Recognized for its prowess in the public and private M&A space, Latham & Watkins LLP routinely advises principal entities and financial advisors on a wide array of high-value M&A transactions, often operating across the energy, tech, healthcare, sports, and media industries. Mark Bekheit, Silicon Valley partner, leverages his former in-house experience at a Fortune 500 company to advise on tech M&A. In the Bay Area, Tad Freese assists companies in complex corporate deals, while Orange County-based Charles Ruck covers general corporate and securities matters in the life sciences sectors, and Ian Nussbaum handles mergers and acquisitions from the firm’s New York office. Alex Kelly and Paul Kukish co-head the practice from New York. In a significant move, Zachary Podolsky joined the team in New York from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in June 2025. Justin Hamill departed the team in May 2025.
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Profile

Profile

Position

Tad Freese represents technology companies, investment banks, and other public and private companies in their corporate transactions. Tad currently serves as the Managing Partner of the Silicon Valley and San Francisco offices, and previously served as Vice Chair of Latham & Watkins' Global Corporate Department.

He helps clients navigate both significant transactions and key strategic legal issues to enable them to grow and succeed. Specifically, he advises on:

    • Initial public offerings (IPOs)
    • Mergers and acquisitions
    • Other public and private debt and equity securities offerings
    • Corporate governance issues
    • Public company disclosure issues
    • Federal and state securities law compliance

Tad draws on more than 25 years of experience at Latham, advising technology companies in Silicon Valley through all market conditions. He has also advised all of the major investment banks on IPOs (for example: Angie’s List, Arista Networks, SurveyMonkey, Twilio, and Wageworks) as well as other significant transactions.

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Key clients

  • Skydance Media
  • Chesapeake Energy
  • Endeavor
  • Occidental Petroleum Corporation
  • Enerplus Corporation
  • Siemens Corporation
  • Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc.
  • Stericycle Inc.
  • EQM Midstream Partners
  • Arch Resources, Inc.
  • AMD (West Coast)
  • Nippon Life Insurance Company

Work highlights

Advising Skydance Media in its agreement to merge with Paramount, a deal valued at approximately $28bn.
Advised Chesapeake Energy Corporation in its $24bn combination with Southwestern Energy Company.
Advises Endeavor in its agreement to be acquired by Silver Lake, at an equity value of $13bn.