Proskauer Rose LLP > Boston, United States > Firm Profile

Proskauer Rose LLP
ONE INTERNATIONAL PLACE, 14TH FLOOR
BOSTON, MA 02110-2600
MASSACHUSETTS
United States

Industry focus > Sport Tier 1

Noted for ‘touching many different sports and different facets within the industry’, the Proskauer Rose LLP team provides expertise across IP, M&A, and litigation matters to its roster of global sporting associations and financial institutions. The team also boasts leading specialists in the labor and employment space capable of assisting clients with collective bargaining claims, complex contract disputes, and alleged breaches of fiduciary duty. Joseph Leccese and Bradley Ruskin co-head the department, with the former being highly experienced in representing professional sports leagues, private equity firms, and sovereign wealth funds, while the latter routinely litigates in antitrust claims and corporate governance disputes. Jon H Oram is an expert on equity and debt financings, the ‘outstanding’ Christine Lazatin acts on behalf of owners and corporate borrowers in finance and corporate transactions, and Jason Krochak handles joint ventures and naming rights agreements. All the named attorneys are New York-based, including Wayne Katz, who focuses on team ownership transfers.

Practice head(s):

Joseph Leccese; Bradley Ruskin

Testimonials

‘Proskauer has an extensive sports practice touching many different sports and different facets within the industry.’

‘The individuals in the sports practice devote all their time to matters within the industry, unlike at many other firms where sports industry matters generally only are a small portion of their focus. Christine Lazatin is also outstanding.’

 

Key clients

Activision Blizzard

Ares

ATP Tour

BIG EAST Conference

Big 10 Conference

Big 12 Conference

Bruin Capital

Detroit Pistons

Drone Racing League

Goldman Sachs

Jacksonville Jaguars

JPMorgan

Los Angeles 2028

Madison Square Garden Co.

Major League Baseball

Major League Soccer

NASCAR

National Basketball Association

National Football League

National Hockey League

National Lacrosse League

National Women’s Soccer League

New York Islanders

Patrick D. Bowlen Trust

Broncos

Philadelphia Eagles

PGA of America

Professional Women’s Hockey League

San Diego Padres

Shamrock Capital Advisors

TMRW Sports

United States Golf Association

Washington Nationals

Women’s National Basketball Association

WTA Tour

Work highlights

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

The employee benefits and executive compensation team at Proskauer Rose LLP has multifaceted capabilities, advising clients on both complex matters that large organizations face on a day-to-day basis, as well as high value business transactions. The firm is well-known for having a strong geographic focus on the East Coast, particularly in Washington DC and New York. In Washington DC, Seth Safra acts as the practice head and the point of contact for many Fortune 500 companies.. Justin Alex is adept at advising clients on single-employer and multiemployer pension plans. Alex is also based in Washington DC. Working from New York, Michael Album focuses his practice on the full range of executive compensation matters. Robert Projansky, also working from New York, specializes in working on employee benefit matters within the entertainment industry. In New Orleans, Jennifer Rigterink is a specialist in employee benefit tax and ERISA issues. In New York, Katrina McCann regularly assists on retirement and welfare plans.

Practice head(s):

Seth Safra

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Top-notch professionals in all areas of the law.’

‘Robert Projansky is exceptional. His familiarity with applicable law and his ability to explain its applicability to many fact patterns is reassuring. His calm, patient but firm demeanor instills confidence in our decisions.’

‘In addition to being technically excellent, Proskauer and its attorneys understand our corporate culture, which is very helpful.’

‘Michael Album is a good listener and constantly provides legal advice with common sense and a practical perspective. ’

Key clients

Citigroup Inc.

Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)

Screen Actors Guild-Producers

Producer-Writers Guild

AFTRA Retirement Fund

American Federation of Musicians & Employers’ Pension Fund

IAM National Pension Fund

Union Labor Life Insurance Company (ULLICO)

Henry Schein, Inc.

National Basketball Association

Institutional Investor Representation

Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico

HealthEquity

RELX Inc.

