Debevoise & Plimpton LLP > Washington DC, United States > Firm Profile

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
801 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, NW
WASHINGTON DC 20004
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
United States

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

With a strong international presence, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a go-to firm for clients seeking guidance on complex cross-border investigations. The team has a broad range of experience advising on matters related to money laundering, tax violations, environmental crimes, and embezzlement, among others. The white-collar and regulatory defense team is co-led by David O’Neil in Washington DC and Helen Cantwell in New York. O’Neil stands out for his work defending individuals who are facing high-profile investigations, while Cantwell is especially recommended for sensitive investigations such as allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace. Based in Washington DC, Kara Brockmeyer is another prominent member of the team who routinely advises on internal investigations and compliance matters. The firm also has a strong team located in New York, which includes Andrew Ceresney, Mary Jo White, and Bruce Yannett. In particular, Yannett is noted for his expertise in FCPA matters. Lisa Zornberg departed the New York office in August 2023.

Practice head(s):

David O’Neil; Helen Cantwell

Other key lawyers:

Andrew Ceresney; Mary Jo White; Bruce Yannett; Kara Brockmeyer; Jonathan Tuttle; Andrew Levine

Key clients

Ripple Labs, Inc

NFL Properties, LLC

Holcim Group

Pacific Investment Management

D.E. Shaw & Co.

Wellesley Asset Management

Ernst & Young

SolarWinds Corporation

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security

Work highlights

  • Representing Ripple Labs in the extensive litigation with the SEC, in which it was ruled that XRP is not a security and was not subject to SEC regulation when sold to the general public.
  • Advising and representing the Secretary of Homeland Security in a matter relating to potential impeachment proceedings by the U.S. Congress.
  • Represented a former Fox executive on charges of bribery, in which he was acquitted.

Dispute resolution > International arbitration Tier 1

Widely considered to rank among the leading arbitration groups worldwide, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s US offering is a key contender for major, headline-grabbing cases across the globe. Equally adept at commercial and investor-state work, the New York-based team is routinely involved in landmark matters—across a comprehensive range of industries—on behalf of both corporate and state clients. Department co-chair Catherine Amirfar brings to bear extensive experience in high-stakes, public international law disputes and successfully represented Italian investors in ICSID proceedings against Albania arising out of the claimants’ investments in a hydroelectric plant and a media company. Fellow co-head Mark W. Friedman additionally co-leads the mining and natural resources practice; he paired up with increasingly prominent arbitration specialist Ina Popova to represent Gramercy Funds Management in a complete win on jurisdiction and merits in an UNCITRAL arbitration against the government of Peru under the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (TPA). Other experienced names include Latin America practice co-head Dietmar Prager, who ‘stands out for his decisiveness and sharp intellect’; and Natalie Reid, who co-chairs both the public international law group and the Caribbean practice group. Talented up-and-coming names include next-generation partner Laura Sinisterra. David Rivkin has retired. Floriane Lavaud has left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Catherine Amirfar; Mark W. Friedman

Other key lawyers:

Dietmar Prager; Natalie Reid; Ina Popova; Laura Sinisterra; Floriane Lavaud; Christopher Tahbaz; Nawi Ukabiala

Testimonials

‘Debevoise has the best international arbitration team in the world. The team is comprised of many partners who are leading practitioners in the field. Partners and senior associates are exceptionally intelligent, extremely hard-working, very responsive, and have outstanding advocacy skills.’

‘I co-counseled on two matters with the IA team headed by Catherine Amirfar. A very diligent, hard-working unit, on top of the detail and very easy to work with. They all had an understanding of the cultural sensitivities in the cases (Middle East-based clients).’

‘I consider the Debevoise team to be at the top of the best (non-boutique) international arbitration practices in the US and globally.’

‘Based on my personal experience, the best individuals are Catherine Amirfar, Natalie Reid and Christopher Tahbaz.’

‘I have had the pleasure of working with a team including Dietmar Prager, Laura Sinisterra and Nawi Ukabiala, one of the best teams I have come across. They worked seamlessly with each other, kept the client regularly updated and had excellent strategic sense when conducting arbitrations.’

‘Mark Friedman is the best possible leader for this team of arbitration superstars. He is extremely intelligent, a superb strategist and advocate and very personable. His oral and written advocacy skills are really impressive and can make the difference in a big case. He is the best arbitration practitioner I know.’

‘Ina Popova is one of the most complete arbitration lawyers I know. Clients are always thrilled to have Ina on their side, as she is extremely intelligent and an outstanding advocate. Ina is also fluent in many languages, which is extremely useful in hearings.’

‘Dietmar Prager stands out for his decisiveness and sharp intellect on the various issues that were presented in the arbitration both on the merits and procedurally. Laura Sinisterra stood out for being always on the ball on all matters relating to the case, and her ability to recall facts and evidence.’

Key clients

Discovery Communication

Freeport-McMoRan

Gramercy Funds Management

Hydro and a group of Italian investors

The Republic of Iraq

SMM Cerro Verde Netherlands

Tethyan Copper Company (jointly owned by Antofagasta Minerals of Chile and Barrick Gold Corporation of Canada)

Work highlights

  • Successfully represented Gramercy Funds Management, and an affiliate, in an UNCITRAL arbitration against the Government of Peru under the US-Peru TPA, arising out of Peru’s efforts to evade payment of agrarian bonds issued in exchange for property expropriated by the government in the 1970s.
  • Successfully defended the Government of the Republic of Iraq against ICSID claims in two separate arbitral proceedings, totaling over $1bn.
  • Represented Freeport-McMoRan and Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde in an ICSID arbitration against Peru under the US-Peru TPA, involving claims of approximately $1bn.

Dispute resolution > International litigation Tier 1

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s litigation practice has extensive knowledge in various areas of litigation, with expertise in white-collar matters and regulatory defense, along with commercial litigation and international arbitration. Intellectual property is another mainstay of the practice that has a presence across the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. Andrew Ceresney is the head of the team, frequently representing public companies, financial institutions, asset management firms, and accounting firms, bringing experience from his time with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Mary Beth Hogan co-chairs the practice, with a focus on intricate investigations. Also of note is Catherine Amirfar, working on public international law and treaty arbitration, representing clients in federal and state courts, as well as before the ICJ and arbitration tribunals internationally. The experience of Andrew Levine  with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and David O’Neil with FCPA defense and congressional investigations, adds to the capabilities of the team. Bruce Yannett chairs the white-collar and regulatory defense part of the practice, with Ina C. Popova highly active in international litigation and arbitration. All members of the team are based in New York.  

Practice head(s):

Andrew Ceresney; Mary Beth Hogan

Other key lawyers:

Catherine Amirfar; Andrew Levine; David O’Neil; Bruce Yannett; Ina C. Popova

Key clients

adidas

AIG

Gramercy Funds Management and Gramercy Distressed Opportunity Fund LLC

Hydro S.r.l., Costruzioni S.r.l., Francesco Becchetti, Mauro de Renzis, Stefania Grigolon and Liliana Condomiit

JAB Holding Company, LLC, Pret Panera Holding Company, Inc., and Jacek Szarzynski

Jacobs Solutions Inc.; Jacobs Engineering Group Inc.; CH2M Hill Companies, Ltd; CH2M Hill International, Ltd.; and CH2M Hill International B.V.

Kinder Morgan

Lafarge S.A.

Perenco Ecuador Limited

SNBNY Holdings Limited

YPF S.A.

Insurance > Insurance: non-contentious Tier 1

The multidisciplinary practice at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s insurance team offers a comprehensive range of services spanning complex transactions, representation for insurers, reinsurers, and private equity funds in high-value M&A and financing endeavors, as well as assistance with intricate pension risk transfers and cross-border deals. Led by seasoned corporate partners Marilyn Lion and Nicholas Potter, based in New York, the practice boasts a diverse group of lawyers dedicated to M&A, finance, capital markets, regulatory compliance, taxation, and litigation. Further notable figures in New York include Alexander Cochran, specializing in insurance industry transactions and David Grosgold offering expertise in domestic and international corporate transactions. Additionally, Drew Dutton heads the firm’s private funds transactions group, bringing valuable experience in anchor investments, co-investments, joint ventures, and secondaries transactions; while Eric Dinallo, chairs the insurance regulatory practice. Notably, this year saw recent additions to the practice’s partner ranks, including Andrew Jamieson, promoted to partner in 2022, focusing on advising private equity firms and corporate clients on intricate transactions and Kristen Matthews, elevated to partner in May 2023, both based in New York.  

Practice head(s):

Marilyn Lion; Nicholas Potter

Testimonials

‘Regarding the regulatory department, the amazing connections it has with various state regulatory departments. The Debevoise & Plimpton attorneys have access to all levels of state regulatory personnel, including the highest levels where change can be implemented.’

‘Eric Dinallo and Marshal Bozzo are an amazing team! They both formerly worked at the DFS and were able to communicate on the client’s behalf with all levels of DFS personnel in order to effectuate the implementation of a program in under six weeks. In contrast, a competitor in seven months achieved half the results that Eric and Marshal completed in one tenth of the time.’

Key clients

American International Group

Bain Capital

Brookfield Asset Management

Constellation Insurance Holdings

Covéa Mutual Insurance Group

Everest Re

Fortitude Group Holdings LLC

Global Atlantic Financial Group

Manulife Financial

MetLife Insurance Company

Oaktree Capital Management, L.P.

