Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz > New York, United States > Firm Profile

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz > The Legal 500 Rankings

Dispute resolution > M&A litigation: defense Tier 1

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York is acknowledged by its peers as both a leading transactional firm and also a powerhouse in M&A-related litigation. The firm handles litigation at all stages, through trials and appeals, in which it has a stellar track record on behalf of some of the biggest corporations in the US. The practice, which is led by William Savitt and Jonathan Moses handles a range of high-stakes cases in the Delaware courts system. Savitt and Ryan McLeod acted for a Special Committee of the Board of Directors of MSG Entertainment, which acquired MSG Networks for $900m in 2021, after plaintiffs alleged that the company’s board violated Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which prohibits a stockholder from engaging in a business combination with a company for three years after acquiring 15% or more of the company’s voting equity, blunting the provision as a tool for merger injunctions.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+) Tier 1

Headquartered in New York, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is a destination practice in the US market for premium public company deals, handling a host of high-profile acquisitions, divestitures and mergers on behalf of principal parties. Cross-border transactions, proxy fights and takeovers are among Andrew Brownstein‘s notable areas of practice; he jointly heads up the corporate group with Steven Rosenblum, who further exhibits strength in joint ventures, securities law and corporate governance. These are also key areas of expertise for Adam Emmerich, who offers representation to a broad range of public and private companies in domestic and multijurisdictional mandates. M&A specialist David Katz often acts for boards of directors and board committees on governance issues and crisis management. Edward Herlihy is a veteran in complex bank and financial institution M&A, while corporate and securities lawyer Daniel Neff has extensive experience in assisting corporations, private equity firms and special committees of directors in negotiated and hostile acquisitions. Ronald Chen is a name to note for high-value M&A in the tech sector.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 2

New York-based firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is widely recognised as one of the leading corporate practices in the country, hence its stellar client base. Among its clients are Amazon, Bayer AG, Facebook and Twitter. As well as Fortune 500 companies, the firm also acts for financial institutions in securities fraud class actions, books-and-records demands, and IPO- and proxy-related disclosure claims. This gives the firm a role in high-stakes securities and merger-related cases. William Savitt, who is co-chair of the litigation practice and is focused predominantly on M&A and corporate governance disputes, as well as securities cases, leads the practice with Jonathan Moses, who handles complex commercial, securities and antitrust litigation. Savitt and Sarah Eddy acted for a special committee of independent directors of L Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, to handle issues arising from accusations of sexual harassment and misconduct at the company.

Finance > Commercial lending Tier 2

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz’ New York-based practice has undergone significant growth in the past decade and has achieved a strong presence on the borrower-side of the debt finance market. The team is particularly noted for its acquisition financing expertise and has advised on a series of high-value investment-grade loans, including a $32bn syndicated financing for Broadcom’s acquisition of VMWare. In addition to its roster of investment-grade corporate borrowers from a wide range of industry sectors, the firm also advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies. For these clients, the team actively assists with liability management matters, leveraged asset-based loans, and credit facility amendments that encompass a wide range of financial structures. Practice head Gregory Pessin has a track record of representing the firm’s investment-grade clients in high-value work, while John Sobolewski is a key contact for liability management transactions. Emily Johnson is also highly recommended for her advice on acquisition financings.

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

M&A/corporate and commercial > Shareholder activism Tier 2

Antitrust > Merger control Tier 3

Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is active on high-stakes merger clearances in the US and globally, advising the firm’s clients, which include major names in financial services, pharma, and energy, on FTC and DOJ filings, investigations, and litigation, as well as co-ordinating multi-jurisdictional merger filings and approvals. Offering agency experience and a strong record in contentious merger clearances, he team handles complex, high-value transactions, including CAA’s acquisition of ICM Partners, a major win for practice head Ilene Gotts, while Nelson Fitts  successfully represented Sanderson Farms in the DOJ’s investigation of its $4.5bn acquisition by Cargill and Continental Grain. Christina Ma is active in the financial services space, and is noted for her risk analysis capabilities, advising clients on potential agency action ahead of proposed transactions. All lawyers mentioned are in New York.

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 3

With considerable experience advising major clients, Richard Mason heads the team at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katzwhich has a strong reputation for advising debtors in mass tort bankruptcies, sponsors and borrowers in relation to liability management and special situation matters, and elite distressed investors and groups concerning distressed investments. John Sobolewski specializes in representing corporate borrowers and sponsors, and recently led a team advising Mitel Networks Corporation and its private equity sponsor Searchlight Capital in relation to Mitel’s out-of-court financial restructuringm while Joshua Feltman is a standout figure and focuses on acquisitions of leveraged entities in in- and out-of-court workouts and on the financing aspects of leveraged acquisitions generally. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York.

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

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 3

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