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Naveed Anwar
Naveed Anwar
Naveed Anwar is a Corporate Partner whose practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, where he represents private equity firms and public and private companies in a variety of domestic and cross-border transactions. He has experience in a broad range of transactions, including acquisitions, dispositions, carve-outs, leveraged buyouts, de-SPAC transactions, recapitalizations, venture financings, joint ventures and other complex transactions across a wide variety of sectors. Naveed’s private equity representations have included Hellman & Friedman, EQT, KKR, Blackstone, Silver Lake, Francisco Partners, Centerbridge, True Wind, TCV, Carlyle and Riverwood Capital. His corporate representations have included Airbnb, Applied Systems, Circana, Dell, PPD, McKesson and UKG, among others.
Atif Azher
Atif Azher
Atif Azher is Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Palo Alto office, where he has led some of the most successful and market-defining M&A transactions in recent years. He provides sophisticated transactional counsel to public and private companies, investment funds and financial institutions, in a variety of domestic and cross-border transactions. He regularly advises on multi-billion dollar mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and JVs, drawing on his substantial experience across a broad range of industries, including technology, technology-enabled services, software, internet, sports and media, healthcare, fintech, retail and consumer products, infrastructure and real estate. Additionally, he has experience working on SPAC transactions, including advising target companies, SPACs and PIPE investors.
Stephen Blake
Stephen Blake
Steve Blake is a Litigation Partner in our Palo Alto office. Steve has extensive experience resolving high-stakes shareholder litigation and securities regulatory matters. Steve regularly advises corporations, financial institutions, funds and their advisors in connection with mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, legal compliance and commercial disputes. Steve also regularly represents entities and individuals before the SEC, FINRA and stock exchanges. Steve frequently writes and lectures on shareholder litigation, fiduciary duties and issues under the Securities Act, Exchange Act, Investment Company Act and Investment Advisors Act. Steve is the author of the quarterly “Stock Block” column in The Recorder. His recent columns “Along Came SPACs, and Then SPAC Litigation,” “Challenges to Corporate Decision-Making in the Face of Increasingly Polarized Responses to ESG Initiatives,” and “Burgeoning ‘Caremark’ Claims Likely to Drive Stockholder Demands” have been widely read. Steve is Co-Head of the Firm’s Asia Litigation Practice and is also Co-Chair of the Firm’s Knowledge & Innovation Committee. Recognized as a 2021 Law360 “Rising Star” in Securities, Steve is also recognized by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star,” and was a repeat honoree on their “40 & Under List.” Steve was named among the Daily Journal’s “Leading Commercial Litigators” for 2024. He was selected as part of Bloomberg Law’s “40 Under 40” in 2022, and by the Daily Journal as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” lawyers in California in 2018. Steve is consistently recognized by The Legal 500 in both M&A Litigation and Shareholder Litigation, and as a “Rising Star” in Northern California securities litigation by Super Lawyers.
Andrew Blau
Andrew Blau
A Partner in the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice, Andrew Blau focuses his practice on compensation and benefit-related issues that arise in connection with mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, new and joint ventures and other corporate transactions. He has extensive experience in structuring employment agreements, equity compensation, performance incentives, deferred compensation, change in control protections, and management participation in buyouts and new ventures. His experience includes domestic and international M&A across a variety of sectors. Andrew also advises on the applicability of securities and tax laws to executives and employers, disclosure obligations in respect of employee benefits and executive compensation arrangements, corporate governance issues and general employment-related matters.
Joshua Ford Bonnie
Joshua Ford Bonnie
Co-Head of the Firm’s Global Capital Markets Practice, Co-Managing Partner of the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office and member of the Executive Committee, Josh Bonnie is one of the nation’s preeminent IPO lawyers and regularly advises clients on significant strategic events. Josh advised Blackstone, Bumble, Carlyle, Flutter, Hilton Worldwide, Invitation Homes and MasterCard on their landmark listings. Josh also counseled Blackstone on its spinoff of its financial advisory businesses, Dover Corporation on its spinoff of its upstream energy business, Hilton Worldwide on its spinoffs of its real estate and timeshare businesses and Ingersoll Rand on its spinoff of its commercial and residential security businesses.  Josh routinely advises asset management firms on situations of strategic importance.
Justin Browder
Justin Browder
Justin Browder is a partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds and Funds Regulatory and Investigations practices in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. He counsels investment advisers, registered and private investment funds and broker-dealers on all aspects of the federal securities laws. Justin has substantial experience advising managers of private funds (including hedge funds, private equity funds and venture capital funds) and sponsors of wealth management and separately managed account programs concerning a wide variety of operational, transactional and adversarial matters. Justin also advises registered fund sponsors on complex issues arising under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the other federal securities laws. A central component of his practice involves representing advisers, funds and wealth management firms in SEC examinations and enforcement proceedings. Justin is also a recognized practitioner in the area of digital assets, where he advises asset management firms that pursue digital asset investment strategies through wealth management and private fund offerings. Additionally, Justin’s experience includes representing financial sponsors and strategic investors concerning mergers, acquisitions and spin-outs of asset management businesses and advising alternative asset managers as to fund formation matters.
