski and Gregory Ressa. Stadler recently acted for Blackstone in its acquisition of US Logistics Assets from GLP for a total of $18.7bn. The market-leading transaction totaled 179m square feet of urban, infill logistics assets, and nearly doubled the size of the client’s existing industrial footprint in the US.
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Blackstone
Invitation Homes
JP Morgan Securities
Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust
Blackstone Mortgage Trust
Citigroup Global Markets
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust
BioMed Realty
Crown Acquisitions
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Tax > International tax Tier 2
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the few firms to boast top-tier rankings in private equity buyouts, fund formation, and large-deal M&A, three rankings that are at least partly enabled by the strength of the firm's tax team in complex-cross border transactions. In addition to acting for some of the world's largest private investment managers, the team also counts public investors and multinational corporates among its core clients. A key contact in the practice group is Jonathan Goldstein, who has broad-base expertise in the tax aspects of fund formation, international securities offerings and M&A, bankruptcy and corporate reorganizations. Katharine Moir is a name to note in Palo Alto. Former practice head Robert Holo left for Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP in March 2020, and Gary Mandel retired from the firm. All named lawyers are based in New York.
Other key lawyers:
Key clients
Alibaba Group
Blackstone
Digital Colony
EQT
Apax Partners
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Public Sector Pension Investment Board
Antitrust > Cartel Tier 3
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP covers the full range of cartel services including preparation for inspections and dawn raids, navigation of leniency programs and advice on governance and communications strategies. The department is spearheaded by a trio consisting of DC-based Sara Razi and John Terzaken as well as Peter Guryan, who sits in New York. The firm represents both executives and companies in domestic as well as multinational investigations stemming from a wide array of sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, financial services, food and agricultural products. Co-managing partner of the firm's DC office Jeffrey Knox also takes an active role in the cartel department in combination with his background in fraud investigations.
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Testimonials
‘John Terzaken draws on his experience within the DOJ Antitrust Division to offer practical advice to his clients.’
Key clients
Tri-Union
Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 3
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is appointed by financial institutions and multinational corporations alike to litigate antitrust issues. The New York-based Peter Guryan and his Washington DC colleagues Sara Razi and John Terzaken jointly lead the global antitrust practice. Terzaken is most active in antitrust litigation, defending clients from a multitude of sectors such as financial services and food in government enforcement of antitrust violations and related follow-on litigation. Also located in the capital, Abram Ellis regularly litigates antitrust class actions, with particular experience in cases involving financial instruments as well as healthcare class actions.
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Key clients
21st Century Oncology
McKesson
Deutsche Bank
HCA Inc.
The International Swaps and Derivatives Association (“ISDA”)
JPMorgan
Tri-Union
Tyson Foods
Tradeweb
Finance > Financial services regulation Tier 3
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP's New York-based financial services team advises commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, mortgage brokers and others on a wide range of transactional and regulatory matters. On the pure regulatory front, the firm is well equipped to represent clients in negotiations and discussions with regulators, particularly in relation to legislation such as the Dodd-Frank Act and Basel III. The team is equally well known for its involvement in mergers between US banks. Lee Meyerson is the firm's go-to financial services M&A lawyer, with a highlight reel that includes advising JPMorgan Chase on its $58bn merger with Bank One Corporation and representing Mellon Financial in its $16.8bn merger with The Bank of New York. Keith Noreika's expertise lies at the intersection of financial services regulation and corporate transactions, spanning M&A, minority investments, capital issuances and structuring and compliance activities. Corporate partner Elizabeth Cooper also handles significant M&A in the financial services industry, having recently acted for Blackstone in its $20bn partnership with Thomson Reuters.
