Vedder Price > Dallas, United States > Firm Profile

Vedder Price > The Legal 500 Rankings

Transport > Aviation and air travel: finance Tier 1

Housing ‘one of the premier aviation finance legal practices’, Vedder Price‘s client base ranges from major airlines, export credit agencies, operating lessors and asset managers to investment funds, finance companies, and manufacturers and manufacturer finance companies. The team handles the full gamut of aircraft finance deals, with its expertise covering large-value M&A deals, aircraft-related asset-backed securities, and portfolio debt financings. It also assists with structured multi-aircraft financings in the capital markets, sale and leaseback deals, individual aircraft sales, and maintenance, repair and overhaul agreements. In Chicago, Geoffrey Kass is a specialist in aviation sector-related structured financings; Adam Beringer focuses on commercial aircraft finance; Mark Ditto represents operating lessors, commercial banks, finance companies, private equity firms and hedge funds in commercial aircraft and high-value equipment transactions; and Michael Draz is another key aviation finance practitioner. Over in New York, Jeffrey Veber is well known for his work with EXIM Bank on cross-border aircraft leasings; Cameron Gee is ‘one of the best aviation partners around‘; and Justine Chilvers advises on an array of cross-border and domestic aircraft finance transactions. Another key adviser is aircraft finance transaction expert Raviv Surpin in Los Angeles.

Transport > Rail and road: finance Tier 1

Vedder Price‘s ‘experience and expertise are unmatched’. The firm’s global transportation finance team fields asset finance and securitization specialists from Chicago, New York, DC, Dallas, San Francisco and Los Angeles, as well as from London and Singapore. Representing lessors, lenders, manufacturers, government agencies, equity investors and operators, the team acts on rail asset-related domestic and international leasings as well as on debt financing, and its transactional experience ranges from railcar purchases and sales to complex securitizations of railcar portfolios. The team additionally assists equity investors with acquiring and establishing new railcar leasing platforms as well as with structuring strategic joint ventures with railcar lessors and manufacturers. Michael Draz is a specialist in rail financing structures involving securitizations, warehouse loan facilities, cross-border operating and leveraged leases, and portfolio acquisitions and divestitures. John Bycraft, Clay Thomas in Los Angeles, and Jillian Greenwald ‘have probably done more railcar financing transactions than any other team in the country’. The practice also includes New York-based transportation finance expert Jeffrey Veber, while Geoffrey Kass is global transportation finance practice chair.  In a boost to the team, railcar financing structure specialist Joel Thielen was promoted to shareholder in March 2023. All attorneys named are based in Chicago unless otherwise mentioned.

Transport > Shipping: finance Tier 2

With ‘a wealth of knowledge in the area of ship finance’, Vedder Price‘s global transportation finance practice has enviable credentials in finance transactions. Such deals involve intermodal containers, chassis, barges, terminal facilities, bridge training simulators, ferries, and offshore construction and oil exploration vessels, as well as vessels involved in the transportation of cargo and passengers. The group’s expertise covers a range of maritime and offshore finance deals, including securitizations, syndicated and bilateral loans, export-credit facilities, debt capital markets, sale-leaseback transactions, leases, and bareboat charters. Experienced in cross-border marine finance structures, John Bradley represents lenders, investors, borrowers, ship owners, container lessors and marine terminal operators in the acquisition, disposition, leasing, financing and documentation of vessels, containers and terminal facilities; and John Imhof Jr and John Geager ‘have a keen understanding of the maritime industry and maritime finance’. Also key to the department, Anthony Renzi in  Washington DC routinely acts for shipping, energy and offshore services sector clients, while Chicago’s Geoffrey Kass is the firm’s global transportation finance chair. All attorneys named are based in the New York office unless otherwise stated.

Investment fund formation and management > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 3

Vedder Price‘s broad advisory service covers compliance and regulatory matters, fund transactions as well as day-to-day operational advice for investment companies and diverse fund complexes, among which are registered investment companies, mutual funds, closed-end funds and exchange traded funds, with a particular strength of the department being their independent directors practice, which comprises the bulk of their client roster. A trio of partners lead the practice: Washington DC based Marguerite Bateman advises clients on various regulatory matters pertaining to the Investment Company Act of 1940, Investment Advisors Act of 1940 and on securities law, as well as John Marten and Joseph Mannon ,based in Chicago, the former advising on innovative ETFs, fund mergers and SEC examinations and the latter on ETFs and diverse registered fund product offerings. Previous practice heads Bruce A. Rosenblum and Cathy Gonzales O’Kelly further strengthen the teams in Washington DC and Chicago respectively. Among the recent team changes were the arrival of Todd Lurie to the New York office in June 2023 from MetLife as well as the departures of Thomas Conner and Robert Crea in March 2023.