Rajib Chanda
Rajib Chanda
Hailed as a “Trailblazer” by The American Lawyer for his legal contributions to the democratization of access by ordinary investors to private markets investments, Rajib is Simpson Thacher's Global Head of Asset Management and a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. Rajib helps asset management firms design, develop and structure investment products, and regularly represents the leading asset management firms in the world. Recent representations include Apollo, Artisan Partners, BC Partners, Benefit Street, Blackstone, Blue Owl, Carlyle, Cohen & Steers, Coller Capital, Diameter Capital, First Eagle, Golub, HarbourVest, Irradiant Partners, JPMorgan Asset Management, KKR, Lexington Partners, Morgan Stanley, New Mountain, Onex Credit, Sixth Street Partners, SkyBridge Capital, Starwood Capital Group and TPG Angelo Gordon, among many others.
Brian Chisling
Brian Chisling
Brian Chisling is a Partner in the Firm’s Corporate department and Energy & Infrastructure Group, focusing on mergers and acquisitions. He advises clients, including utilities, independent power producers, pipeline companies, transmission companies, fiber-optic and other telecommunications companies, private equity funds, and financing parties with respect to mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, spin-offs and divestitures, securities issuances and financings, and related federal and state regulatory issues. In the power industry, he has regularly advised both strategic utility clients and private equity clients. Examples of high-profile mergers and other transactions include: recent joint ventures and acquisitions of large renewable energy portfolios and developers by private equity firms, ITC Holdings’ sale to Fortis, JPMorgan's sale of its physical commodities trading businesses, American Electric Power's acquisition of Central and South West Corp., and the acquisition of TXU by a group of private equity firms.
Anne Choe
Anne Choe
Anne Choe is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds and Funds Regulatory and Investigations Practices in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. She represents investment managers, registered funds and private funds on a broad range of regulatory and transactional matters. Her experience covers a variety of fund structures, including exchange-traded funds, mutual funds and private funds. Anne also regularly counsels family offices and independent boards and has in-depth knowledge of the various securities and other laws applicable to investment managers and funds, including the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. She additionally represents investment advisers and funds in SEC examination and enforcement matters. Anne has significant experience advising investment management firms in registering with the SEC as investment advisers, as well as advising on exemptions from registration for U.S. and non-U.S. firms.
Barrie Covit
Barrie Covit
Co-Head of Simpson Thacher's Investment Funds Practice. Focuses on alternative asset management. Has represented some of the largest and best known sponsors of private equity funds including Carlyle, KKR, BlackRock, J.C. Flowers, Lexington Partners, Corsair Capital, and EQT. He has represented sponsors of funds that focus on investments in specific asset classes—including energy, financial services and the secondary market—throughout the world, including in Western Europe, South Africa and Brazil. Mr. Covit represented the United States Treasury Department in connection with the establishment of its $30 billion Public-Private Investment Program to purchase legacy assets from financial institutions. Notably, Mr. Covit was named by Law360 as an “MVP” for 2024.
Abram Ellis
Abram Ellis
Recognized as a “Rising Star” and “Next Generation Lawyer” in antitrust litigation, Abram Ellis is a Partner in the Firm’s Washington, D.C. office. His practice comprises all aspects of competition law, from defending clients against complex class action antitrust litigation to helping clients obtain regulatory clearance from domestic and international competition authorities for significant transactions. An integral member of the “Antitrust Team of the Year” (Chambers USA 2016), Abram is particularly experienced in antitrust litigation involving complex financial instruments, the healthcare industry and employment issues. In addition to his robust antitrust practice, Abram advises leading private equity funds, financial institutions and major corporations on regulatory and compliance matters relating to cross-border activities, including with respect to OFAC, FCPA and export matters. Recent representations include: representing Change Healthcare in the DOJ’s challenge of UnitedHealthGroup’s acquisition of Change Healthcare; RPM/Euclid in connection with claims that it fixed prices with respect to concrete additives and admixtures; Sun Communities in defense of claims that it fixed prices on manufactured home lots; the OWGR in ongoing litigation involving LIV; HCA in the FTC’s review of the sale of certain hospitals in Louisiana by HCA; HCA in pending antitrust litigation in North Carolina state and federal court alleging HCA engaged in monopolistic conduct in violation of state and federal antitrust laws; Covestro in antitrust class actions involving MDI and TDI; Tyson Foods in a wage fixing antitrust class action alleging a decades-long conspiracy to fix wages; a major pharmaceutical and medical supply company in dismissal of antitrust class action concerning alleged price-fixing conspiracy among manufacturers of generic pharmaceuticals; Micron in dismissal of a proposed antitrust class action alleging a conspiracy involving DRAM; HCA in the FTC’s challenge of HCA’s proposed acquisition of certain hospital assets from Steward Healthcare; and JPMorgan in antitrust and CEA class actions concerning the alleged manipulation of LIBOR; ISDA in antitrust class actions and government investigations concerning credit default swaps.
Andrew Frankel
Andrew Frankel
Andy Frankel is Head of Simpson Thacher’s Insurance and Reinsurance Practice. He has more than 30 years of experience successfully representing clients in a wide variety of complex disputes, including insurance, securities, product liability and other commercial litigation and investigations. Andy has successfully litigated cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the United States and in domestic and international arbitrations. Representative insurance-related experience includes defending insurers in complex coverage disputes and bankruptcy proceedings involving a variety of mass tort litigations, representing insurers in direct actions, claims alleging bad faith, environmental coverage disputes, claims involving dissolved or defunct policyholders and court-appointed receivers, claims involving alleged disparate impact liability, representing insurers in market conduct examinations and other government investigations, and a wide range of other matters on behalf of insurers.