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Key clients
AXIS Capital Holdings
Blackstone
CNO Financial Group
Corsair Capital
Fifth Third Bancorp
First Hawaiian Bank
Goldman Sachs
IBERIABANK Corporation
Institutional Shareholder Services
JPMorgan Chase
KeyCorp
KGS-Alpha Capital Markets
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
Lightyear Capital
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation
Mizuho Financial Group
Morgan Stanley
Oak Hill Capital
Oaktree Capital Management
People’s United Financial
Riverstone Holdings
Sumitomo Life Insurance Company
Synovus Financial
TCF Financial
TD Bank Group
The Carlyle Group
The Charles Schwab Corporation
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group
The Travelers Companies
Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 3
With a long-standing reputation for representing senior lenders, in recent years Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has successfully been expanding its capabilities into corporate and sponsor clients, gradually becoming a full-service practice for restructuring, reorganization, and bankruptcy. The team recently handled pre-packaged Chapter 11 proceedings in the oil and gas sector, acquisitions of distressed companies, and re-capitalization cases (key interests of Michael Torkin, partner in and founding member of the private capital and special situations investment group), as well as exit financing and Chapter 15 global restructurings (practice head Sandeep Qusba's expertise).
Practice head(s):
Key clients
Angelo Gordon
Apax Partners
Arsenal Resources
Ascribe Capital
Bank of Montreal
Blackstone
Centerbridge Partners
First Reserve
Francisco Partners
Goldman Sachs
GSO Capital Partners
JG Wentworth
JPMorgan Chase
Kohlberg Kravis Roberts
Morgan Stanley Capital Group
Riverstone Holdings
Royal Bank of Canada
Silver Lake Partners
Solus Alternative Asset Management
Syncreon
Templar Energy
Tilden Park
York Capital
Finance > Structured finance: securitization Tier 3
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has a focus on less traditional ABS such as telecoms towers and auto fleets, though the team has also handled some recent CLO deals. Headed by senior counsel John Schueller, the practice group acts for well-known investment banks as well as a number of issuer clients.
Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The STB team managed the process very well and the coordination between their various internal groups was exceptional. It was a fantastic outcome in a very tight timeframe’
Key clients
Barclays
BofA Merrill Lynch
Citigroup
ExteNet Systems
GSO Capital Partners
HSBC
Invitation Homes
JP Morgan Securities
Mizuho Securities
MUFG
RBC Capital Markets
TD Securities
Vantage Data Centers
Vertical Bridge Holdings
Wells Fargo Securities
Industry focus > Insurance: non-contentious Tier 3
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acts for clients in the property and casualty, life and annuity, health, brokerage, and services subsectors of the insurance industry. The team handles M&A transactions and represents private equity firms with their investments in insurance holding companies, brokers, and other intermediaries. In this space, joint practice head Gary Horowitz represented Sedgwick in connection with its sale to funds affiliated with the Carlyle Group and Stone Point Capital. Fellow practice head Lee Meyerson advised affiliates of the Carlyle Group on their proposed acquisition of a majority interest in the Hilb Group, a middle market insurance agency. Both are based in New York.
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M&A/corporate and commercial > Corporate governance Tier 3
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP routinely advises US and international public companies on US securities and listing requirements. In addition, the team plays a key role in many of the firm's major M&A and capital markets transactions. Based in New York, the public companies advisory practice is led by Karen Hsu Kelley, and also includes Bradley Goldberg, who leads the private equity sub-group within the wider advisory department, and provides ongoing governance advice both to the firm's enviable private equity clients, as well as to their portfolio companies.
