Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is recognized for its ‘excellent executive compensation practice’, advising on equity arrangements, executive employment, severance agreements, golden parachute taxes, and other aspects of employee benefits and executive compensations in transactions. The practice is co-led by Nicole Foster and Lori Goodman in New York, alongside Brandon Gantus and Sarah Ghulamhussain in Silicon Valley. Foster collaborates with the firm’s European and Asian offices to deliver cross-border executive compensation advice, while Goodman provides US benefits law guidance to international clients such as Roivant Sciences, AstraZeneca, and Ericsson. Gantus’s expertise lies in M&A and capital markets transactions, which is routinely called upon by technology and life sciences companies. Ghulamhussain, who became a partner in May 2023, specializes in compensation structuring for corporate changes, C-suite executive transitions, and succession planning. Jordan Salzman, who rejoined the New York office as counsel in September 2023, advises public companies, private equity funds, and executives.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Freshfields has an excellent executive compensation practice that is very experienced in M&A matters.’
‘Nicole Foster is an outstanding attorney. She is intelligent, creative and has a tireless work ethic. Lori Goodman is also excellent.’
‘The Freshfields team not only understood all the day-to-day issues of our equity comp programs, which included an extensive cash and equity retention program, but was also proactive in terms of identifying potential concerns and problems in advance as we implement several new programs in advance of a sale of the company. They were both thoughtful and practical and understood not just basic options, but were creative in helping us solve the concerns that we were facing.’
‘Sarah Ghulamhussain was a pleasure to work with. She was always well versed in the issues, super responsive, practical, creative and calm, cool and collected under pressure.'
Key clients
- Universal Music Group
- Roivant Sciences
- Kite Pharma
- Agilent
- PhenomeX Inc (formerly Berkeley Lights)
- eBay
- Coupa Software Incorporated
- Luminex
- London Stock Exchange Group plc
- Aristocrat Leisure
Work highlights
- Advised Coupa Software Incorporated on its all-cash take-private sale with an enterprise value of $8 billion to Thoma Bravo.
- Assisted Schenck Process Group in the sale of its food and performance materials business to Hillenbrand, Inc. for $730 million.
- Advised Boxed in initiating voluntary proceedings under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to execute a sale of its Spresso software business and streamline operations.
Lawyers
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Nicole Foster; Lori Goodman; Brandon Gantus; Sarah Ghulamhussain
Other key lawyers
Jordan Salzman