Bryce Friedman
Bryce Friedman
Co-Head of Simpson Thacher’s Business Litigation Practice with focus on complex commercial disputes and trials. Is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Represents the insurance and reinsurance industries in trials and arbitrations of coverage, trade practice and business disputes. Defends insurers against fraud allegations, including alleged False Claims Act violations and government investigations. Representative clients include Beazley, Travelers, Chubb, FM Global, Swiss Re, Utica National and members of the Berkshire Hathaway Reinsurance Group.
Gregory Grogan
Gregory Grogan
Gregory Grogan is Head of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice, specializing in executive retention and motivation in M&A transactions and IPOs with a private equity focus. Significant engagements include 150+ Blackstone acquisitions, divestitures and IPOs (Hilton, Bumble, Ancestry, Refinitiv, SeaWorld, Vivint, Invitation Homes, Equity Office, Motel 6, Jersey Mike’s); LBOs of PetSmart, ADT and Nortek; and multiple transactions for AIG, Centerbridge, Cisco, Mars, Microsoft (Activision Blizzard, LinkedIn, Skype, GitHub, ZeniMax, Nuance), New Mountain, Silver Lake Partners, SiriusXM, PPL and Johnson Controls/Tyco, as well as the Board of Directors of Twitter, Inc. in its sale to Elon Musk. Greg regularly advises boards regarding C-level succession matters and is experienced in PBGC negotiations.
Peter Guryan
Peter Guryan
Peter Guryan, Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice, is a leading antitrust lawyer with extensive experience in civil and criminal antitrust matters for major corporations and private equity firms. He has represented clients in obtaining antitrust approvals in numerous high-profile and challenging transactions, often global in scope, and in other government antitrust investigations before the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission and competition authorities outside of the United States. Prior to joining private practice, Peter was a trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice. Peter is consistently recognized as a leading antitrust lawyer by Chambers USA and The Legal 500, where sources describe him as “a careful and considered lawyer” who is “extremely bright and business friendly” and “gives very nuanced advice on how law and business interact.” Peter was recently shortlisted for “Dealmaker of the Year” by Global Competition Review in its GCR 2024 Awards.
Jonathan Karen
Jonathan Karen
Co-Head of Simpson Thacher's Investment Funds Practice, Jonathan has led recent efforts in industry’s most successful and market-defining private equity fund formations across multiple asset classes, including buyout, real estate and infrastructure. Notable formations include Blackstone’s most recent flagship opportunistic global real estate, corporate private equity and core private equity funds, and Silver Lake, Stonepeak Infrastructure, Rockpoint Real Estate and Centerbridge Partners in each of their flagship and ancillary funds. Jonathan also counsels investment firms on a mix of matters involving private investment funds, including internal economic arrangements for private fund sponsors, regulatory compliance, M&A transactions and strategic investments involving private fund sponsors, joint ventures and spin-outs. Notably, Jonathan was recognized as Fund Formation “MVP” by Law360 in 2023 and 2021.
Peter Kazanoff
Peter Kazanoff
Partner focusing on M&A, securities, and derivative litigations. M&A representations include private equity transactions involving KKR, such as Del Monte, Gardner Denver, and HCA, as well as strategic transactions involving Change Healthcare, First Data, GGP, Microsoft, Convey Health, Tyco, CorpBanca, Eaton, Xerox, and Mars. Securities and derivative representations including Dollar General, Fairfield Greenwich in Madoff-related matters, TD Bank in Stanford-related matters, Envision, Ubiquiti Networks, and PAAMCO Prisma in Kentucky pension litigation.
Lauren King
Lauren King
Focuses on the full range of secondaries transactions, with a special focus on GP-led transactions, both on the buy-side and sponsor-side and across all asset classes and transaction sizes, but also represents clients in connection with traditional and synthetic secondaries acquisitions and dispositions and preferred equity investments. Experience counseling the full range of secondaries investors – traditional secondaries funds, GP-led focused secondaries funds, registered investment funds and other retail vehicles, and ERISA vehicles. Has specialized expertise advising prominent sponsors on cutting-edge transactions designed to provide liquidity to their investors, including using continuation fund technology in innovative ways. Also counsels sponsors on the organization, structuring and operation of secondaries funds as well as funds-of-one and co-invest vehicles designed to invest in secondaries transactions.
Alan Klein
Alan Klein
Alan is a Partner in the Firm's M&A Practice and until recently served as Co-Head of the Practice. Represented the board of Twitter in the company’s sale to Elon Musk. Advised Microsoft on many transactions, including its acquisition of Activision as well as LinkedIn, Skype, and many others; ChemChina in its acquisition of Syngenta, the largest acquisition ever by a Chinese company; Tyco in its merger with Johnson Controls, Inc.; and numerous other companies in cutting-edge transactions including Cisco, ADT, Best Buy, Wendy’s and Royal Ahold. He has also advised the boards of public companies including Aetna, Xerox, Yahoo and Baker Hughes, among others, on corporate governance matters.