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Key clients
AEP
Affiliated Managers Group
Allegion
American Renal
Apple
Aramark
Ares Management
Avantor
Axis Capital
Best Buy
The Blackstone Group
Blackstone Mortgage Trust
Blackstone Real Estate Income Trust
Brightview Holdings
Catalent
Caterpillar
The Carlyle Group
Cigna
Cohen and Steers
Cooper Standard
CorePoint Lodging
Dillard’s
Evercore
frontdoor
Gardner Denver
Gates Industrial Corporation
Genesee & Wyoming
Hilton Hotels
Hovnanian Enterprises
Invitation Homes
ITC Holdings
Johnson Controls
KKR
KKR Real Estate Finance Trust
L3 Technologies
Masonite International
Mr. Cooper Group
National Vision Holdings
The Nielsen Company
Oaktree Real Estate Income Trust
People’s United
PJT Partners
PPL Corporation
Schnitzer Steel
SeaWorld Entertainment
Sirius XM Radio
Summit Materials
Taylor Morrison
The Toronto-Dominion Bank
TransUnion
The Travelers Companies
Ubiquiti Networks
Versum Materials
Virtus Investment Partners
Vivint
Weight Watchers International
Willis Towers Watson
Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions Tier 3
New York-based Lori Lesser heads up the practice at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, which reports a recent uptick in tech-related M&A, often with an international flavor. Lesser acted for Refinitiv, a data and analytics company, in its $27bn acquisition by the London Stock Exchange (LSE), in order to create a global financial market infrastructure provider.Practice head(s):
Testimonials
‘The individuals stand out in their ability to provide practical solutions‘.
Key clients
Alibaba
Blackstone
Centerbridge
Dell
Equinox/SoulCycle
Great Minds
Johnson Controls
Microsoft Corporation
Refinitiv
Spotify
Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal) Tier 4
The New York-based practice group at Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is an attractive choice for clients seeking representation in appeals relating to securities, antitrust, and ERISA-related issues. The group is particularly active in the class action space, where Joe McLaughlin is a recognized appellate practitioner. Paul Curnin and Jonathan Youngwood jointly lead the wider litigation department.
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Key clients
Alibaba
Best Buy
Countrywide Home Loans
JPMorgan Chase
Pacific Alternative Asset Management Co. / Prisma Capital Partners
Travelers
Dispute resolution > International trade Tier 4
At Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, the national security regulatory practice has showcased a particular strength in handling reviews of cross-border transactions conducted by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. As a result, the team often sees itself acting for multinational corporations, state-owned enterprises, and investment funds, alongside the firm’s top-tier M&A group. Equally worthy of note, the department is adept at providing general economic sanctions advice, for which clients have singled out the expertise of New York-based George Wang. Following his 2018 arrival in the Washington DC office, Malcolm Tuesley continues to build upon his activity in the CFIUS field; the same goes for of counsel Peter Thomas, who leads the practice group.
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Testimonials
‘Simpson Thacher & Bartlett has strong experience involving the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). The team’s understanding of how private equity and buy-side firms are structured is critical to its ability to offer tailored advice, which enables us to make informed risk-based decisions in relation to OFAC matters. No doubt, one of the top firms in this area.‘
‘George Wang is a sharp lawyer who is knowledgeable and highly experienced in OFAC matters. His working style is incredibly client-oriented – he is responsive, thorough and thoughtful. He is my go-to lawyer for any OFAC-related questions, and I appreciate that he is always able to offer sensible, commercial advice.‘
Key clients
Blackstone Group / Blackstone Infrastructure Partners/ Blackstone Real Estate Partners
ChemChina
Hellman & Friedman
Hilton Worldwide
Hon Hai/Foxconn
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets
Melrose Industries
Oaktree Capital Group
Primavera
Sprint Corporation
Versum Materials
Finance > Structured finance: derivatives and structured products Tier 4
Unsurprisingly for a firm with a market-leading fund formation practice, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP's derivatives team is well-known for handling derivatives and structured issuances for private equity houses and portfolio companies. The practice group, however, also represents a number of investment banks and trading companies in derivatives transactions across a wide range of asset classes. Jonathan Lindabury heads the derivatives team; associate Caitlin Wood has also been recognized by clients.
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Testimonials
‘Among the best around. Simpson Thacher is great at issue-spotting and communicating with in-house lawyers.’
‘Jon Lindabury is a go-to lawyer for the most complex transactions. His in-house experience really helps him communicate with both business and legal effectively. ‘
‘Caitlin Wood is very detail-oriented and easy to work with. She is very knowledgable about equity derivatives not only from a legal perspective but also in terms of knowing the market from a business perspective.’