Progressive

Prosperity Life Group

Prudential Financial Inc.

Resolution Life US Matters

Sun Life Financial Inc.

TIAA

The Blackstone Group

The Travelers Companies, Inc.

Wilton Re Group

Work highlights

  • Advising Fortitude Re in its $28 billion reinsurance transaction with The Lincoln National Life Insurance Company (Lincoln Financial Group), where Lincoln will reinsure a large piece of its universal life insurance and fixed annuity business to Fortitude subject to customary regulatory approvals.
  • Advising The Prudential Insurance Company of America in the sale of a group annuity contract to IBM, a transaction valued at $16 billion and the largest pension risk transfer transaction since 2012.
  • Advised Constellation Insurance Holdings, Inc., backed by institutional investors Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers’) in a $10 billion block reinsurance transaction by its subsidiary The Ohio National Life Insurance Company with Pruco Life Insurance Company, an affiliate of Prudential Financial.

Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation Tier 1

Maintaining a strong position at the forefront of the trademark litigation space, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP leverages its wide-ranging sector expertise that encompasses tech, consumer goods, pharma, and retail, among others, to advise a multitude of blue-chip clients such as Adidas and SpaceX on market-leading trademark issues. Operating from New York and San Francisco, practice head David Bernstein enjoys a particularly strong reputation in handling market-leading and high-stakes litigation for global clients. Megan Bannigan is active in the firm’s New York office, representing numerous high-profile brands in a range of multifaceted disputes and is also Vice Chair of the American Bar Association IP Section Trademark Division. Bolstering the practice with his experience in litigating in both state and federal courts as well as before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, New York’s Jared Kagan‘s capabilities extend from managing preliminary injunctions to overturning summary judgment decisions. San Francisco’s Christopher Ford is a go-to for trademark matters in the tech and blockchain sectors, also handling investigations brought by the Federal Trade Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission, among others.

Practice head(s):

David Bernstein

Testimonials

‘Jared Kagan and David Bernstein are the best trademark litigators, hands-down.’

‘Jared Kagan and David Bernstein are superstars. They are thoughtful, define a strong strategy, know the law inside out, and efficiently handle important bet-the company trademark litigation.’

Key clients

Adidas AG

CesiumAstro

CoachHub

David Yurman Enterprises LLC

Extreme Networks

Fox Sports

GrubHub

H&R Block

Lightning Labs Inc.

Pernod Ricard

Policygenius

Merck KGAA

MSCHF

Nobody Studios

Rhode-NYC LLC

Snap Inc.

SpaceX

Standard Industries

StockX

The Standard

Work highlights

  • Advised Grubhub in a trademark case brought by Kroger and Home Chef involving the parties’ respective logos.
  • Representing Casa Azul Spirits in a trademark infringement action brought by Casa Tradición, the maker of a tequila under the name CLASE AZUL.
  • Represented H&R Block in a high-profile trademark infringement suit against Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s payment company Square Inc., which changed its name to Block, Inc.

Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital) Tier 1

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is well placed to act for a diversity of investment management businesses, ranging from newly established firms and boutiques to leading multi-strategy alternative asset firms and large financial institutions. The investment management group is made up of a fund formation practice and an investor side team that continues to be a popular choice on the structuring and expansion of businesses, regulatory and compliance matters as well as on fund related transactions. Rebecca Silberstein co-leads the team, and her key strengths lie in advising on the formation and ongoing administration of buyout funds, among others. Fellow co-head Lorna Bowen advises some of the firms’ landmark clients and their funds, including Global Atlantic Financial Group and KKR, and they are both based in New York. The deep bench also includes Andrew Ahern, who is based in both the New York and San Francisco offices and advises on secondaries transactions on both the sponsor and investor side, while New York based Jonathan Adler works on establishing private equity funds in the US and across Europe and Asia. Justin Storms and Jason Auerbach are further key names in New York, while Marc Ponchione  and Sheena Paul bolster the Washington DC location, frequently acting for financial services companies on transactional and regulatory mandates. Among the recent team changes were the promotions of Joe Binder in San Francisco and Luke Eldridge in New York to partner in July 2023.

Practice head(s):

Rebecca Silberstein; Lorna Bowen

Testimonials

‘Debevoise provides an exceptional, joined-up service offering. Their insight on market trends is impressive and market-leading across multiple practices and geographies.’

‘The team is sophisticated, incisive and innovative. I am particularly impressed with the full breadth of their service offering. The tax team is very knowledgeable on fund matters and provides invaluable insights on fund structure solutions.’

‘Rebecca Silberstein is superb. Jon Adler is extremely astute and commercial. Andrew Ahern is very knowledgeable on venture capital fund formation and operational matters. He is technically astute, business oriented and a very effective operator. Joe Binder is brilliant. He is a very insightful and trusted counsel on venture capital fund formation matters. Luke Eldridge is a superb transactional lawyer.’

‘This group features a lot of women at all levels of seniority, which is a refreshing change. They have been a market leader in fund formation for decades and it seems know just about every structure and investor’s demand. They offer negotiation positions that meets the investor’s need while protecting the GP. Their tax team is also extraordinary and fundamental to putting fund structures together.’

‘On the corporate side, Lorna Bowen is exceptional.’

Key clients

Ara Advisers

Avanath Capital Management

B Capital Group

Bain Capital

Blackstone Alternative Asset Management

Breakthrough Properties

The Carlyle Group

Carmel Partners Group

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Crescent Capital Group

EIG Global Energy Partners

FS Investments

Global Infrastructure Partners

Goodwater Capital

Gramercy Funds Management

Grupo Romero Asset Management

Hamilton Lane Advisors

HarbourVest Partners

Investcorp

J. F. Lehman & Company

J.P. Morgan

Kelso & Company

KKR & Co.

KKR Credit Advisors

Lightspeed Venture Partners

Maycomb Outcomes

Morgan Stanley

Oak HC/FT

Odyssey Investment Partners

One Rock Capital Partners

Paradigm

Providence Equity Partners

Prudential Financial

PSG Equity

Sequoia Capital

Silver Lake

Stone Point Capital

SVB Financial Group

Symbiotic Capital

Tishman Speyer Properties

Varagon Capital Partners

Vinci Partners

VWH Capital Management

Citigroup (as limited partner of various funds)

The Ford Foundation (as limited partner of various funds)

Liberty Mutual Insurance (as limited partner of various funds)

Lowy Family Group (as limited partner of various funds)

The Nature Conservancy (as limited partner of various funds)

Work highlights

  • Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the formation of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Fund XII, an approximately $26 billion buyout fund, CD&R’s largest fund to date.
  • Advised Crescent Capital Group in the formation of Crescent Credit Solutions, an $8 billion private credit solutions fund.
  • Advised KKR in the formation of its KKR European Fund VI, an $8 billion fund focused on private equity investments primarily in the developed economies of Western Europe.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 1

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s executive compensation and employee benefits group is distinguished by its interdisciplinary approach, leveraging expertise from the firm’s M&A, capital markets, and tax practice areas to deliver ‘incredibly helpful and insightful’ advice. The team is a popular destination for asset management and private equity firms, counting the likes of Blackstone, TPG, and Clayton Dubilier & Rice as key clients. Practice chair Jonathan Lewis covers all facets of executive compensation and human capital management, particularly within public and private M&A in the private equity, healthcare, and insurance industries. Meir Katz serves a broad range of clients from private equity sponsors and their portfolio firms to corporate entities and individual executives. Franklin Mitchell advises private equity fund sponsors and employers on ERISA fiduciary issues, while Michael Snypes counsels companies, management teams, and investors on divestitures, management buyouts, securities offerings, and corporate restructurings. Based in Washington DC, Simone Hicks specializes in designing and implementing employee agreements, equity-based incentive programs, and other compensation plans. Lawrence Cagney retired from partnership at the end of 2023. Lawyers mentioned are based in New York unless otherwise stated.

Practice head(s):

Jonathan Lewis

Testimonials

‘The team at D&P are not only experts in their field, but also have an absolute laser focus on the client. They go above and beyond to help us understand our rights and what we should (or should not) push for. They also displayed a real humanity that’s often lost at big firms.’

‘They were incredibly helpful and insightful. They anticipated issues before they arose, which allowed us to formulate a strategic direction that resulted in me receiving my full benefits from the company.’

Key clients

Blackstone, Inc.

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice LLC

Comerica Bank

Corebridge Financial

DoubleVerify, Inc.

Elliott Management Corporation

EQT Exeter

Fortitude Re (controlled by The Carlyle Group)

HarbourVest Partners

HCA Healthcare

International Paper Company

JAB Holding Company

Johnson & Johnson

JP Morgan Asset Management

Kelso & Company

KeyBank

KKR & Co. Inc.

M&T Bank

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

Oaktree Capital Management

Prosperity Life Insurance Company (controlled by Elliott Management Corporation)

Providence Equity Partners

Prudential Financial, Inc.

Schneider Electric Holdings, Inc.

Spirit Airlines

Stone Point Capital LLC

Sun Life Financial Inc.