Jeffrey Knox
Jeffrey Knox
Jeff Knox, former head of the U.S. DOJ Fraud Section, is Co-Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Washington, D.C. office and Global Co-Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice. He represents multinational corporations and independent board committees in high-stakes investigations by the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, CFPB and other federal and state enforcement regulators. He has advised some of the world’s leading financial institutions, energy companies, life sciences companies, technology firms and government contractors in navigating criminal and civil investigations relating to the FCPA, securities and accounting fraud, market manipulation, False Claims Act, antitrust, international money laundering, economic sanctions, and environmental crimes. Jeff also represents senior executives—in their individual capacity—who are subjects of enforcement investigations. Jeff has served as a government-appointed independent compliance consultant, and represents companies in government and court-mandated monitorships. Prior to joining the Firm, Jeff was an accomplished federal prosecutor, serving as the Chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C., and the Chief of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Scott Kobak
Scott Kobak
Real Estate Partner primarily representing institutional investors in complex commercial real estate transactions, real estate company acquisitions and developments, joint ventures and financings, including active involvement with many of the most prominent real estate private equity funds. Frequent clients include the real estate fund business of Carlyle, KKR, Blackstone and Crown Acquisitions. Recent transactions include Blackstone in a $7 billion joint venture with Digital Realty to develop four hyperscale data center campuses, Blackstone’s purchase and financing of QTS Data Centers in an $11 billion take private transaction, KKR’s acquisition of the Edge Observation Deck at 30 Hudson Yards and several multifamily development joint ventures for The Carlyle Group in New York.
Marni Lerner
Marni Lerner
Co-Head of the Firm’s Private Equity Mergers and Acquisitions Practice, Marni Lerner has extensive experience representing a mix of private equity and corporate clients, including family and founder-owned companies, in mergers and acquisitions, public and private divestitures, strategic investments and securities law matters. In her more than 25 years of corporate deal making, Marni has consistently worked on a variety of significant, complex and record-breaking transactions for a wide range of clients. Her representations have included KKR and its portfolio companies on transactions involving Simon & Schuster, Omnissa, Instructure, Neighborly, Teaching Strategies, OverDrive Holdings, BMC, Del Monte Foods and Internet Brands. Marni has also advised Charlesbank Capital Partners, Integrum and Butterfly Equity, among others.
Lori Lesser
Lori Lesser
Intellectual Property, Privacy and Litigation Partner. Heads the Firm’s IP Practice and Co-Chairs the Privacy/Cybersecurity Practice. Advises on all aspects of intellectual property, technology, artificial intelligence and privacy/cybersecurity law, including corporate transactions, licensing, counseling and litigation, in fields including media and entertainment, computer software and technology, financial information, apparel, consumer products, pharmaceuticals and life sciences, online, mobile and social media, and nonprofits. Served as lead IP and privacy lawyer in hundreds of public and private transactions.
Edgar Lewandowski
Edgar Lewandowski
Edgar Lewandowski is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Corporate Department, focusing his practice on capital markets and corporate governance matters. Edgar has wide-ranging experience advising a variety of REIT and other issuers, private equity sponsors and investment banks. The transactions he has handled include IPOs and other equity offerings, spin-offs, high yield and investment-grade debt offerings, convertible debt offerings, exchange offers and liability management transactions. Edgar also regularly advises boards of directors on general corporate and compliance matters.
Linton Mann III
Linton Mann III
Linton Mann III is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Practice. Linton represents clients in a broad range of high-stakes litigation and investigation matters including securities, shareholder derivative disputes, class actions, antitrust and complex commercial disputes. Linton is Co-Chair of the Firm’s Recruiting and United for Justice Committees. Linton is consistently  named a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500, where sources say he “stands out from his peers for his securities work.” Recognized among Crain’s “40 Under 40,” Linton has also been named a “Rising Star” by the New York Law Journal, Law360 and Euromoney, and is a repeat honoree on Benchmark Litigation’s “40 & Under List.” He was also recognized among the “Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40” for 2022 by the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association. Linton is the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Uncommon Charter Schools New York City, which oversees twenty-four public charter schools in Brooklyn, New York. He is also the Chair of the Board of Directors of Manhattan Legal Services, a program of Legal Services NYC, the largest provider of pro bono civil legal services in the country. In 2023, Linton was one of four recipients of the Pro Bono Service Award from the Legal Services Corporation.
Jeannine McSweeney
Jeannine McSweeney
Jeannine McSweeney is a Partner in the Firm’s Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice. Jeannine advises clients on executive compensation and employee benefit arrangements, including equity-based incentives, cash-based incentives, deferred compensation, retirement plans and employment, retention and severance agreements. Jeannine works closely with the Firm’s corporate clients on compensation and benefits matters related to mergers and acquisitions and a variety of capital markets and securities transactions. She has experience representing clients in a wide range of industries including financial services, energy, industrials and manufacturing, technology and healthcare.
Juan Francisco Mendez
Juan Francisco Mendez
Juan Francisco is a Corporate Partner based in Simpson Thacher’s New York headquarters. He advises clients on international corporate finance transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and other strategic matters. Juan represents many of Latin America’s most renowned corporations, as well as global companies, investment banks and private equity firms acting in the region. Juan Francisco has significant experience in equity offerings (including IPOs and follow-on offerings); debt offerings (including investment grade, high-yield, hybrid, structured, project and sovereign bond offerings); merger and acquisitions (sell-side and buy-side, auction and bilateral negotiations) and joint ventures; liability management and restructurings; and other complex transactions and crisis management and investigation matters. Juan has worked with such companies as Pan American Energy and YPF (Argentina); Intercorp group and Breca group (Peru); Grupo Sura, Avianca and Ecopetrol (Colombia); Quinenco and Embotelladora Andina (Chile); Grupo Mexico, FIBRA Macquarie and America Movil (Mexico); plus global banks such as JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. His practice focuses on Latin America and the Caribbean. Juan Francisco is fluent in English and Spanish.