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 3

Vedder Price represents clients in industries which vary from healthcare to logistics to manufacturing, among many others. Running the group are duo Kenneth F. Sparks and Elizabeth Hall in Chicago. Sparks offers of deep experience in labor and employment matters, while Hall has negotiated many collective bargaining agreements and is comfortable advising on the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 and other traditional labor law matters, as are many other team members.

Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling Tier 3

Vedder Price, a long-established brand name in its home town of Chicago, has an experienced labor and employment team which advises employers on a broad range of labor matters, working with a global client base across the US. The firm regularly works in negotiations in heavily unionized industries, such as healthcare, where it regularly engages in representing employers in collective bargaining agreements and provides counsel concerning organized industrial actions. Elizabeth Hall leads the practice from Chicago. Hall is involved in a wide range of employment matters, including workplace investigations against C-suite employees, advising on non-compete contracts, and assisting in regulatory advice in the healthcare industry. Thomas Hancuch also supports the Chicago practice in a variety of matters, such as compliance, employee benefits, and executive compensation. Meanwhile, in Washington DC, Amy L. Bess is particularly adept in counseling non-profit and education organizations in negotiating severance agreements, conducting internal investigations, and other related employment matters.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense Tier 4

Vedder Price caters to a diverse client base, which includes broker-dealers, healthcare professionals, boards of directors, investment advisers, and accounting firms. The team advises on a broad range of white-collar matters such as insider trading, financial fraud, and false claims. Junaid Zubairi and Thomas Cimino co-head the team in Chicago. Zubairi has experience with cases relating to FCPA violations and whistleblower complaints. Cimino routinely advises clients who are being investigated by the SEC and CFTC. Further standout members of the team include Ryan Hedges in Chicago and Arianna Goodman in Dallas. Hedges is recommended for complex financial crimes, while Goodman regularly assists clients who are facing allegations of money laundering, health care fraud, and tax offences.

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

The ‘responsive, knowledgeable, and reliable’ team at Vedder Price advises on a variety of executive compensation and employee benefit plans. Christopher Collins, head of the practice, has recently provided advice to clients concerning several specialty benefit issues, including severance pay plans, supplemental unemployment benefit plans, and supplemental dependent care programs. The ‘very intelligent’ Thomas Hancuch is adept at advising employers on compliance with regulation changes which may affect their employee benefit and health and welfare plans. Meanwhile, Kelly Starr is a key contact for manufacturing and distribution clients. All individuals mentioned are based in Chicago.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions) Tier 4

The group at Vedder Price specializes in assisting management-side clients with the gamut of contentious labor and employment matters. Typical mandates involve discipline, leaves of absence, and wage and hour violations; the team’s expertise extends to union grievances, organizing and bargaining, and the protection of confidential information and trade secrets. It boasts a track record in representing clients in claims of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and class actions alleging violation of EEO laws. Chicago-based Elizabeth Hall steers the practice and is well-versed in defending employers before state and federal courts, administrative agencies, and arbitral forums against discrimination and breach of contract claims. Nicholas Anaclerio and Thomas Petrides are key contacts at the Chicago and Los Angeles offices, respectively.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 5

Vedder Price’s Chicago office is a prominent player in SEC and DOJ investigations and enforcement actions, as well as securities litigation, and client remark that the key partners are  'very practical in their approach to resolutions'.  Thomas Cimino leads the financial services litigation practice, as well as serving as overall head of litigation, and he is a key figure in securities fraud class actions, shareholder disputes, patent infringement, and bankruptcy litigation. Along with regulatory enforcement specialist Junaid Zubairi, he secured the dismissal of a claim against a former accounting director of publicly traded Roadrunner Transportation Systems, Inc. concerning an alleged an alleged $245m securities and accounting fraud scheme. Randall Lending is recommended for his extensive experience in jury trials, bench trials, arbitration and class actions.

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

Vedder Price is praised as ‘well-equipped to handle complex and sophisticated matters’ within the private fund formation space. The team handles all aspects of the fund formation process, including the launch of fund-of-one structures, across a variety of asset classes, on both the sponsor and investor side. Chicago based Joseph Mannon leads the practice and covers private equity, venture and real asset funds and he stands out particularly for his regulatory and compliance advice. Todd Lurie  from MetLife and Christine De Pree from Franklin Templeton were welcomed to the team in June and July of 2023 respectively, while Robert Crea left the firm in March 2023.

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