TA Associates

The Carlyle Group

The Walt Disney Company

TPG Capital LLC

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Warner Music Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Spirit Airlines, Inc. on its merger with JetBlue Airways Corp., a transaction valued at $6.6 billion.
  • Advised Brookfield Reinsurance on its acquisition of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd., a transaction valued at approximately $1.1 billion.
  • Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and TPG Capital on their acquisition of all outstanding public shares of Covetrus, representing an enterprise value of approximately $4 billion.

Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: litigation Tier 1

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a recognized authority in advertising and marketing litigation matters, offering comprehensive services to major clients. The practice has particular expertise in defending advertisements before regulators and handling false advertising disputes before the FTC, FDA, and the NAD. Additionally, it is accomplished in prosecuting and defending against requests for preliminary injunctions. Headed by David Bernstein who is based between New York and San Francisco, the team represents an impressive client base from a wide range of industries including consumer goods, cosmetics, and financial institutions. Bernstein has extensive experience in IP claims and trademark cases. He is an extremely active presence in the firm, often leading in high-profile matters. New York-based Megan Bannigan and Jared Kagan also play key roles in the group, providing deep knowledge of trademark, copyright, false advertising, and contract disputes cases. Bannigan has notably testified as an expert before the United States Senate Judiciary Intellectual Property Subcommittee on the issue of fraudulent trademarks. In Washington DC, Paul Rubin has substantial experience aiding clients through FTC investigations, NAD disputes, and Lanham Act cases.

Practice head(s):

David H. Bernstein

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Abbott Labs

Agilon Health

American Express

BodyArmor

CooperVision

Kind

Italic Inc.

L’Oreal

Marketing Architects

Merck KGaA

Pernod Ricard

StockX

Frontier Communications

Work highlights

  • Represented Frontier Communications Parent, Inc. before the National Advertising Division of the BBB National Programs in cross-claims against Charter Communications, Inc., with each party challenging the other’s advertising claims related to the speed and reliability of their competing Internet services.
  • Representing Merck KGaA in litigation against its former subsidiary, Merck & Co., in a wide-ranging advertising and trademark dispute that is one of more than a dozen disputes between the companies worldwide.
  • Represented Pernod Ricard in a NAD challenge against Bacardi’s advertising and labeling for its ersatz Havana Club rum, which, despite its misleading name and labeling, is made in Puerto Rico.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 1

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s transactional tax practice advises clients in a wide range of sectors, including private equity, banking, tech, media, healthcare, insurance, investment management, and real estate, offering considerable expertise in relation to mergers, spin-offs, fund formations, joint ventures, and restructurings, among other matters. Peter Schuur chairs the firm’s global group, regularly advising on M&A, joint ventures, and spin-offs and specializing in corporate transactions in the insurance industry. Peter Furci, the firm’s presiding partner, continues to assist major clients in connection with a wide range of corporate transactions, including debt and equity securities offerings. Michael Bolotin advises on M&A, real estate joint ventures, the formation of real estate investment trusts, and private investment fund formation. Erin Cleary’s client base includes leading private equity and corporate clients. Stephen Jordan focuses on the tax aspects of fundraisings and M&A transactions, while Daniel Priest is strong in the private equity and insurance spaces. Lena Smith, with notable experience advising on the structuring and formation of private investment funds and investment fund manager platforms, was promoted to partner in May 2023. All lawyers mentioned are in New York.

Practice head(s):

Peter Schuur

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Brookfield

TPG

Prosperity Life Group

INDICOR

Fortitude Re

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

The Dolan Family

Spirit Airlines

SiriusXM

Swiss Re

Providence Equity Partners

Kelso & Company

Ascent Global Logistics

Pernod Ricard

KKR

Global Atlantic Financial Group

Work highlights

  • Advising Brookfield Reinsurance in its acquisition of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company in a transaction valued at approximately $4.3 billion.
  • Advised TPG in its acquisition of a majority interest in OneOncology, a network of leading oncology practices, in a transaction valued at $2.1 billion.
  • Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and TPG Capital in their acquisition of all outstanding shares of Covetrus, representing an enterprise value of approximately $4 billion.

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 2

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s commercial litigation team is adept at handling cross-border and domestic disputes of all kinds, including asset management, bankruptcy, financial services, healthcare and life sciences, mass torts, product liability, among others. In terms of personnel, Mark Goodman is a highly experienced trial lawyer whose practice emphasizes complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense and internal investigations. Goodman co-chairs the group alongside seasoned litigator Maura Monaghan, who has extensive experience in product liability cases, mass tort litigation, and environmental and healthcare-related criminal investigations and arbitrations. Elliot Greenfield and Susan Reagan Gittes are further important points of contact within the practice group.

Practice head(s):

Mark Goodman; Maura Monaghan

Key clients

Albertsons

BMO Financial

Capital One

Carlyle

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC

Columbia University

EmblemHealth / Group Health Incorporated, Inc.

Georgia-Pacific Corporation

Hospital Corporation of America

JAB Holdings

McKinsey & Co.

Paysafe Processing Solutions

Proskauer Rose LLP

Riot Holdings

Robinhood Markets, Inc.

Tether Holdings Limited

iFinex Inc.

Warrior Holdings

Yardi

YPF, S.A.

Work highlights

  • Represented YPF S.A. in successfully defeating claims for roughly $15bn in damages and pre-judgment interest that were brought by Petersen Energía and Eton Park in the S.D.N.Y. arising from the Republic of Argentina’s 2012 intervention in YPF and subsequent expropriation of 51% of YPF’s capital stock.
  • Represented certain former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc. in defending litigation regarding prescription opioids in numerous fora across the country, including a federal multi-district litigation and actions brought by states attorneys general, and in efforts to negotiate a global settlement in bankruptcy court.
  • Represented Proskauer Rose in a trade secrets lawsuit against its former COO in federal court in New York.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 2

Clients praise Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York for ‘willing to go the extra mile'. Acting for major corporations in high-stakes securities litigation in federal and state courts around the country, the firm frequently handles stock-drop class actions, derivative actions alleging breaches of fiduciary duty, and related federal and state regulatory investigations. The practice is led by experienced partners Maeve O’Connor in New York and Jonathan Tuttle in Washington DC, who is also involved in cutting-edge areas of litigation, notably cases concerning cryptocurrency assets. Mary Jo White and Andrew Ceresney are acting for Ripple Labs in a putative class action concerning the marketing and sale of the virtual currency XRP. O’Connor and  emerging partner talent Elliot Greenfield are currently acting for cloud infrastructure and digital workspace technology company VMWare in a class action and a derivative action, which faces allegations of breaching fiduciary duties, insider trading, and unjust enrichment. Another up-and-coming partner is Susan Reagan Gittes, who frequently acts for insurance companies.

Practice head(s):

Maeve O’Connor; Jonathan Tuttle

Testimonials

‘Maeve O’Connor is excellent. I have been co-counsel with her and a co-panelist on speaking engagements. She’s very knowledgeable on securities litigation matters.’

‘Top-notch lawyering by a team willing to go the extra mile.’

Key clients

Clayton Dubilier & Rice LLC

Coliseum Capital Management LLC

FirstEnergy Corp.

James River Holdings

MetLife, Inc.

Prudential Financial, Inc.

Ripple Labs, Inc.

Robinhood Markets, Inc.

Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Match, Inc.

Special Committee of the Board of TuSimple

Tether, Bitfinex, and related entities

The Dolan Family, controlling stockholders and members of the Board of Directors of Madison Square Garden Entertainment and MSG Networks

The We Company

Universal Navigation Inc. d/b/a Uniswap Labs

Vanguard Group

VMware, Inc.

Winged Foot Golf Club

Work highlights

  • Represented VMware, Inc. in the successful dismissal of a derivative lawsuit and a separate securities class action in the Northern District of California regarding the company’s backlog accounting.
  • Represented Ripple in the high-profile ruling against the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Southern District of New York holding that Ripple’s digital token XRP is not an “investment contract” in many circumstances.
  • Achieved a significant settlement for Coliseum Capital Management in a closely watched action before the Delaware Chancery Court challenging defensive measures taken by the board of directors of Purple Innovation, Inc. in the midst of a proxy contest.

Environment > Environment: transactional Tier 2

As part of the firm’s broader corporate department, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s New York-based environmental practice continues to handle high-value environmental transactions, with a particular focus on the mining, energy and natural resources sectors. Here, the team advises on complex mergers and acquisitions, securities offerings and financings, while also continuing to address environmental risks and liabilities both in the US and abroad. Stuart Hammer heads the practice and regularly advises private equity firms and corporations on ESG and environmental risk issues in a range of industries, such as energy and natural resources, paper and chemicals, while ESG senior advisor Ulysses Smith serves as a point of contact for major multinationals, NGOs and government institutions in a range of sustainability and governance issues. The team also includes Harry Zirlin, who focuses on the environmental aspects of bankruptcy matters.

Practice head(s):

Stuart Hammer

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Cerberus Capital Management

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Cornerstone Building Brands

CPP Investment Board

Domtar Corporation

Elliott Management

HCA Healthcare

International Paper Company

Johnson & Johnson

JP Morgan Asset Management

Kelso & Company

Mitsui

Morgan Stanley

Pernod Ricard

Pactiv Evergreen

Rank Group

Solenis

The Southern Cross Group

The Carlyle Group

TPG

Work highlights

  • Advised the Southern Cross Group in its sale of Esmax, a fuels and lubricants retailer, to Aramco.
  • Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition, together with Greenbriar Equity Group, of Paradigm Precision and Whitcraft Group and the merger of the two companies.
  • Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of a majority stake in the industrial businesses of Roper Technologies in a transaction resulting in approximately $2.6 billion of upfront cash proceeds to Roper.

