Michael Albano > Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP > San Francisco, United States > Lawyer Profile

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton advises a diverse global client base on executive compensation and employee benefits matters, including complex cross-border mergers, acquisitions, and restructurings. The firm is highly active in high-profile transactions, recently advising GSK on its $1.4bn acquisition of Aiolos Bio and General Mills on its $2.1bn of its US and Canadian yogurt businesses. The team frequently collaborates with corporate, tax, and regulatory specialists to address issues such as incentive structuring, retention planning, and ERISA compliance. With a proven track record of guiding clients through sensitive compensation negotiations, the firm continues to support major players across industries, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods. Practice leaders Michael Albano  and Julia Petty  bring deep expertise in complex deal structuring and regulatory compliance, with Albano particularly recognized for his work in private equity compensation.Petty, based in New York, regularly advises on high-stakes corporate transactions and shareholder activism matters.

Representing a large range of public and private companies compensation, benefit and retirement plan matters, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton‘s practice specializes in design matters amid the context of corporate transactions, also providing fiduciary and compliance training. Practice chair Michael Albano leads on executive compensation and corporate governance matters, with particular expertise in equity compensation scheme design and implementation. Elizabeth Dyer is the group’s ERISA expert, counselling pension plan sponsors and trustees on ERISA compliance matters, and Julia Petty works on cross-border matters providing securities, tax and governance advice regarding compensation and benefit plans. All attorneys are based in New York.