Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP

Firm overview
Davis Polk is an elite global law firm with world-class practices across the board. Industry-leading companies and global financial institutions know they can rely on Davis Polk for their most challenging legal and business matters. The firm’s top-flight capabilities are grounded in a distinguished history of 175 years, and its global, forward-looking focus is supported by offices strategically located in the world’s key financial centres and political capitals. The firm’s lawyers collaborate seamlessly across practice groups and geographies to provide clients with exceptional service, sophisticated advice and creative, practical solutions. 

Practice areas include antitrust and competition, capital markets, civil litigation, data privacy and cybersecurity, derivatives and structured products, environmental, ESG risk, executive compensation, finance, financial institutions, investment management, IP litigation, IP and commercial transactions, liability management and special opportunities, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, public company advisory, real estate, restructuring, sponsor finance, tax, trusts and estates, and white collar defense and investigations. For more information about Davis Polk’s practices, please visit https://www.davispolk.com/capabilities.

In London, the firm operates as Davis Polk & Wardwell London LLP; in Hong Kong, as Davis Polk & Wardwell, Hong Kong Solicitors; in Brussels, as Davis Polk & Wardwell Brussels LLP; and in Brazil, as Davis Polk & Wardwell, Consultores em Direito Estrangeiro/Norte-Americano e Inglês.

UK PRACTICE
Davis Polk’s London-based team consists of over 60 English- and US- qualified lawyers. Working across industries, they advise on capital markets, M&A, finance and restructuring transactions throughout Europe for corporate, private equity and investment banking clients. They also advise on tax, executive compensation, financial regulatory, and antitrust and competition matters, both in the context of corporate finance transactions and on a standalone advisory basis. With seamless collaboration across disciplines, the team provides strategic advice on all aspects of corporate governance, helps clients prepare for and respond to activism, and handles sensitive internal investigations and regulatory matters.

Capital Markets:
Davis Polk’s capital markets group is one of the world’s most experienced in advising issuers and underwriters on a wide range of debt, equity and structured product transactions throughout Europe and around the world. The group operates across all major industries. The firm’s lawyers regularly work on transactions involving companies with or seeking a listing on Europe’s major stock exchanges, as well as advising European companies with or seeking a listing on the New York Stock Exchange or Nasdaq. The team has advised on debt issuances throughout Europe for over 50 years and has completed debt transactions for issuers from over 20 European countries. The firm also has extensive experience assisting clients with the regulatory aspects of capital markets transactions, including EU financial services regulation, the UK sponsor regime and US securities regulation, including the JOBS Act.

Mergers & Acquisitions:
The firm’s M&A lawyers are regularly involved in complex, cross-border transactions, giving them an in-depth understanding of how to help clients meet their business objectives. Davis Polk advises strategic and financial buyers and sellers, as well as their financial advisers and equity and debt providers, on M&A transactions and strategic investments and joint ventures of all sizes. These transactions range from smaller acquisitions and disposals of privately held companies to multibillion-dollar friendly or hostile cross-border mergers and takeovers. The London-based team has extensive UK Takeover Code and Listing Rules experience, having advised on numerous public takeovers, schemes of arrangement, mergers, M&A transactions involving UK listed companies and equity financings of acquisitions. The firm’s M&A lawyers work closely with its tax, finance, antitrust and regulatory lawyers on the structuring, financing and regulatory approval of transactions.

Finance:
Davis Polk regularly advises banks, other financial institutions, credit funds and borrowers on the full range of product lines, including corporate loans, leveraged and investment-grade acquisition financings, bridge loans, high-yield bonds, structured financings, derivatives, recapitalisations and debt restructurings. The firm seamlessly executes leveraged finance transactions involving any combination of debt products available in the market, including high-yield notes, TLB, second lien and mezzanine loans (in each case whether US or European), unitranche and holdco PIK facilities. The London-based team has particular experience advising on the financing and debt syndication of acquisitions subject to the UK Takeover Code and in advising financial advisers on cash confirmations given in connection with such acquisitions. They also have experience advising on restructuring and insolvency situations.

Tax:
Davis Polk’s tax lawyers work closely with transactional lawyers across the firm to help clients navigate complex tax issues with a business-oriented approach. The group advises corporates, financial institutions and funds across a broad range of corporate finance transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, spinoffs, corporate reorganisations and restructurings, debt and bond financing transactions and equity capital raisings, often with a focus on transactions with a US angle. In addition to advising on all aspects of UK corporate tax, the firm is also able to help UK and European clients optimize deal structures and comply with US tax disclosure requirements taking into account relevant US tax rules, such as the US tax-free reorganisation, anti-inversion, CFC, PFIC, interest deductibility, withholding and reporting rules.

Executive Compensation:
Davis Polk’s executive compensation practice focuses on compensation and benefits matters, including in connection with public and private mergers and acquisitions, reorganisations, IPOs and other securities offerings. The London-based team has deep experience in the design and implementation of incentivisation arrangements – from management incentive plans in private companies to long-term incentive plans for UK-listed companies. The firm regularly advises public and private companies, directors, boards and senior management teams on every aspect of corporate governance, from day-to-day inquiries to highly sensitive matters.

Financial Regulatory:
Davis Polk’s regulatory lawyers focus on the supervision and regulation of banks, investment firms, insurance companies and asset managers, including in connection with new authorisations, changes of control, corporate governance, remuneration in financial institutions, market conduct and regulatory investigations. The firm’s lawyers have broad and deep experience advising on matters relating to anti-money laundering, anti-bribery and corruption, and fraud. The London-based team works closely with the firm’s office in Washington DC in relation to the Anti-Bribery Act, the Defense Security Act and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Antitrust & Competition:
Together with their US colleagues, Davis Polk’s antitrust lawyers in London provide world-class holistic service across the full spectrum of complex, cross-border antitrust matters, including multinational deals and investigations. The team has leading-edge experience in dealing with every facet of challenging merger reviews and investigations by the European Commission and UK Competition and Markets Authority. They also regularly manage regulatory engagements in all other jurisdictions worldwide and advise on foreign direct investment (FDI) and national security screening regimes, regularly representing clients before EU member states’ FDI bodies, the UK Investment Security Unit and other international FDI agencies on cross-border deals. The team also advises on a range of day-to-day and cutting-edge antitrust issues, including related to novel regulatory regimes such as the EU Digital Markets Act and Foreign Subsidies Regulation.