Finance > Commercial lending Tier 2

Clients highlight Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s finance team as a ‘top-market private equity finance practice’. Maintaining its stronghold in the borrower space, the team regularly handles syndicated bank loans, high-yield debt offerings, second lien financings and mezzanine capital investments. The New York-based team is led by practice head Jeffrey Ross who is adept at advising on major acquisition and leveraged financings, including Discovery’s acquisition of WarnerMedia. The team is ably supported by ‘stand-out partnersRyan Rafferty and Scott Selinger who are both experienced in syndicated bank loan and high-yield bond transactions. Ramya Tiller is also highlighted as a key member of the practice, handling a broad range of acquisition transactions, including fund finance and alternative capital transactions.

Practice head(s):

Jeffrey E. Ross

 

Testimonials

‘The team has good knowledge of the practice area, coordinates well with other practice areas, is always available on short notice, and is proactively thinking about how issues will impact us and our facts.’

‘Working with Jeff Ross the last 6+ years has been great. He has been a true “partner” with us in navigating issues to resolution and solving them before they get out of hand. Jeff has managed the minor transitions on the team over that period well and keep them up to speed and on task. He is very helpful in understanding issues and is able to explain to decision makers who are less experienced in the technical aspects effectively.’

‘The Debevoise team is thoughtful, creative and commercial. They are smart, market savvy and intellectually flexible. They have a top-market private equity finance practice.’

‘Jeff Ross, Scott Selinger, Ryan Rafferty and Brett Novick are stand-out partners. Ramya Tiller and Sunil Savkar are also excellent to work with.’

Key clients

Aludyne

Astra Capital Management

Blackstone Group

Booz Allen Hamilton

BrandSafway

Caresteam

Carlyle Group

Cerberus Capital Management

Citrix

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Cloudera

Cornerstone Building Brands

CPPIB

Crescent Capital Group

Cyanco

EMTEC

Evergreen Coast Capital Corp.

Five Arrows

Focus Financial

Gentiva

Gogo

HarbourVest

Indicor

Inovar Packaging Group

Kelso & Company

KKR

Morgan Stanley Investment Management

Providence Equity

Pursuit Aerospace

Savant Capital

Stone Point Capital

Syniverse Holdings

TPG

Warner Bros. Discovery

Warner Music Group

White Cap Supply

Work highlights

  • Acted as sponsor counsel on the take private of Morrisons, the supermarket chain in the UK and advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (“CD&R”) on the financing aspects of its £7bn recommended cash offer for Morrisons.
  • Advised TPG (NASDAQ: TPG) in its acquisition, alongside AmeriSourceBergen Corporation (NYSE: ABC), of OneOncology from General Atlantic.
  • Advising Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and Stone Point Capital in the financing aspects of its acquisition of Focus Financial Partners Inc. (NASDAQ: FOCS) at an enterprise value of approximately $7bn.

Finance > Financial services regulation Tier 2

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a strong choice for banks undergoing restructuring measures, and is also able to assist with regulations that apply to foreign banks in addition to advising non-bank financial institutions, including insurers, fintechs and broker-dealers on the formation of banking operations. The firm also represents clients facing enforcement actions, including those tied to AML, securities and sanctions compliance regulations. These are areas of expertise for Washington DC-based practice co-head Satish Kini, who represents banks and trade associations in matters ranging from OFAC investigations to regulatory issues arising out of transactions. New York’s Gregory Lyons heads the team alongside him, focusing on advising on the establishment of banking entities in addition to assisting with investigations launched by the likes of the Federal Reserve Board, the OCC and SEC among others. Caroline Swett, also based in New York, straddles transactional and regulatory matters, advising on bank M&A in addition to supporting clients with Regulation W matters, as well as supervisory examinations and downgrades. Counsel Alison Hashmall is noted for her cryptocurrency practice, while Chen Xu handles a range of bank regulatory issues; both are located in New York.

Practice head(s):

Satish Kini; Gregory Lyons

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Bank of New York Mellon

BMO Financial

Citibank

Credit Suisse

Edward Jones Trust Company

Fifth Third Bancorp

Financial Services Forum

Institute for International Bankers

J.P. Morgan

Key Bank

M&T Bank Corporation

Mizuho Bank

Northern Trust Company

Prudential Financial

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans

The Risk Management Association

Santander Holdings USA

Work highlights

  • Assisted M&T Bank Corporation and its subsidiary, Wilmington Trust, N.A. in the sale of WTNA’s Collective Investment Trust business to funds affiliated with Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC.
  • Advised Edward Jones Trust Company on the regulatory implications of adjusting fees on certain non-discretionary IRAs managed by its affiliate.

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+) Tier 2

Representing domestic and international clients across the finance, aviation, and insurance sectors, the team at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP boasts a network of offices across the US and is highly adept at handling high-value cross-border M&A. Overseeing the San Francisco offering, global co-chair Michael Diz has broad-based transactional expertise, frequently advising public companies and special committees on complex governance issues, whilst the ‘top-notch’ Kevin Rinker co-heads the team from New York and is noted for advising on impactful transactions in the healthcare and banking sectors. Further key contacts in the New York office include Paul Bird, who is highly knowledgeable on leveraged buyouts, and Jennifer Chu, who focuses on joint ventures. Similarly based in New York, Jonathan Levitsky is an expert in the tech and media fields, while both William Regner and Jeffrey Rosen handle critical governance matters on behalf of global corporations.

Practice head(s):

Michael Diz; Kevin Rinker

Testimonials

‘They have a top-tier M&A group that handles all manner of complex public and private M&A transactions. Very knowledgeable and commercial.’

‘Kevin Rinker is really top-notch and probably their best M&A lawyer right now. He is an effective negotiator, a great communicator and has a great mix of advocacy and problem solving. He’s very commercial and I enjoy doing deals with him.’

Key clients

Albertsons Companies

American International Group

Brookfield Reinsurance

BradyIFS

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Dolan Family

INDICOR

Inovar Packaging Group

J.P. Morgan Securities Inc.

Mitsui & Co.

Nuveen

Pernod Ricard

Prosperity Life Insurance

SiriusXM

Spirit Airlines Inc.

Cohen Private Ventures

Work highlights

  • Advised Albertsons Companies on key aspects of its sale to Kroger at a total enterprise value of approximately $24.6bn .
  • Advised Spirit Airlines, Inc. on its sale to JetBlue Airways Corporation for $6.6bn.
  • Advised Brookfield Reinsurance on its acquisition of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company in a transaction valued at approximately $4.3bn.

M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: large deals ($500m+) Tier 2

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP offers clients ‘significant experience in the full range of PE transactions‘, including domestic and cross-border leveraged buyouts as well as PIPE deals, continuation fund transactions, and take-private acquisitions. Integrated cross-practice expertise in antitrust, tax, finance, and IP matters furthermore enables the team to guide clients through all stages of complexly structured acquisition, including joint governance matters as well as antitrust reviews. The New York-based team, which is particularly active across transactions in the healthcare and industrials sectors, is led by Kevin Schmidt, who stands out for his advice on cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures, and strategic investments. Experienced partner Paul Bird is noted for his M&A experience as well as his ability to handle spin-offs and takeover defense matters, and Kevin Rinker is a key contact for private equity deals in the healthcare and life sciences space. Further key contacts include Uri Herzberg and Jennifer Chu, who are sought out by leading funds such as Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in connection with high-value acquisitions, as well as Christopher Anthony, who handles a wide range of public and private M&A.

Practice head(s):

Kevin Schmidt

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Very strong practice. Collaborative. Experienced and knowledgeable. Represent our firm’s culture well.’

‘Paul Bird – stature and communication ability. Spencer Gilbert – poise under pressure. Chris Anthony – knowledge of market. Kevin Schmidt – communication ability. Jennifer Chu – ability to take on complexity. ’

‘The Debevoise team has significant experience in the full range of PE transactions. We have worked with them successfully on some of our most important situations and they have helped us on a number of very complex transactions. They bring a broad set of skills and judgment to each of these situations.’

Key clients

The Blackstone Group

Brookfield

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

The Carlyle Group

Cerberus Capital Management

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

Elliott Investment Management

Kelso & Company

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

Providence Equity Partners

Stone Point Capital

Temasek Holdings (Private) Limited

TPG

Work highlights

  • Advised Clayton Dubilier & Rice and TPG Capital on the acquisition of all outstanding shares of Covetrus at an enterprise value of approximately $4bn.
  • Advised TPG Capital on the acquisition, alongside Cencora, of OneOncology from General Atlantic in a transaction valued at $2.1bn.
  • Advised Prosperity Life Group, controlled by Elliott Management, in the take-private by Prosperity affiliate S.USA Life Insurance Company, Inc. of National Western Life Group, Inc. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $1.9bn.

