Revered for its ‘exceptional skill set and wealth of practical experience; Freshfields’s growing M&A practice serves a wide range of global household name clients. The team is jointly led by ’stand out’ Ethan Klingsberg, who advises on activist stockholder issues, and Damien Zoubek, regarded as ‘a force in the M&A world’, and praised for his experience in distressed M&A and shareholder activism defense. Clients deem Jenny Hochenberg as ’the best of the best’ for her work in transformative M&A deals, often representing automotive and aviation sector corporations, while Sebastian Fain handles domestic and cross-border M&A and private equity acquisitions. Paul Humphreys focuses on public and private M&A and general corporate governance, and Sanjay Murti concentrates on high-profile sales and acquisitions of publicly traded companies. In the Silicon Valley, John Fisher assists local and international tech and life sciences industry clients in their entry into the market. Unless otherwise mentioned, all named lawyers are based in New York.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Profile
Position
Partner, Co-Head of US Corporate and M&A
Career
Damien focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism defense, distressed M&A and bankruptcy auctions, corporate governance and general corporate matters spanning numerous industries.
Damien is repeatedly recognized as a leading lawyer for Corporate/M&A by, among others, Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Legal 500 US, IFLR1000, Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Lawyers in America” and “500 Leading Dealmakers in America,” and Who’s Who Legal: M&A and Governance. Mr. Zoubek’s work was featured by the Financial Times in its annual FT North America Innovative Lawyers report in 2016 and 2017.
Damien was born in Summit, New Jersey. He is an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center, where he also serves on the Board of Visitors.
Memberships
- Georgetown University, Adjunct Faculty Member and Member, Board of Visitors
- International Bar Association, Corporate and M&A Law Committee
- New York City Bar Association, Mergers, Acquisitions & Corporate Control Contests Committee
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, 1999
- J.D., Order of the Coif, magna cum laude
- Carnegie Mellon University, 1995
- B.S.
Content supplied by Freshfields
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Damien and Jenny are simply two of the best lawyers I have ever worked for, and they have assembled an amazing M&A team at Freshfields.' 'Damien Zoubek is a force in the M&A world and corporate board room. He is one of a kind, a true partner and negotiator for the toughest deals.' 'Jenny Hochenberg the best of the best. She is the smartest, most creative and most solution-oriented lawyer in the M&A field. She is a client's best advocate and is amazing with CEOs, executives and Boards.' 'The Freshfields M&A team is first rate. Their expertise extends well beyond technical and tactical excellence. They are practical, pragmatic, and strategic. The team quickly assesses and appreciates deal dynamics, both internally and externally, and aspires to achieve strategic goals, not just contractual goals and deal points. They are impressive in the Boardroom and across the C-Suite.' 'My work has been primarily with Damien Zoubek, who is simply outstanding. Damien is a master at understanding deal dynamics, going well beyond deal points and deep into strategic issues that drive better deal outcomes.' 'This team has an exceptional skill set and a wealth of practical experience to help drive transactions to completion. They also have specialty expertise, for example, anti-trust advice, on hand and are well-versed in transactions so they are available when and as needed.' 'The individuals really are highly knowledgeable and practical in their business approach to transactions. They care about the client and the individuals they are working with. They are not afraid to give hard advice and are always looking for the right business solution as issues arise. Ethan Klingsberg really stands out in this regard and is a true facilitator of transactions.' 'Sebastian Fain brings excellence to the table. I particularly liked his way of approaching legal and business issues and negotiations with the other party.'
Key clients
- Johnson & Johnson Executive Chair and a Principal Shareholder of Endeavor Roivant Sciences Special Committee of PowerSchool Holdings Cencora Sonoco Zeus Company Novartis Japan Tobacco AstraZeneca Zuora Keysight Technologies Uber Technologies Special Committee of the Board of Directors of PropertyGuru JD Sports
Work highlights
Advised Johnson & Johnson on its $13.1bn acquisition of Shockwave Medical, Inc.