Winston & Strawn LLP > London, England > Firm Profile

Winston & Strawn LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 3

Winston & Strawn LLP’s 'international arbitration team is absolutely first-rate'. The firm's London office acts as the coordinating hub for major international disputes across Europe and the Middle East, as well as the US, Latin America and Asia. International arbitration chair Michael Stepek is ‘the standout partner without a doubt‘; Matthew Bate is a US-trained trial lawyer with longstanding experience as counsel in international arbitration proceedings; Ben Bruton is 'a first-class lawyer'; and Daniel Meagher acts in both commercial and investor-state arbitrations. Suzanne Labi, Jake White, Freya MacCormack, Juliette Huard-Bourgois and Agustin Spotorno are the associates to note.

Corporate and commercial > M&A: Lower Mid-Market Deals, £100m-£750m Tier 4

Regularly instructed by large international and US corporations, the M&A team at Winston & Strawn LLP is well-regarded for its role in M&A transactions, including reverse takeovers, SPACs and business combinations. The team's broad sector reach spans the technology, healthcare, aviation, media and gaming and financial services sectors. A go-to lawyer for transatlantic and European M&A deals, Nicholas Usher heads up the team. Paul Amiss is instructed by US and UK companies, family offices and private equity firms, and is well-known for his experience in SPAC IPOs and their mergers. The practice has recently grown its offering with the hire of Paul Fleming, formerly of Addleshaw Goddard until January 2023, who offers significant capabilities in distressed M&A. Zoë Ashcroft is no longer at the firm.

Finance > Bank lending: investment grade debt and syndicated loans Tier 4

At Winston & Strawn LLP, team head Ian Borman and Daniela Cohen are 'fantastic and always up to date on market trends', ensuring that they are popular choices among international lenders and corporates on bespoke multi-jurisdictional financing, including on deals within the emerging markets. A considerable amount of this work is structured utilising banking syndicates, with Borman noted in particular for his acquisition, ABL and bid financing expertise.  

Transport > Aviation Tier 4

Winston & Strawn LLP‘s aviation practice specialises in litigation in the aviation sector, while also offering advice on commercial and regulatory matters, covering restructuring and insolvency, including Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and M&A. Mark Moody leads the team, representing airlines, lessors and financial institutions in disputes and also providing asset financing assistance. Ben Bruton and Daniel Meagher are noted for their international disputes and arbitration work.

Corporate and commercial > Private equity: transactions - mid-market deals (up to £250m) Tier 5

Drawing on close working ties with the firm’s US offices, Winston & Strawn LLP works with various sponsors on a range of lower mid-market acquisitions, disposals, and financing mandates. Practice co-chair Paul Amiss is noted for his cross-border expertise, with recent engagements including a number of transatlantic acquisitions in the leisure sector. Fellow co-chair and London managing partner Nicholas Usher is an especially active figure within the practice, working on a number of portfolio investments and buyouts – particularly in the manufacturing and healthcare sectors. Chelsea Thompson regularly supports the team in PE transactions.

Corporate and commercial > EU and competition Tier 6

Winston & Strawn LLP boasts a capable competition group that possesses the capabilities to advise on complex competition matters for clients spanning the technology, life sciences, manufacturing, insurance, and telecommunications sectors. Praised for his ‘excellent analytic mind’ practice head Peter Crowther is regularly engaged by a number household names who turn to him for his wide-ranging expertise in EU and CMA investigations. Crowther also devises and implements compliance programmes covering areas such as competition, trade, bribery and corruption.

Dispute resolution > Commercial litigation: premium Tier 6

Winston & Strawn LLP has a 'outstanding team of international litigators' that has a 'depth of experience and judgement that sets them apart', with experience representing major clients on complex international litigation. The practice is particularly skilled in the aviation, shipping, energy, and technology sectors. 'Extremely knowledgeable and sharp' Ben Bruton heads the team; he works alongside Daniel Meagher, who 'brings a deep understanding of litigation to his clients', and 'extremely promising associate' Jake White.

Finance > Transport finance and leasing Tier 6

The departure in July 2023 of former team head Mark Moody  and a number of associates to White & Case LLP has dented Winston & Strawn LLP's credentials in the aviation finance field. Associate Eliana Torrado Franco  remains; she has a considerable amount of cross-border financing and leasing expertise.

TMT (technology, media and telecoms) > Sport Tier 6

United States > Dispute resolution > Product liability, mass tort and class action - defense: pharmaceuticals and medical devices Tier 2

Leveraging ‘a strong overarching litigation brand’ – which includes a number of well-regarded trial lawyers based in the Midwest and on both coasts – as well as a deep knowledge of the underlying science/medicine, Winston & Strawn LLP ‘excels at handling large cases and MDLs’ involving product liability and consumer fraud allegations against pharmaceutical/medical devices companies. As well as regularly acting as lead trial counsel on high-profile matters, the team is also adept at leading the overarching litigation strategy, often acting as national counsel helping to work up the case, dealing with expert witnesses and providing expertise at a motions stage. Christopher Essig is noted for his ‘very collegiate’ approach, ensuring that he is a popular choice on large-scale MDLs often involving multiple defendants. Alongside ‘outstanding’ trial lawyer Scott Ahmad, Essig is lead national counsel for Hikma Pharmaceuticals in all of its opioid-related litigation. San Francisco-based team head Sandra Edwards  is also a very accomplished trial lawyer whose oeuvre of work has included a number of high-profile MDL successes for pharmaceutical companies over the years.  

United States > Finance > Commercial lending

With a strong background in both debt and fund finance, Winston & Strawn LLP counts credit funds, institutional investors and equity sponsors among its lender clients. The team advises on senior, subordinated, secured and unsecured loans, as well as syndicated credit facilities, including cross-border and multicurrency transactions. The firm also boasts a dedicated CLO practice. David Baroni, based in Chicago, co-heads the leveraged finance practice and specializes in asset-based and cash-flow secured lending transactions. Also in Chicago, Nolan Bolduc advises a diverse clientele of financial institutions, asset managers, private equity sponsors and corporate issuers. Kader Crawford, based in Charlotte, is adept at handling bi-lateral acquisition financings to broadly syndicated credit facilities. Christina Wheaton in Chicago and Shreyansi Agarwal in New York are key members of the team.