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 2

A broad team with in-depth knowledge of cyber law‘, the data strategy and security practice at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP handles technically complex cyber investigations and boasts a growing AI team: an area of focus for practice group co-head Avi Gesser, bolstered by the April 2023 addition of counsel Matt Kelly from Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP. Gesser, based in New York, advises clients on governance, risk and liability issues related to both AI and cybersecurity. In Washington DC, co-head Luke Dembosky leverages significant national security experience to support companies in managing cyber risks, responding to incidents, and the investigations which arise from them. Litigation partner Erez Liebermann works out of New York, and combines both in-house and government experience to handle regulatory counselling and high-impact incident response matters. Also in New York, Jim Pastore and Johanna Skrzypczyk are recommended for breach response and privacy-oriented work respectively. Lisa Zornberg departed in July 2023.

Practice head(s):

Luke Dembosky; Avi Gesser

Testimonials

‘A broad team with in-depth knowledge of cyber law, from having advised in multiple cyber incidents. Extremely good experience in the field. ’

‘Luke Dembosky is the most experienced cyber lawyer I have encountered. Indeed broad and deep experience, and very good judgement. Ability to keep calm and sound in tense situations.’

Key clients

American Express

Capital One

GoDaddy

Meta

Microsoft

Prudential Financial

Securities Industry Financial Markets Association

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc/Rockstar Games

Warner Music Group

WPP Group

Ultimate Kronos Group

Work highlights

  • Advising Meta Platforms Inc. on the company’s global AI regulatory readiness strategy.
  • Representing Paysafe Payment Processing Solutions LLC against a putative nationwide class action complaint filed in the Northern District of California alleging violations of the California Consumer Privacy Act and California’s Unfair Competition Law.
  • Assisting the client with subsidiary Rockstar Games’ September 2022 cybersecurity incident and related matter at 2K Games relating to the theft of 4 million records from a support database.

Tax > International tax Tier 2

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s New York-based team represents a wide variety of clients including investment banks in complex mergers and acquisitions, spin-offs, international transactions, private equity, and hedge fund formations, among other international taxation issues. The team is headed by Peter Schuur, who has extensive expertise in US and cross-border M&A, joint ventures, and spin-offs, with a focus on corporate transactions in the insurance industry, as well as advising clients on the structuring and formation of private investment funds and international investment platforms. Peter Furci ’s practice covers the full range of international taxation matters, including private investment funds, such as emerging markets, hedge, mezzanine, distressed debt, infrastructure, and real estate funds. Michael Bolotin advises US and foreign clients on M&A real estate joint ventures, the formation of real estate investment trusts, equipment finance and private investment fund formation. Erin Cleary supports private equity and corporate clients in a broad range of M&A transactions and advises sponsors on the formation of US and international private equity funds. Stephen Jordan represents private equity and investment management firms on a full range of international transactional and advisory matters and Rafael Kariyev advises clients on tax structuring of acquisitions, holding and disposition of portfolio companies, both pass-throughs and corporations, as well as transactions involving the restructuring and sale of existing funds and asset managers. Daniel Priest and Lena Smith are also key team members.

Practice head(s):

Peter Schuur

Testimonials

‘Incredible expertise in insurance and specifically offshore reinsurance, sidecars, etc.’

 

Key clients

Brookfield

TPG

Prosperity Life Group

INDICOR

Fortitude Re

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

The Dolan Family

Spirit Airlines

SiriusXM

Swiss Re

Providence Equity Partners

Kelso & Company

Ascent Global Logistics

Pernod Ricard

KKR

Global Atlantic Financial Group

Work highlights

  • Advising Brookfield Reinsurance in its acquisition of American Equity Investment Life Holding Company in a transaction valued at approximately $4.3 billion.
  • Advised TPG in its acquisition of a majority interest in OneOncology, a network of leading oncology practices, in a transaction valued at $2.1 billion.
  • Advised Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and TPG Capital in their acquisition of all outstanding shares of Covetrus, representing an enterprise value of approximately $4 billion.

Transport > Aviation and air travel: finance Tier 2

With longstanding aviation sector experience, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s New York-based practice handles the full range of aviation transactions. Representative work for the group covers aircraft and non-aircraft financings, capital markets, fleet purchases, and M&A. The team also assists with major restructurings, and airport infrastructure developments and financings. Its track record further comprises transactions involving aircraft leasing companies, including outright sales, portfolio sales, joint ventures and financing transactions, as well as aviation-sector deals funded by private equity, pension plans, and hedge and sovereign wealth funds. The department is jointly headed by Paul Brusiloff, who advises borrowers, LBO sponsors and private capital investors on high-stakes debt and equity financings, refinancings, recapitalizations, and restructurings; and aviation and equipment finance specialist Brian Liu, who routinely acts for airlines, leasing companies and financial institutions. Brusiloff and Liu are supported by corporate department and aviation practice member, Iryna Nikolaieva, who focuses on a range of domestic and international corporate and aircraft financings.

Practice head(s):

Brian Liu; Paul Brusiloff

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

AAR Corp

Alaska Airlines

American Airlines

JetBlue Airways

Spirit Airlines

Philippine Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines

Work highlights

  • Advised American Airlines on its incremental orders for new Embraer E-175 aircraft.
  • Advised Spirit Airlines on its $600m secured notes offering, backed by assets and the IP of Spirit’s loyalty program.
  • Represented Hawaiian Airlines in the restructuring of its order for 10 Boeing 787-9 aircraft and an incremental order for two additional 787-9 aircraft.

Antitrust > Merger control Tier 3

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP handles a steady flow of HSR filings for major international businesses and private equity investors while providing standout work on contentious merger-related investigations and litigation brought by the DOJ and FTC, as well as international antitrust enforcers. The team has broad sector expertise, with notable involvements in the financial services, consumer goods, pharma, and telecoms sectors, advising major international names in these industries. New York-based co-chair Michael Schaper continues to advise clients on complex transactions and government challenges, while co-chair Ted Hassi is an expert in obtaining merger clearances in transactions reviewed by the U.S. antitrust agencies. Erica Weisgerber, based in New York, specialises in financial services antitrust issues, and lead associate Leah Martin is noted for her work on complex merger investigations and obtaining merger clearances for top clients. Attorneys are based in Washington DC unless otherwise stated.

Practice head(s):

Ted Hassi; Michael Schaper; Erica Weisgerber

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Albertsons Companies, Inc.

Artera Services, LLC

Clayton Dubilier & Rice and Portfolio Companies

Cornerstone Building Brands

Five Arrows

Gentiva

INDICOR

Kelso & Co.

Mitsui & Co.

Pernod Ricard

Prudential Financial

Resolution Life

StanCorp Financial

TPG Capital

Tractor Supply

Transdev

Work highlights

  • Provided antitrust advice to Albertsons Companies, Inc. on its sale to Kroger Co. for a total enterprise value of approximately $24.6 billion.
  • Advised Gentiva, a portfolio company of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in its acquisition of the Heartland hospice and home care business of ProMedica.
  • Provided antitrust advice to Tractor Supply Company on its all-cash acquisition of Orscheln Farm and Home for approximately $297 million.

Dispute resolution > Financial services litigation Tier 3

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP provides representation in government enforcement and investigative matters for a range of financial institutions. The firm has extensive experience acting before the CFPB, NYDFS, and SEC and works alongside litigation, corporate, and regulatory attorneys to deliver multi-disciplinary representation in complex cases. The group also offers an advisory practice to support clients in developing strategies and proactive measures to avoid issues. Co-heads of the practice are Mary Beth Hogan and Andrew Ceresney; Ceresney is recognized for his expertise in prosecuting and defending white-collar criminal and civil cases and has been regularly involved in jury and non-jury trials, with experience representing public companies, asset management and accounting firms, financial institutions, as well as boards of directors and individuals. Other key members of the team are Maeve O’ Connor and Elliot Greenfield, both of whom specialize in securities litigation. All individuals mentioned are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Mary Beth Hogan; Andrew J. Ceresney

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Provided the highest quality legal and investigative advice.’

‘Developed an outstanding report that was comprehensive under an extremely tight deadline.’

‘Aside from their knowledge, dedication, and legal expertise, they are able to put themselves in the client’s shoes.’

‘Balances advocacy and the right tone.’

‘Impressive.’

Key clients

BMO Financial

Capital One

James River Group Holdings

MetLife

Pacific Investment Management

Paysafe Payment Processing Solutions

Prudential Financial

Ripple Labs

Robinhood Financial

Tether, Bitfinex

Universal Navigation

Vanguard Group

Warrior Holdings

Wellesley Asset Management

Work highlights

  • Represented Ripple in a ruling against the SEC holding that Ripple’s digital token is not an “investment contract” in many circumstances.
  • Representing Robinhood and affiliates in several ongoing actions, including a nationwide class action.
  • Representing Capital One in a lawsuit brought by a multinational retail corporation regarding a credit card partnership.

Finance > Capital markets: debt offerings

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP stands out for its record in financial services and insurance sector debt offerings, along with high-yield debt offerings connected to leveraged financings. The firm’s private equity client base also brings it a wealth of DCM engagements. Media and entertainment is another forte for the firm, which advised Warner Bros Discovery on a $1.5bn senior noted offering. Matthew Kaplan is a leading name in the market, while Paul Rodel and Steven Slutzky are also prominent names. Eric Juergens and Ben Pedersen have blossoming reputations. All named individuals are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Paul Rodel; Steven Slutzky

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Paul Rodel leads the Debevoise team servicing our account and does an excellent job of coordinating activity and delegating to those with a lower billing rate when feasible. Debevoise services many public companies and does an exceptional job at cultivating knowledge of the company and using that knowledge to target their advice and recommendations.’