Lee Meyerson
Lee Meyerson
Lee Meyerson is Chairman and Founding Partner of the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice and previous Head of our global M&A Practice. He has counseled the world’s elite financial and investment firms on a broad range of transactions, including some of the largest and most complex mergers in the financial services industry. Lee’s practice also includes counseling clients on regulatory matters, corporate governance and shareholder activism, as well as a broad range of capital markets transactions, including IPOs, debt, equity and hybrid capital securities offerings.
Preston Miller
Preston Miller
Preston Miller is a nationally recognized Antitrust and Competition Law partner at Simpson Thacher.  Preston has extensive experience obtaining regulatory clearances from domestic and international competition authorities for high-profile, often cross-border, transactions across a wide variety of industries. He has also litigated and won merger cases against both the DOJ and FTC, including some of the most significant merger decisions of the last decade (UHG/Change Healthcare and Tempur Sealy/Mattress Firm).
Krista Miniutti
Krista Miniutti
Partner in the firm’s Real Estate Department and Co-Chair of the firm’s Women’s Committee. Krista represents private equity firms and portfolio companies in commercial real estate acquisitions and dispositions, joint ventures and financings. Named as “Real Estate Lawyer of the Year” for Euromoney’s Women in Business Law Americas Awards 2022 and a Law360 2022 “MVP” in Real Estate, Krista has represented clients on a broad range of domestic and international real estate transactions, including public-to-private transactions, securitized and mezzanine financings, and portfolio acquisitions. She regularly advises clients on all aspects of their transactions, including coordinating advice from internal and external tax advisors and ERISA and Fund counsel. Krista’s clients include the real estate funds of The Blackstone Group, KSL Capital Partners and Westbrook Partners.
Erland Modesto
Erland Modesto
A Partner in the Firm’s Houston office, Erland brings over a decade of knowledge and experience, particularly with respect to infrastructure, the entire energy value chain and energy transition related matters. He is adept at developing flexible structures for companies in volatile markets. Throughout his career, Erland has provided counsel to lenders and borrowers across a wide variety of debt financing transactions, including LBOs, acquisition financings, general refinancings, restructurings, back leverage, holdco and asset based and reserve-based financings. Highly ranked by Chambers, Erland is a member in the Firm’s Banking and Credit practice, advising clients in a wide variety of industries across the energy sector, including in the oil and gas exploration and production, midstream and oilfield services sector. He has been described as “extremely commercial, knowledgeable and creative…always eager to help find solutions for clients” by The Legal 500. Clients consistently highlight his practical insight and market awareness, noting: "He's able to put a situation into real terms and explain why we as a client would care about the situation. He's super smart, always on point and knows the market really well." Others have described him as “do[ing] a fantastic job and prov[iding] really good advice" and as having a “deal and detail-oriented mindset." Erland has been named a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 and a “Rising Star” by Law360. He was dubbed a “Rising Star” by Texas Lawyer earlier in his career.
Erland Modesto
Erland Modesto
A Partner in the Firm’s Houston office, Erland brings over a decade of knowledge and experience, particularly with respect to infrastructure, the entire energy value chain and energy transition related matters. He is adept at developing flexible structures for companies in volatile markets. Throughout his career, Erland has provided counsel to lenders and borrowers across a wide variety of debt financing transactions, including LBOs, acquisition financings, general refinancings, restructurings, back leverage, holdco and asset based and reserve-based financings. Highly ranked by Chambers, Erland is a member in the Firm’s Banking and Credit practice, advising clients in a wide variety of industries across the energy sector, including in the oil and gas exploration and production, midstream and oilfield services sector. He has been described as “extremely commercial, knowledgeable and creative…always eager to help find solutions for clients” by The Legal 500. Clients consistently highlight his practical insight and market awareness, noting: "He's able to put a situation into real terms and explain why we as a client would care about the situation. He's super smart, always on point and knows the market really well." Others have described him as “do[ing] a fantastic job and prov[iding] really good advice" and as having a “deal and detail-oriented mindset." Erland has been named a “Next Generation Partner” by The Legal 500 and a “Rising Star” by Law360. He was dubbed a “Rising Star” by Texas Lawyer earlier in his career.
Lynn Neuner
Lynn Neuner
An experienced trial lawyer specializing in securities, shareholder, insurance and false advertising disputes. Representations include: TD Bank in historic litigation related to Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme; Pfizer in Viatris securities litigation and numerous indemnity disputes; Lloyd’s and RSA in successful resolution during the third week of jury trial in connection with a business interruption and physical damage claim; Olon S.p.A. in breach of contract and fraud dispute against Perfect Day; Chubb, Axa XL, and Swiss Re in aviation insurance litigation related to airplanes allegedly grounded in Russia; TD Bank in Ponzi scheme cases involving TelexFree in Massachusetts and National Realty Investment Advisors in New Jersey; Jabil in contract manufacturing dispute with Beckman Coulter and Danaher Corporation; Frontdoor in acquisition litigation with Serviz; co-executors of estate of former CEO of Scholastic Inc. in various trust and probate matters; Hovnanian in landmark securities case regarding credit default swaps; Phoenix Insurance Company in asbestos-related coverage litigation; Travelers in centi-million-dollar pollution coverage action; Bayer in emergency court proceeding that ended competitor’s advertising campaign in two weeks; Weight Watchers in large securities class action and related derivative suits; Bayer in advertising challenges regarding Claritin, Aleve and Maty’s Healthy Products; Ziegler Family businesses in shareholder disputes; Footlocker Board members in derivative suits; and multiple confidential international and U.S. arbitrations. Devotes significant pro bono counsel to U.S. veterans, including work on historic ruling allowing veterans to bring class actions in Veterans Court and winning a 20-year dispute to secure disability benefits for a veteran following a VA appeal.