Key clients
Affiliated Managers Group
Apax Partners
Aqua America
Barclays
BC Partners
Best Buy
BlackRock
Blackstone
Dell Technologies
EQT
First Reserve
Goldman Sachs
Hellman & Friedman
Hilton Worldwide Holdings
Invitation Homes
JPMorgan
KKR
Mars
Morgan Stanley
Qudian
Silver Lake
SoftBank
Teleflex
Investment funds > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 4
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP acts for registered, open- and closed-ended funds, business development companies (BDCs), and exchange-traded funds (ETFs), as well as the underwriters of securities offerings. In addition to handling ETF and BDC formation on behalf of large banks and asset managers (including Blackstone, AQR, and Deutsche Bank), the firm is also involved in large-scale and complex transactions. Notable examples include representing USAA in its $850m sale of the USAA Asset Management Company (which includes a mutual fund and several ETFs) to Victory Capital Holdings, and its sale of its brokerage and managed portfolio accounts business to Charles Schwab for $1.8bn. Rajib Chanda, who heads up the practice in Washington DC, focuses on registered fund product development, design and structure, with particular experience in helping alternative asset managers access retail investor channels through mutual funds. Benjamin Wells advises registered investment vehicles and investment advisers on fund structuring and formation, initial and follow-on securities offerings, regulatory relief applications, and governance.
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Testimonials
‘Excellent subject matter expertise, solid inside knowledge with SEC staff, and not afraid to make risk-based analyses.’
‘They care about our business, our problems, and how to best position ourselves for growth.’
Key clients
Affiliated Managers Group
American Investment Council
Apollo Global Management
AR Capital
Ares Management
AQR Capital Management
BC Partners
Blackstone Alternative Asset Management
Blackstone / GSO
Blackstone Real Estate Income Funds
BofA Merrill Lynch
Capital Research Group (American Funds)
Citigroup Global Markets
CNO Financial Group
Corsair Capital
Deutsche Bank
EIG Global Energy Partners
Fact Set Research Systems
First Eagle Investment Management
First Pacific Advisors
HarbourVest Partners
The India Fund
The Asia Tigers Fund
Investment Company Institute
Institutional Shareholder Services
KKR Asset Management
KKR Real Estate
Legg Mason Closed-end Funds
Levin Capital
Magnetar Capital
MFS
Morgan Stanley & Co.
New Mountain Capital
Oaktree Capital
People’s United Bank
Raymond James & Associates
Riverstone Holdings
SIFMA Asset Management Group
Skybridge Capital
Stone Ridge Asset Management
Stone Ridge Funds Independent Trustees
The Carlyle Group
The Coalition for Asset Management
THL Credit
Toronto Dominion Bank
Tortoise Capital Advisors
UBS Securities
United Services Automobile Association (USAA)
Wells Fargo Securities
Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers
Real estate > Real estate
Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP > Firm Profile
The firm: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is widely recognized as one of the pre-eminent law firms in the world. The firm devotes to its clients the legal talent and skill of over 1000 lawyers with a commitment to hard work, excellence and integrity. Clients around the world in a wide array of industries turn to Simpson Thacher for advice on their largest and most complex transactions and their most challenging legal disputes. The firm offers straightforward, pragmatic advice that recognizes the business needs of clients in light of prevailing commercial and legal realities. The firm has played a substantial role in many of the most complex and noteworthy transactions and matters of the last decade.
Areas of practice
M&A: Simpson Thacher is recognized globally for its role on behalf of parties on all sides of complex M&A transactions, buyouts, stock and asset purchases, restructurings, spinoffs, joint ventures and contested transactions. Simpson Thacher also counsels clients on a broad range of corporate governance and control matters, including proxy contests and challenges by activist investors.