‘Paul Rodel, Ben Pedersen and Scott Selinger are the core team relating to capital market debt offerings. They all have a deep understanding of the business that benefits the company in both the quality of their advice and the overall cost to reasonably protect the company.’

 

Key clients

Access Industries, Inc.

agilon health

American Coastal Insurance

American International Group

Ambac Assurance Corporation

Antares Holdings LP

BofA Securities, Inc.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Carlyle Group

Clayton Dubilier & Rice, LLC

Core & Main Inc.

Corebridge Financial Inc.

Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc.

DoubleVerify

Elliott

Everest Re

Fifth Wall Ventures Management, LLC

Gogo, Inc.

Goldman Sachs Group

International Paper Company

JetBlue Airways Corporation

KKR

LABL

Lincoln Financial

Manulife

MBIA

Morgan Stanley

National Life Group

Pacific Life Insurance Company

Principal Financial Group

Providence Equity Partners

Prudential Plc

Spirit Airlines

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA)

Voya Financial

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Warner Music Group

Westpac Banking Corporation

WhiteCap

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Warner Bros. Discovery in connection with the offering of $1.5bn aggregate principal amount of 6.412% Senior Notes due 2026 by WarnerMedia Holdings, Inc.
  • Advised Booz Allen Hamilton in its inaugural investment grade notes offering, consisting of $650m  aggregate principal amount of 5.950% Senior Notes due 2033.
  • Advised Morgan Stanley, Barclays, HSBC and Wells Fargo Securities as representatives of the underwriters, in the public offering of $750m aggregate principal amount of Tier 3 5.750% Senior Notes by RenaissanceRe Holdings.

Finance > Capital markets: equity offerings

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is known for representing private equity houses and their portfolio companies in equity offerings; private equity giant Clayton, Dubilier & Rice is a regular client, along with Providence Equity Partners and other major financial sponsors. It also has a strong reputation for deals in the healthcare, insurance, and media and entertainment sectors. Morgan Hayes is noted for deals involving private equity-backed issuers. Paul Rodel is co-chair of the capital markets group alongside Steven Slutzky . Eric Juergens and Ben Pedersen are also key members of the team. All are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Paul Rodel; Steven Slutzky

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Access Industries, Inc.

agilon health

American Coastal Insurance

American International Group

Ambac Assurance Corporation

Antares Holdings LP

BofA Securities, Inc.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Carlyle Group

Clayton Dubilier & Rice, LLC

Core & Main Inc.

Corebridge Financial Inc.

Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc.

DoubleVerify

Elliott

Everest Re

Fifth Wall Ventures Management, LLC

Gogo, Inc.

Goldman Sachs Group

International Paper Company

JetBlue Airways Corporation

KKR

LABL

Lincoln Financial

Manulife

MBIA

Morgan Stanley

National Life Group

Pacific Life Insurance Company

Principal Financial Group

Providence Equity Partners

Prudential Plc

Spirit Airlines

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA)

Voya Financial

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Warner Music Group

Westpac Banking Corporation

WhiteCap

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised American International Group and Corebridge Financial on AIG’s secondary public offering of 74.75m shares of Corebridge Financial common stock at $16.25 per share.
  • Advised agilon health and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice in the secondary offering of approximately 85m shares of agilon health common stock by investment funds affiliated with Clayton, Dubilier & Rice and concurrent repurchase of approximately 9.6m shares of common stock by agilon health.
  • Advised Morgan Stanley & Co and Goldman Sachs as representatives of the underwriters, in the offering and sale of $1.4bn of common shares by RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.

Finance > Capital markets: high-yield debt offerings Tier 3

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is best known for high-yield debt offerings connected to leveraged financings. It is primarily an issuer-side practice with much of it driven by private equity clients, such as Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, in financing their acquisitions. The firm is also noted for insurance and financial services sector transactions. Steven Slutzky is co-head of the capital markets group and a recognised expert in high-yield debt. Matthew Kaplan is chair of the corporate department and another experienced figure in high-yield. Both are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Paul Rodel; Steven Slutzky

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Access Industries, Inc.

agilon health

American Coastal Insurance

American International Group

Ambac Assurance Corporation

Antares Holdings LP

BofA Securities, Inc.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Carlyle Group

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC

Core & Main Inc.

Corebridge Financial Inc.

Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc.

DoubleVerify

Elliott

Everest Re

Fifth Wall Ventures Management, LLC

Gogo, Inc.

Goldman Sachs Group

International Paper Company

JetBlue Airways Corporation

KKR

LABL

Lincoln Financial

Manulife

MBIA

Morgan Stanley

National Life Group

Pacific Life Insurance Company

Principal Financial Group

Providence Equity Partners

Prudential Plc

Spirit Airlines

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA)

Voya Financial

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Warner Music Group

Westpac Banking Corporation

WhiteCap

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited

Work highlights

  • Represented CD&R and LABL, Inc. in the offer and sale of $300m of 9.500% Senior Secured Notes due 2028.
  • Advised Ambac Assurance Corporation in the mandatory partial redemption of its 8.50% Senior PIK Notes secured by certain interests in proceeds of certain litigation due 2055.
  • Advised Spirit Airlines on its $600m secured notes offering, backed by assets and intellectual property of Spirit’s Free Spirit and Spirit Saver$ Club programs.

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 3

The ‘capable and competent’ team at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is based in New York, and represents a diverse range of clients including debtors, bondholders, secured lenders and private equity sponsors in restructurings and bankruptcy proceedings, as well as chapter 11 cases and cross-border insolvencies. Jasmine Ball represents a range of parties for various industries including pharmaceutical and airline companies, and was involved in representing Philippine Airlines in connection with its restructuring efforts in response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the aviation industry. Natasha Labovitz  is the co-chair and represents debtors and creditors in and out of bankruptcy and cross-border insolvencies, while Sidney Levinson and Scott Selinger  are key names from the firm.

Practice head(s):

Natasha Labovitz; Sidney Levinson

Other key lawyers:

Jasmine Ball; Scott Selinger

Testimonials

‘The Debevoise team is a small and nimble group of restructuring practitioners who are deeply experienced and serve as strong advocates for their clients. The are organized, efficient and modest and provide good, predictable outcomes.’

‘Natasha Labovitz (who I believe chairs the practice) is a clever negotiator and well versed Chapter 11 practitioner. She is experienced and comfortable leading complex transactions.’

‘Capable. Competent. Reliable.’

‘Jasmine Ball is one of the best lawyers I’ve ever worked with.’

Key clients

Philippine Airlines

Certain former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc. and related entities

Georgia-Pacific LLC

Brigade Capital Management, LP

Pantheon Ventures

Elara Caring

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice

McKinsey & Company

Coller Capital Partners, International SIF SICAV, Clouse S.A

Resolute Investment Holdings

Alexander Greensill and additional former directors and officers of Greensill Capital Inc.

Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare

The Blackstone Group

Work highlights

  • Advised Resolute Investment Holdings and its affiliates in negotiating and executing transaction support agreements with two ad hoc groups of lenders for an out-of-court solution that avoided a likely liquidation in bankruptcy.
  • Represented certain former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc in defending litigation regarding prescription opioids across the country, including a federal multi-district litigation and actions brought by states attorneys general, and in efforts to negotiate a global settlement in bankruptcy court.
  • Advised Brigade Capital Management, LP  in connection with Avaya’s chapter 11 restructuring, which concluded in May 2023 and reduced Avaya’s debt by 75%.

Healthcare > Life sciences Tier 3

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is equally adept at advising life sciences clients on FDA regulations governing drugs and medical devices as it is assisting major private equity investors with acquisitions in the sector. The practice offers litigation services in relation to price fixing allegations and matters tied to the opioid epidemic. Andrew Bab, Jennifer Chu and Kevin Rinker handle the firm’s transactional workload, advising on the structuring of acquisitions and assisting with licensing issues. Mark Goodman represents clients in civil litigation and white collar trials, while also advising on internal investigations, with Maura Monaghan taking the lead on product liability and mass tort litigation. In Washington DC, Paul Rubin handles FDA matters, including compliance and regulatory enforcement, and is also recommended for carrying out due diligence processes for private equity houses. All lawyers are New York-based unless otherwise specified.

Practice head(s):

Andrew Bab; Jennifer Chu; Mark Goodman; Maura Monaghan; Kevin Rinker; Paul Rubin

Testimonials

‘Paul Rubin is an outstanding thought leader in matters involving FDA and FTC regulation, particularly with respect to the regulation of food, dietary supplements and drugs.’

‘Andrew Bab is very responsive; we appreciated this in a transaction with a very limited timeline.’

Key clients

Abingsworth

Armando Kellum

Blackstone

Carlyle

Certain former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc.

Clayton Dubilier & Rice

Deutsche Bank

Gedeon Richter

GSK

J.P. Morgan Securities

JAB Holdings

Johnson & Johnson

Lannett

Merck KGaA

Resonetics

TPG Capital

Work highlights

  • Advised TPG Capital, alongside AmeriSourceBergen Corporation, on the acquisition of OneOncology from General Atlantic for $2.1bn.
  • Represented certain former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc. in defending litigation regarding prescription opioids in numerous fora across the country, and in efforts to negotiate a global settlement in bankruptcy court.
  • Advised Carlyle and its life sciences franchise Abingworth, along with their recently formed development company Launch Therapeutics, in their investment of up to $170m in Opthea Limited.