Neesa Patel Sood
Neesa Patel Sood is a Partner in Simpson Thacher’s Registered Funds practice in the firm’s Washington D.C. office. She advises registered funds, their investment advisers and independent board members across a wide range of complex regulatory, compliance, fund governance, operational and transaction-related matters. She regularly provides advice regarding the structuring, launch and day-to-day operations of registered funds. Neesa also has significant transactional experience, counseling clients on fund restructurings as well as fund and adviser merger and acquisition transactions.
Joshua Polster
Josh Polster represents and counsels insurers in coverage disputes and tries high-stakes cases in court and before arbitral tribunals. He is experienced in handling complex actuarial matters that arise in insurance disputes. He also regularly represents clients in securities and M&A disputes and advises family offices on litigation issues. Josh is recognized by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a “Future Star” and is a repeat honoree on its “40 & Under List,” which honors the achievements of the nation’s most accomplished law firm partners under the age of 40. He also maintains an active pro bono practice. He has defeated an emergency motion in a Florida voting action and, along with the ACLU and AIC, secured a preliminary injunction blocking a fast-track deportation rule.
Mario Ponce
Mario Ponce
Partner in the Corporate Department. Focuses on negotiated and hostile merger and acquisition transactions, proxy contests, restructurings, joint ventures, corporate governance and shareholder activism. Represents both public and private companies in a variety of industries and advises private equity clients. Counsel to boards of directors and special committees concerning corporate governance, fiduciary duties and other matters. Has significant experience in the energy, industrials, retail and healthcare industries.
Sara Razi
Sara Razi
Sara Razi is Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice. She is a leading antitrust attorney, focusing on merger reviews, government antitrust investigations, antitrust litigation, and counseling on a variety of competition issues. Sara regularly represents clients in antitrust investigations by the DOJ, FTC and States, and has secured successful outcomes in several complex and closely-watched mergers and high-profile antitrust litigations. Her extensive private-sector and government antitrust experience spans a multitude of industries including media, telecommunications, technology, supermarkets and other retail, oil and gas, consumer products, healthcare providers, pharmaceuticals, and financial services. Representative clients have included: Ahold N.V., Apax Funds, Best Buy, BMC Stock Holdings, BorgWarner Inc., Change Healthcare, CSL Ltd., Cypress Semiconductor, Dell Technologies, DIRECTV, Dollar General, EQT, HCA Healthcare, Hellman & Friedman and its portfolio companies, K2M, KKR and its portfolio companies, Lorillard, Mars, Mattress Firm, PPD and Siltronic. Sara is an authority on antitrust issues and speaks frequently at conferences sponsored by the ABA, law schools, and private organizations. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Firm’s Pro Bono Committee.
Gregory Ressa
Gregory Ressa
Greg Ressa is of counsel in the firm’s Real Estate Department and a former member of the firm’s Executive Committee. His practice involves all aspects of the real estate industry with emphasis on representation of real estate opportunity funds, real estate mergers and acquisitions and real estate finance. He has handled transactions involving Blackstone, Northwood Investors, Centerbridge Partners, Hilton Worldwide, Great Wolf Resorts, Invitation Homes, Sterling Investors and Suntex Marinas on a wide variety of both domestic and international transactions.
Brian Robbins
Brian Robbins
Partner, former Head of the Firm's Executive Compensation and Employee Benefits Practice Group and current leader of the Firm’s Title I ERISA practice. Practice includes participation in complex mergers and acquisitions, private equity fund formation and structuring, securities and commercial banking transactions involving issues arising under ERISA and related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code; the structuring and implementation of management equity arrangements, and other executive compensation, employment and severance programs; and advice with respect to tax, accounting and securities law issues related thereto.
Arthur Robinson
Arthur Robinson
Partner representing clients in initial public offerings, high yield issuances, restructurings and corporate governance issues. Transactions include IPOs of Sotera Health, CommScope, Duck Creek, Paycor, ADT, U.S. Xpress, Anywhere Real Estate, InnovAge, Bioventus, Nuvalent, Press Ganey and Frequency Therapeutics; offerings to finance the acquisitions of NBC Universal, Cablevision, Burger King and Anywhere Real Estate; financing transactions in Olin’s acquisition of Dow Chemical’s Chlor-Alkali business; Reverse Morris Trust transaction to spin-off and combine WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc.; offerings for Carnival, U.S. Steel, Sprint, Endo Pharmaceuticals, Del Monte, Zai Labs, Bombardier Recreation, Apache, Northrop Grumman, Venator, Gartner, Wolverine, Block (formerly Square), Cimpress and PTC; and offerings to finance Mirant Corporation's and LatAm Airlines’ emergences from bankruptcy.
Kevin Roe
Kevin Roe
Kevin Roe is Counsel in the Firm’s Exempt Organizations Practice. He advises public charities and private foundations on structural and operating issues, including formation, governance, reorganizations, commercial transactions, domestic and international grantmaking, and taxation. He also provides advice to public and private companies on corporate social responsibility programs and to not-for-profit institutions and their donors on charitable giving. In addition, Kevin represents universities, foundations, hospitals, and cultural institutions in connection with the investment of their endowments, including in the review and negotiation of documentation relating to investments in private funds and similar investment vehicles and in connection with impact investments and mission- and program-related investments. Kevin is the author of Understanding Private Foundations for Thomson Reuters Practical Law. He is a member of the Government Relations Council of Nonprofit New York and chair of its Federal Taxation subcommittee, and he previously served as Secretary of the Non-Profit Committee of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. In addition to regular CLE instruction and professional presentations, Kevin teaches Nonprofit Law at Fordham University School of Law.