Private equity: Simpson Thacher is the world’s leading legal advisor in the private equity sector. Since the earliest days of private equity, clients have sought Simpson Thacher’s advice across the spectrum of private equity activity and the firm continues to be the firm of choice for many of the world’s most sophisticated private equity firms. Simpson Thacher’s scale and depth gives it insight into the needs of every participant in private equity transactions: private equity sponsors, senior bank lenders, subordinated and bridge lenders, management and financial investors and underwriters.
Capital markets: Simpson Thacher is a leader in capital markets transactions worldwide. The capital markets practice is prized for its reach and range — from Manhattan to Silicon Valley, from London to Hong Kong, São Paulo and beyond. With a uniquely balanced practice, representing both issuers and underwriters, the firm enjoys a premier standing in advising on IPOs and other equity capital markets transactions, as well as high yield debt, convertible debt and investment grade offerings. Clients rely on Simpson Thacher’s mastery of intricate deal structuring and its experience across the full spectrum of products and industries.
Banking and credit: With a widely recognized top-level practice, Simpson Thacher counsels clients on their most sophisticated credit transactions. The firm is consistently ranked among the top firms by Loan Pricing Corporation. Clients rely on Simpson Thacher to advise on an array of sophisticated credit transactions and financial instruments at all levels of the corporate capital structure. The firm’s practices focus on many areas of the bank and syndicated lending market, including: leveraged finance, acquisition finance, including bridge financing, investment grade finance and project and energy finance.
Litigation: Clients seek the practice’s advice on high-stakes litigation, cross-border disputes, as well as government and internal investigations in the Americas, Europe and Asia. With more than 200 litigators, the practice offers a substantial bench of talent to resolve a wide array of legal issues. Clients benefit from the practice’s ability to leverage its broad experience and versatility to address their unique legal and business interests.
The litigation practice includes:
- Antitrust and Trade Regulation
- Asia Litigation
- Bankruptcy Litigation
- Class Action Litigation
- Complex Commercial Litigation
- ERISA Litigation
- False Advertising Litigation
- Funds Compliance, Regulatory and Investigations
- Government & Internal Investigations
- Insurance & Reinsurance
- Intellectual Property Litigation
- International Arbitration
- International Regulatory & Compliance
- Mergers & Acquisitions Litigation
- Product Liability & Mass Tort
- Securities Litigation
- Whistleblower & False Claims Act
Private funds: Simpson Thacher has one of the world’s pre-eminent private funds practices. The practice is global in scope and covers funds with a wide variety of investment criteria, including buyout, hedge, real estate, energy/infrastructure, credit, secondary, venture capital, fund-of-funds and other types of funds pursuing ‘alternative investment’ strategies. The team provides comprehensive advice to many of the world’s best-known institutional alternative asset managers, as well as smaller first-time funds and independent boutiques.
Real estate: The firm’s global real estate practice spans all areas of the real estate industry, including sophisticated real estate finance, sales and acquisitions, restructurings, real estate development, joint ventures, co-investments and partnerships. Simpson Thacher’s synthesis of real estate experience with its leading corporate practices — M&A, capital markets, banking and restructuring — allows the firm to offer institutional real estate investors a single source of advice for their most complex real estate matters.
Restructuring and bankruptcy: Simpson Thacher’s deep experience in some of the largest and most complex bankruptcies and out-of-court restructurings allows the firm to provide effective, strategic advice to clients across every part of the capital structure, from holders of senior secured debt, to unsecured and subordinated debt, to equity. Our Private Capital and Special Situations Investment Group executes complex and bespoke strategic credit, opportunistic equity and rescue finance transactions.
Energy and infrastructure: Energy and infrastructure companies and their lenders and investors turn to Simpson Thacher for cutting edge legal advice on a broad range of activities throughout the world. The firm is at the forefront of developments in these sectors, giving us the unique perspective necessary to advise a diverse group of clients in all phases of their energy and infrastructure businesses. The practice’s clients work in electric power and transmission; renewable and clean energy, including wind, solar and geothermal; electric, gas and water utilities; exploration and production, midstream, refining and petrochemicals, energy services and all segments of the infrastructure sector, including telecom and digital infrastructure, ports, railroads, roads and bridges.