Insurance > Advice to insurers Tier 3

With great expertise in the legal, financial, and regulatory facets of the insurance industry, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP attorneys serve as lead counsel for insurers in major, complex disputes. Specializing in securities, insurance, and litigation, the firm’s recent endeavors encompass the defense against securities class actions, qui tam lawsuits, and consumer class actions. Maeve O’Connor, a securities litigation specialist based in New York, leads the practice, providing counsel in diverse industries and high-stakes litigations involving allegations of misrepresentation, fraud, and regulatory compliance. Susan Reagan Gittes, a regulatory specialist also based in New York, supports the practice by representing insurance companies, directors, and officers in state and federal courts, handling both inquiries and class action suits.

Practice head(s):

Maeve O’Connor

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The regulatory team is knowledgeable, dedicated and responsive especially when there are challenging issues facing the client.’

‘The entire team is knowledgeable about insurance regulation. They also know and are respected by the insurance regulatory community. Eric DiNallo will assemble a first-rate legal team dedicated to your issues immediately.’

Key clients

AIG

AXA

EmblemHealth and subsidiary Group Health Incorporated

Guardian Life Insurance Company

James River Group Holdings

John Hancock

Massachusetts Mutual

MetLife, Inc.

New York Life Insurance Company

Prudential Financial, Inc.

TIAA

United Property and Casualty Insurance Co.

Work highlights

  • Representing Prudential and its CEO, CFO and Vice Chair in connection with a securities class action lawsuit and related matters arising from a charge to reserves taken in 2019 following the Company’s annual review of its actuarial assumptions underlying its life insurance reserves.
  • Represents a consortium of eight insurers, MetLife, Inc., New York Life Insurance Company, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, Prudential Financial, Inc., TIAA, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, John Hancock , and AXA Financial, Inc., in a qui tam lawsuit filed against them in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York alleging over $14.5 billion in damages.
  • Representing James River Group Holdings in a putative securities class action alleging that James River made misrepresentations regarding the sufficiency of its reserves related to its underwriting of insurance covering Rasier LLC a subsidiary of the ride-sharing company Uber Technologies, Inc., allegedly necessitating over $200 million in reserve charges and causing corresponding losses.

Media, technology and telecoms > Telecoms and broadcast: transactions Tier 3

Drawing on a wealth of cross-practice expertise, the team at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP advises on transactions across the content production and distribution industries and the broadcast, cable and media sectors. Consisting of corporate specialists and seasoned litigators, the group fields experience in M&A, as well as finance and tax matters. Based in New York, Jonathan Levitsky heads the media and telecoms team and is a member of the M&A practice, excelling in public and private M&A and joint ventures in the media, telecoms and technology sectors. Supporting the practice from San Francisco, Michael Diz, global co-chair of M&A, fields an impressive clientele of multinational companies, special committees and private equity firms.

Practice head(s):

Jonathan Levitsky; Michael Diz

Key clients

Gogo, Inc.

Liberty Broadband

Providence Equity Partners

Qatar Investment Authority

The Carlyle Group

Verizon Communications Inc.

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Real estate Tier 3

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s ‘smart, creative, hardworking, reasonable, and always accessible’ team is highly proficient in its handling of joint ventures, financings, and M&A, in addition to recapitalizations, workouts, and restructuring. Acting on borrower and lender sides, clients consist of sizeable private equity groups, funds, and REITs, including major global investors like the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, JP Morgan Asset Management, and Tishman Speyer Properties. Among other asset classes, the firm has seen a stream of mandates relating to industrials and logistics, single and multi-family properties, and life science facilities. Located in New York, the practice is led by highly regarded transaction expert Peter Irwin who brings a wealth of knowledge covering acquisitions and dispositions, among other areas. Edward Rishty is prominent for his advising of family offices and sovereign wealth funds on transactions, joint ventures and capital market transactions, while Nicole Levin Mesard assists on complex financings and infrastructure transactions as well as bankruptcy and loan restructuring.

Practice head(s):

Peter J. Irwin

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The team is smart, creative, hardworking, reasonable, and always accessible. You get the full attention of the senior partners. Firm has many disciplines that complement the real estate transactional team. Can handle the most complicated deals and I trust them to look out for our interests and to get the deal done.’

‘Peter Irwin and Edward Rishty are the partners that I work with the most and the ones that stand out above their peers in the industry.’

‘They are very responsive, care about your business and excellent at advising you on a practical solution. Nicole-Mesard-Levin is phenomenal – she is well versed in real estate and has excellent business acumen.’

‘Edward Rishty and Peter Irwin are the preeminent NYC Real Estate group in my opinion. They are seamlessly integrated with all aspects of our business; they lead on all transactions (with appropriate supervision of their associates) and their communication and follow-up is consistently excellent. They have superior business acumen to their competitors; the power of their platform is a major strength, and they are excellent people – professionally and personally.’

Key clients

Angelo, Gordon & Co.

Avanath Capital Management

Breakthrough Properties

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board

Carmel Partners

Cohen Private Ventures

Creation Equity

Elliott Investment Management

Global Atlantic Financial

JPMorgan Asset Management

Stone Point

Third Point LLC

Tishman Speyer Properties

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

Work highlights

  • Represented Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) in the formation of a programmatic joint venture between CPP Investments and Bridge Industrial (Bridge).
  • Represented Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield in connection with the financing of Westfield Century City valued at $925 million, an outdoor shopping mall in Century City, California.
  • Represented J.P. Morgan Asset Management in the recapitalization of a 61-property portfolio of last-mile logistics facilities located in 20 states across the U.S. with a valuation of approximately $1.2 billion.

Finance > Capital markets: global offerings

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is best known for offerings by financial institutions and insurance companies, along with having a strong record in representing private equity firms and their portfolio businesses. Headline deals include acting for Westpac Banking Corporation in substantial debt and equity offerings. Chair of the corporate department Matthew Kaplan is an experienced figure in cross-border offerings, as are co-heads of the capital markets group Paul Rodel and Steven Slutzky . All are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Paul Rodel; Steven Slutzky

Other key lawyers:

Matthew Kaplan

Key clients

Access Industries, Inc.

agilon health

American Coastal Insurance

American International Group

Ambac Assurance Corporation

Antares Holdings LP

BofA Securities, Inc.

Booz Allen Hamilton

Carlyle Group

Clayton Dubilier & Rice, LLC

Core & Main Inc.

Corebridge Financial Inc.

Cornerstone Building Brands, Inc.

DoubleVerify

Elliott

Everest Re

Fifth Wall Ventures Management, LLC

Gogo, Inc.

Goldman Sachs Group

International Paper Company

JetBlue Airways Corporation

KKR

LABL

Lincoln Financial

Manulife

MBIA

Morgan Stanley

National Life Group

Pacific Life Insurance Company

Principal Financial Group

Providence Equity Partners

Prudential Plc

Spirit Airlines

The Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association (TIAA)

Voya Financial

Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.

Warner Music Group

Westpac Banking Corporation

WhiteCap

Wm Morrison Supermarkets Limited

Work highlights

  • Advised Westpac in its SEC registered offer and sale of $1.25bn 5.350% Notes due October 18, 2024 and $1.25bn 5.457% Notes due November 18, 2027.
  • Advised Everest Re on its issuance and sale of 4,140,000 shares of common stock at a public offering price of $360 per share.
  • Advised Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Goldman Sachs & Co LLC, as representatives of the underwriters, in the offering and sale of $1.4bn of common shares by RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd.

Healthcare > Service providers Tier 4

Predominantly working out of the New York office, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s team is noted for its focus on private equity transactions within the healthcare and life sciences spaces. The group regularly advises on equity and debt financing arrangements, and class actions concerning overbilling practices. Key names within the team include corporate and M&A expert Andrew Bab, and Paul Rubin, who leads the FDA regulatory team from Washington DC. Mark Goodman and Maura Monaghan are noted for their expertise in commercial litigation, with Goodman standing out for his experience in handling white-collar crime matters and government investigations. Kevin Rinker and Jennifer Chu are both known for their expansive knowledge of M&A and private equity buyouts within the healthcare and life sciences sectors.

Practice head(s):

Andrew Bab; Jennifer Chu; Mark Goodman; Maura Monaghan; Kevin Rinker; Paul Rubin

Key clients

agilon

Carlyle

Former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc.

Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, LLC

Deutsche Bank

EmblemHealth

Gedeon Richter

Gentiva

GlaxoSmithKline

Hospital Corporation of America and subsidiaries

J.P. Morgan Securities

JAB Holdings

Merck KGaA

Resonetics

StanCorp Financial

SVB Leerink

TPG Capital

Work highlights

  • Advising Gentiva, a portfolio company of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, on its acquisition of the Heartland hospice and home care business of ProMedica, which has an estimated value of $710m.
  • Representing former directors and shareholders of Purdue Pharma, Inc., in litigation regarding prescription opioids, including a federal multi-district litigation and actions brought by state attorneys general, and in efforts to negotiate a global settlement in bankruptcy court.
  • Advising TPG Growth on the acquisition of a majority stake in Crowe Healthcare Consulting, establishing the business as an independent entity to be rebranded as Kodiak Solutions.