Patrick Ryan
Patrick Ryan
Patrick Ryan regularly represents leading financial institutions, investment banks and other lenders in connection with the arrangement and syndication of senior credit facilities, including acquisition, bridge and other corporate financings. Previously serving as Head of the Firm’s Global Banking and Credit Practice, he has significant experience in complicated financings in the leveraged finance, investment-grade, private credit and asset-based markets, often working with clients to develop innovative structures or to find solutions to difficult issues. He has also advised on special situations and the restructuring of existing credit facilities and other related financings, including DIP and exit financings. Patrick’s institutional clients include JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Citibank, Bank of America, Royal Bank of Canada, HSBC and Barclays. Patrick also represents companies in connection with their financing activities, and his clients have included AOL, American Media, Bard, Cengage Learning, Evercore, Hulu, iHeartMedia, MasterCard, News Corporation, Radioshack, Sky Deutschland, Travelers Companies, 21st Century Fox, CentralSquare Technologies, Vantage Airport Group and Universal Studios. Patrick has also been active in representing clients in sports and entertainment ventures, including Forest City Ratner Companies and other investors in connection with the acquisition and relocation of the Nets NBA franchise to Brooklyn. Recently, Patrick has been representing clients in partnerships between banks and credit funds in connection with the continued growth of the private credit and alternative capital market. He was named a Banking “MVP” by Law360 in 2021.
Whitney Salinas
Whitney Salinas
Whitney Salinas is a Partner in the Firm’s Real Estate Department focusing on real estate finance. She regularly represents private equity firms and portfolio companies on some of the most significant real estate matters in the market. This includes a broad range of commercial real estate financing transactions including CMBS, balance sheet, mezzanine, agency and construction financings as well as market-leading, complex transactions involving a variety of asset classes, such as data centers, industrial, hospitality, office, studio, life-science, retail, self-storage and manufactured homes, among others.
William Sheehan
William Sheehan
Corporate Partner William Sheehan regularly represents financial institutions and companies in connection with syndicated leveraged finance, direct lending, and other credit transactions. His practice covers a wide range of bank finance—including acquisition-related credit facilities, bridge financings, private credit transactions, general corporate and investment grade transactions, asset-based loans, restructurings and debtor-in-possession financings. He has handled transactions for JPMorgan, Antares, Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Royal Bank of Canada and UBS/Credit Suisse; he has also represented Cigna, Community Health Systems, Hovnanian, Scripps and Teleflex, as well as other lenders and companies.
William Sheehan
William Sheehan
Corporate Partner William Sheehan regularly represents financial institutions and companies in connection with syndicated leveraged finance, direct lending, and other credit transactions. His practice covers a wide range of bank finance—including acquisition-related credit facilities, bridge financings, private credit transactions, general corporate and investment grade transactions, asset-based loans, restructurings and debtor-in-possession financings. He has handled transactions for JPMorgan, Antares, Bank of America, Barclays, Citibank, Goldman Sachs, Royal Bank of Canada and UBS/Credit Suisse; he has also represented Cigna, Community Health Systems, Hovnanian, Scripps and Teleflex, as well as other lenders and companies.
David Shevlin
David Shevlin
Head of Simpson Thacher’s Exempt Organizations Practice, David Shevlin counsels a variety of international and domestic exempt organizations, including all forms of private foundations and public charities. He also advises donors to exempt organizations, such as family offices, as well as the governing bodies of exempt organizations. In particular, David advises universities, foundations, hospitals and cultural institutions on the investment of their endowments. David has particular experience in working with charitable organizations in connection with social enterprise and program-related investments. David also has been involved in assisting governing bodies on internal investigations.
Mark Skerry
Mark Skerry
A Partner in Simpson Thacher’s National Security Regulatory Practice, Mark advises on significant cross-border transactions undergoing national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and coordinates analogous foreign direct investment (FDI) approvals globally. He advises some of the world’s most well-known private equity firms, multinational corporations, and institutional investors across a variety of industries considered sensitive to national security such as aerospace and defense, semiconductors, telecommunications, sea and airports, energy generation, financial services, technology and social media, and life sciences, among others. Mark has significant experience negotiating commercially acceptable mitigation and responding to non-notified inquiries.
Brian Stadler
Brian Stadler
Brian specializes in mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. He represents private equity firms and public and private companies in a wide variety of M&A matters, including leveraged buyouts, strategic mergers, minority investments, joint ventures, carve-outs and takeover defense. While he has counseled clients in a broad range of industries, Brian has extensive experience in M&A transactions involving REITs and other real estate companies. He has advised Blackstone on more than 30 take private transactions, including eight in a recent 13-month period and the landmark Equity Office Properties and Hilton acquisitions.