Financial institutions: We offer clients unique insight into issues relating to the financial services industry, gained through our extensive deal experience and deep knowledge of the complex and changing regulatory framework. We have represented clients in many of the largest and most complex mergers of the past decades, as well as important and innovative capital raising transactions and regulatory matters ranging from compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations to chartering new institutions and obtaining regulatory approvals for expanded banking powers.
Healthcare: Major players across the healthcare industry—pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, medical device and equipment manufacturers, health insurance companies, hospitals and other providers—turn to Simpson Thacher for deep experience navigating the complexities of the industry. From structuring multibillion dollar mergers and obtaining antitrust approval to advising on disputes and investigations, our healthcare group combines industry-specific experience with unrivaled excellence in the legal disciplines that most affect healthcare companies.
Technology: Simpson Thacher is known as a global technology powerhouse that provides practical legal advice with an appreciation for the nuances and subtleties in the economy’s most complex and fast-changing sector. The Firm has led some of the most significant and high profile tech matters in recent history, including acquisitions, financings, IPOs, shareholder disputes, cybersecurity issues, government investigations and other litigation matters. Our clients include both well-known players and emerging companies in technology, media and telecommunications, as well as investors, lenders and underwriters. We understand the industry dynamics and challenges faced by companies in this highly competitive space, and render advice tailored to each client’s circumstances and reflective of their key priorities, business model and operations, proprietary IP and the competitive landscape.
Main Contacts
Department | Name | Telephone | |
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M&A | Alan Klein | aklein@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3188 |
M&A | Mario Ponce | mponce@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3442 |
Private Equity | Marni Lerner | mlerner@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3443 |
Capital Markets | Art Robinson | arobinson@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-7086 |
Banking and Credit | Patrick Ryan | pryan@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3463 |
Litigation | Paul Curnin | pcurnin@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-2519 |
Litigation | Jonathan Youngwood | jyoungwood@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3539 |
Private Funds | Michael Wolitzer | mwolitzer@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-7440 |
Real Estate | Greg Ressa | gressa@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-7430 |
Restructuring and Bankruptcy | Sandy Qusba | squsba@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3760 |
Energy and Infrastructure | David Lieberman | dlieberman@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3545 |
Financial Institutions | Lee Meyerson | lmeyerson@stblaw.com | +1-212-455-3675 |
Lawyer Profiles
Photo | Name | Position | Profile |
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Abram Ellis | Recognized as a “Rising Star” and “Next Generation Lawyer” in antitrust litigation,… | View Profile |
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Mr Keith Noreika | Keith Noreika, the Acting Comptroller of the Currency during 2017, focuses his… | View Profile |
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Mr John Terzaken III | Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice, John represents… | View Profile |
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Financial services litigation
- General commercial disputes
- M&A litigation: defense
- Securities litigation: defense
- Advice to issuers
- Advice to underwriters
- Advice to issuers
- Advice to issuers
- Advice to underwriters
- Advice to issuers
- Advice to borrowers
- Advice to lenders
- Insurance: advice to insurers
- Private equity funds (including venture capital)
- Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional
- M&A: large deals ($1bn+)
- Private equity buyouts
- Real estate
- Not-for-profit (nonprofit and tax exempt organizations)
- US taxes: non-contentious
Firm Rankings
- Merger control
- Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to corporates
- Advice to managers
- Advice to underwriters
- Advice to Lenders
- Energy: renewable/alternative power
- Energy transactions: conventional power
- Energy transactions: oil and gas
- Environment: transactional
- Real estate investment trusts (REITs)
- International tax
- Cartel
- Civil litigation/class actions: defense
- Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense: advice to individuals
- Financial services regulation
- Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate
- Structured finance: securitization
- Insurance: non-contentious
- Corporate governance
- Technology transactions
- Appellate: Courts of Appeal
- International trade
- Structured finance: derivatives and structured products
- Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds
- Advice to Sponsors