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: transactional Tier 4

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is geared to assist with a range of high-value transactional work for clients connected to the content production and distribution industries. New York-based duo Jonathan Levitsky and Emily Huang share leadership duties. Both are well-placed to handle corporate transactions for entertainment clients, with Levitsky also a key contact for media clients and Huang frequently mandated by sports sector entities. In San Francisco, Michael Diz‘s broad practice spans M&A, corporate governance and fiduciary duty matters.

Practice head(s):

Jonathan Levitsky; Emily Huang

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Consilio

DoubleVerify, Inc.

Gympass

Liberty Media

Match Group

Providence Equity Partners

Qatar Investment Authority

Sonos

Steve Cohen and Cohen Private Ventures

Syniverse

TA Associates

The Carlyle Group

The Dolan Family

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 5

Private equity firms are a key client group for Debevoise & Plimpton LLP‘s antitrust practice, and the team advises significant players in the market, such as Albertsons. The group has experience in negotiations with the FTC and the DOJ, particularly in relation to M&A. Michael Schaper leads the antitrust and competition team from New York, alongside Ted Hassi in Washington DC. Also based in New York, Erica Weisgerber regularly participates in class actions and antitrust and mass tort litigations. Leah Martin, in DC, has a strong background in obtaining merger clearances in transactions reviewed by antitrust agencies.

Practice head(s):

Ted Hassi; Michael Schaper; Erica Weisgerber; Timothy McIver

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Albertsons Companies, Inc.

Ardagh Glass, Inc.

BTD Recovery Holdings 4, LLC

DBS Bank Ltd.

GAF Materials LLC

Reddit

Tether

The Bank of Yokohama Ltd

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and Toyota Canada, Inc.

Wilsonart International Holdings

Yardi Systems Inc.

Work highlights

  • Successfully defended Albertsons in an unprecedented suit brought by four state AGs alleging an Albertsons dividend announced at the same time as its $24.6bn merger was the result of collusion between Albertsons and Kroger to weaken Albertsons and thus ward off antitrust scrutiny.
  • Representing the former CEO of Sandoz, in several cases that have been consolidated in the In re Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litigation multi-district litigation.
  • Represents Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. and Toyota Canada Inc. In re: Rail Freight Fuel Surcharge Antitrust Litigation No. (II), bringing price-fixing claims against the four major U.S. railroads arising from the railroads’ implementation of novel and coordinated rail fuel surcharge programs in the mid-2000s.

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. The firm brings a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges selectively and cost-efficiently for its clients. Deep partner commitment, industry expertise and a strategic approach enable the firm to bring clear commercial judgment to every matter. Drawing on the strength of its culture and structure Debevoise & Plimpton delivers the best of the firm to every client through true collaboration.

Main areas of practice
Corporate: Consistently ranked among the leading M&A firms, Debevoise’s M&A group is one of a handful of advisors of choice to the world’s leading corporations, financial institutions and private equity firms. The practice offers clients sophisticated, market-wise teams in both public and private M&A. They regularly develop innovative structures and approaches, deal smoothly and effectively with associated shareholder and governance issues, activist challenges, ESG considerations, national security and antitrust reviews, and related litigation.

The firm’s private equity group is one of the most respected in the field. The practice includes specialized groups that are experts in fund formation and investment management, buyouts and other equity and debt investments, finance, securities and capital markets, tax, and executive compensation and employee benefits. The group approaches its work with a deep level of industry expertise, drawing on the firm’s myriad specialists to deliver efficient, commercial, cutting-edge results.

The funds/investment management group is one of the largest, most diverse and most successful practices of its kind in the world. With a global regulatory network and deep international experience, the practice counsels across the entire life cycle of these complex products and vehicles—covering organization and economic arrangements for sponsors, fund formation, downstream transactions, exits, firm and fund restructurings, buy-side work, secondaries and wind downs.

The corporate department also includes highly active practices in capital markets, leveraged finance, business restructuring and workouts, real estate, project finance, equipment finance, structured finance, intellectual property and environmental law.

Litigation: Debevoise’s top-ranked white-collar and regulatory defense group’s expertise includes defending against criminal prosecutions and civil enforcement actions, handling securities-related litigation, conducting internal investigations, negotiating complex global settlements, and facilitating cooperation with government regulators. The group boasts numerous former senior government lawyers from the SEC, DOJ and other government agencies, including former SEC chair Mary Jo White, former director of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC Andrew Ceresney, and former federal district court judge John Gleeson.

The firm’s strategic crisis response and solutions group brings together rapid response crisis teams from a range of disciplines, aligning experience and expertise to be matched to a specific challenge.

Debevoise’s international dispute resolution group is a leader in its field. Lawyers in the practice handle a broad range of matters, including international commercial and treaty arbitration, public international law and complex commercial litigation.

The highly regarded Intellectual property litigation group handles a wide variety of cases, including trademark, trade dress and advertising disputes; copyright matters in media and entertainment; right of publicity issues; and unfair competition, trade secret and patent cases. Many of its cases have cross-border components, and it has deep experience across a wide range of industries.

The commercial litigation group is one of the strongest in the industry, consistently delivering outstanding results for its clients. The group is stacked with broad-gauged litigators known for their judgment, business savvy and strategic advice. The team handles cross-border and domestic disputes of every kind across a diverse range of industries.

The data strategy and security group, which includes lawyers specializing in cybersecurity, data privacy and AI, has special expertise in helping clients navigate the forensic and legal aftermath of data breaches. The firm’s cross-border, interdisciplinary team also offers regulatory counseling, defends clients in government enforcement actions, litigates privacy-related class actions and other matters, and advises on AI regulatory and legal considerations and on transactions involving data protection and security issues.

Other areas of litigation concentration include trial practice, securities litigation, antitrust, bankruptcy, insurance industry disputes, business integrity, products liability, professional services liability, M&A litigation, employment litigation, environmental litigation, contract disputes, and sensitive litigation and advice.

Tax and employee benefits: The tax department works closely with the firm’s corporate lawyers in structuring complex transactions. The department also focuses on tax planning and advice for business entities, high-net-worth individuals and exempt organizations, and includes an active executive compensation and employee benefits practice.

Industries: Debevoise handles complex transactions and litigation for clients in a wide range of industries.

The insurance group brings more than 35 years of experience to the most complex insurance industry transactions, the highest-stakes disputes and the most challenging regulatory engagements.

The banking group advises banks and other financial institutions on the gamut of regulatory, litigation and transactional matters.

The healthcare group employs an integrated, cross practice approach covering healthcare and life sciences matters.

The technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) group advises both companies and investors in these sectors on their most significant and complex transactional and litigation matters.

Other industries in which the firm is prominent include aviation; consumer and retail; consumer finance; energy and natural resources; industrials and manufacturing; and mining.

Department Name Email Telephone
Antitrust Ted Hassi [email protected]
Aviation Paul D. Brusiloff [email protected]
Bankruptcy and restructuring Sidney P. Levinson [email protected]
Bankruptcy and restructuring M Natasha Labovitz [email protected]
Capital markets Paul M. Rodel [email protected]
Capital markets Steven J. Slutzky [email protected]
Commercial litigation Mark P Goodman [email protected]
Commercial litigation Maura Kathleen Monaghan [email protected]
Data strategy & security Luke Dembosky [email protected]
Data strategy & security Avi Gesser [email protected]
Energy and natural resources Mark W. Friedman [email protected]
Employee benefits and executive compensation Jonathan F. Lewis [email protected]
Employment litigation Jyotin Hamid [email protected]
Financial institutions Gregory J. Lyons [email protected]
Financial institutions Nicholas F. Potter [email protected]
Insurance Eric Dinallo [email protected]
Intellectual property David H. Bernstein [email protected]
International dispute resolution Catherine Amirfar [email protected]
International dispute resolution Mark W. Friedman [email protected]
Latin America Maurizio Levi-Minzi [email protected]
Latin America Dietmar W. Prager [email protected]
Leveraged finance Jeffrey E. Ross [email protected]
Litigation Mary Beth Hogan [email protected]
Litigation Andrew J. Ceresney [email protected]
Mergers and acquisitions Michael Diz [email protected]
Mergers and acquisitions Kevin Rinker [email protected]
National security Rick Sofield [email protected]
National security Satish M. Kini [email protected]
Private equity funds Rebecca Silberstein [email protected]
Private equity funds Lorna Bowen [email protected]
Private equity transactions Kevin M. Schmidt [email protected]
Private equity transactions Jonathan Adler [email protected]
Real estate Peter J. Irwin [email protected]
Tax Peter F. G. Schuur [email protected]
White-collar criminal defense David A. O'Neil [email protected]
White-collar criminal defense Helen V. Cantwell [email protected]
Photo Name Position Profile
Luke Dembosky photo Luke Dembosky Luke Dembosky co-chairs Debevoise & Plimpton’s global Data Strategy and Security practice.…
David O David O"Neil His practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, anti-corruption and…
Number of Partners : 159
Number of Other Fee-Earners : 807
Presiding Partner : Peter A. Furci
Deputy Presiding Partner : Nicole Levin Mesard
Other Offices : London
Other Offices : Luxembourg
Other Offices : Paris
Other Offices : Frankfurt
Other Offices : Hong Kong
Other Offices : Shanghai