Eric Swedenburg
Eric Swedenburg
Head of Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice and a member of the Executive Committee, Eric Swedenburg represents companies in a wide range of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, spin-offs, joint ventures and other significant corporate transactions. He also regularly counsels clients on shareholder activism, corporate governance and general corporate and securities law matters. In addition to his significant amount of work with public companies, Eric has extensive experience in advising special committees of boards of directors, private equity firms and financial advisors in both U.S. domestic and cross-border M&A transactions across a number of industry verticals. Some of his transactions have included representing AGCO, Change Healthcare, Dover, Genesee & Wyoming, Ingersoll Rand, K2M, Karuna Therapeutics, La Quinta, Mars, McKesson, SiriusXM, The Mosaic Company, Vodafone Group, Wendy’s and Wyeth. Eric has published various articles on M&A subjects and frequently speaks on M&A, shareholder activism and corporate matters, including as a regular panel participant in the annual Tulane Corporate Law Institute, which is recognized as one of the premier M&A, corporate and securities law conferences in the country.
David Teh
David Teh
David Teh leads the Alternative Capital and Private Credit team and has deep and versatile experience advising direct lenders, investment banks and corporate borrowers across many sectors on a broad range of direct loans and syndicated credit facilities. His work includes both U.S. and cross-border leveraged acquisition financings, unitranche facilities, ‘recurring revenue’ loans, ‘stretch senior’ loans, first and second lien credit facilities and leveraged and investment grade corporate credit facilities. David also advises on financings for insurance solutions, hybrid capital, backleverage and other capital solutions for special situations, recapitalizations and real asset financings.
John Terzaken
John Terzaken
Global Co-Chair of the Firm’s Antitrust and Trade Regulation Practice, John represents clients involved in government enforcement of antitrust, fraud and other white collar violations, as well as related follow-on civil litigation. His experience spans market sector investigations and litigation in all major industries. John previously served as the Director of Criminal Enforcement for the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he oversaw the Division’s criminal enforcement and litigation nationwide. He has earned awards of distinction from the Attorney General of the United States and the Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division. In addition to authoring an annual Global Cartel Enforcement Report published by Simpson Thacher, he regularly writes and speaks on antitrust matters for industry publications and events, including in his role as a member of the ABA’s International Cartel Task Force.
Malcolm (Mick) Tuesley
Malcolm (Mick) Tuesley
Head of Simpson Thacher’s National Security Regulatory Practice. Represents clients in national security reviews before CFIUS and assists with related issues, including mitigation of foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI) under industrial security regulations, export control compliance and government contracting. Helps clients navigate worldwide foreign direct investment reviews. Negotiates national security agreements with the U.S. government for some of the largest and most complex transactions in the defense, energy, financial services, telecommunications and technology sectors.
Anthony Vernace
Anthony Vernace
Anthony Vernace represents private equity firms and public companies in mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures and other corporate transactions. He also regularly counsels clients on corporate governance, shareholder activism and securities law matters. His clients span a wide range of industries and include leading technology, transportation, healthcare, industrial, financial services and consumer products companies. Anthony consistently receives recognition for his work on numerous marquee M&A transactions for both public companies and private equity firms. Anthony’s experience includes representing Microsoft in its $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard and Cisco Systems in its $28 billion acquisition of Splunk. In addition to his legal practice, Anthony regularly serves as a panelist and guest lecturer on corporate and M&A-related topics, including at Harvard, Duke and University of Pennsylvania law schools. Anthony currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, and he was formerly Co-Chair of the Finance Committee and a member of the Recruiting Committee.
Kenneth Wallach
Kenneth Wallach
Co-Head of the Firm’s Global Capital Markets Practice, Ken Wallach represents clients including Weight Watchers, Dell Technologies, Mars/Wrigley, Cooper-Standard, Thrive Market, Xerox, CAVA, Drummond, Candela Medical, Cole Haan, First Advantage, Zero Motorcycles, Frontdoor, Garda World Security, CSG Systems and Global Blue. He regularly advises private equity sponsors, including Silver Lake, Apax and Invus, in connection with high yield and bridge financings and restructurings. His equity experience includes Issuer’s Counsel for the IPOs of CAVA, First Advantage, Blue Buffalo and K2M. Ken also represents investment banks in IPOs, follow-on equity offerings and high yield and investment grade debt offerings, including as designated underwriters’ counsel for Cinemark and MEG Energy. Ken is also widely recognized as a leading expert on corporate governance issues, including ESG matters. Ken currently serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee.
Michael Wolitzer
Michael Wolitzer
Simpson Thacher's Chair of Funds and Funds Adjacencies, focusing on private investing and other facets of "alternative asset management." Has represented some of the largest and most well-known sponsors of private investment funds, including Apax Partners, Blackstone, Centerbridge, Lexington, Patria, Silver Lake and Sixth Street. In addition to private equity funds, has represented sponsors in other alternative asset classes, including real estate, energy/infrastructure, secondaries and credit/distressed debt, as well as on SMAs and fund structured products. Also has represented global financial institutions in the establishment of their employee investment programs; family offices on their investment activities; acquisitions of, and investments in, private investment firms (including several minority stakes and control transactions); buyers, sellers and sponsors regarding the disposition of private fund interests, GP-Led Secondaries and other secondary transactions; and founders and other stakeholders in connection with carried interest and other customized internal arrangements.
Aron Zuckerman
Aron Zuckerman
Aron’s practice focuses on domestic and international commercial real estate finance. He represents credit funds, banks, asset management firms and insurance companies on a broad range of real estate financing transactions, including mortgage and mezzanine loans, preferred equity structures, A/B notes, participation interests and note-on-note and repo financing facilities. His experience spans CMBS, balance sheet, bridge and construction loans, and includes the negotiation of complex co-lender, intercreditor and participation arrangements and multi-tranche workouts, restructurings, deed-in-lieu transactions and foreclosures.