Ahold Delhaize

The Metropolitan Opera Association

Foot Locker

Work highlights

  • Representing the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Health Plan, the Screen Actors Guild-Producers Pension Plan, Producer-Writers Guild Health and Pension Plans, AFTRA Retirement Fund and multiple Broadway funds on all aspects of benefits plans, complex investments and withdrawal liability matters.
  • Serving as the principal outside attorneys advising on investments for Citigroup Inc.’s $13.5+ billion defined benefit pension plan and $20+ billion 401(k) plan.
  • Providing benefits advice to The Metropolitan Opera Association, one of the largest classical music organizations in North America, on issues pertaining to retirement plans, as well as health and welfare plans, including providing advice with respect to health care reform.

Labor and employment > Labor and employment disputes (including collective actions) Tier 1

Proskauer Rose LLP supports major employers with representation in class and collective action suits, including those involving wage and hour, discrimination, and harassment. The group is routinely instructed by employers in the retail, hospitality, healthcare, and aerospace segments, and regularly appears before state and federal courts. A core area of focus for the team is developing strategies to defeat class certification. The department is co-directed by Neil Abramson from New York, who specializes in discrimination claims, claims for breach of contract and claims arising from the collective bargaining relationship. Alongside him, Anthony Oncidi co-leads from Los Angeles and has focused his practice on representing media and entertainment-sector clients. Additional key contacts include New York-based Elise Bloom, who acts as co-head of the firm’s class & collective actions group, and Keisha-Ann Gray, who focuses on discrimination and harassment mandates. Michelle Annese handles claims of discrimination and retaliation, sexual harassment and wrongful discharge. Over in Boston, Mark Batten is noted for his class action defense and collective bargaining expertise. Nigel Telman leads the employment group at the Chicago office and specializes in dispute resolution and investigations. Greg Knopp joined the firm from Akin in February 2023.

Practice head(s):

Neil Abramson; Anthony Oncidi

Testimonials

‘Proskauer has a very strong employment practice with a particular expertise in financial services employment litigation and arbitration.’

‘Lloyd Chinn is someone I want in my corner when dealing with a high stakes employment matter. Lloyd is the lawyer I am most likely to call when a difficult issue arises. He reliably provides common sense practical advice, in a manner that is direct and easily understood.’

Key clients

Major League Baseball (MLB)

National Academy of Recording Arts (GRAMMYS)

Cedars-Sinai Health Systems/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

The Aerospace Corporation (Aerospace)

Walmart

Michaels Stores

McDonald’s Corporation

Patriarch Partners

Honeywell

Labor and employment > Labor-management relations Tier 1

Proskauer Rose LLP has a longstanding history when it comes to helping clients fix challenging traditional labor issues and has experience in the sports sector, representing major sports leagues in the US, an area of strength for New-York based Adam Lupion. The group is also a go-to labor relations counsel across the country for public sector entities and is able to marry a strong employment practice with strong trial expertise. The team is led by Neil Abramson and Anthony Oncidi who are based in New York and Los Angeles respectively. the former of whom is chair of the firm’s global labor & employment department. Elsewhere in the team, Paul Salvatore in New York is a key team member due to his versatility and ability to advise clients on the full range of labor management matters, but notably has successfully negotiated many industry-specific collective bargaining agreements. Steven Porzio is another labour lawyer with a broad practice, and Joshua Fox is a key team member at associate level.

Practice head(s):

Neil Abramson; Anthony Oncidi

Testimonials

Depth and breadth of labor, employment and benefits expertise.

Long-standing relationship and understanding of our business, labor agreements and industry.

Key clients

Mount Sinai Medical Center; Mount Sinai Health Systems

The City of New York

Montefiore Medical Center

Entertainment Institutions

T-Mobile

Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”)/ MTA Construction & Development (“MTA C&D”)

Henkel Corporation

Various Media Clients

Labor and employment > Workplace and employment counseling Tier 1

The labor and employment team at Proskauer Rose LLP handles a wide range of employment matters for high-profile clients, including the McDonald’s Corporation, Vice Media, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Notably, the firm is well-known for representing major sports leagues; for example, the firm recently represented Major League Baseball during negotiations for a successor collective bargaining agreement with the Major League Baseball Players Association. The practice is led by Neil Abramson in New York and Anthony Oncidi in Los Angeles. Abramson is one of the key contacts for Major League Baseball, while Oncidi represents the National Academy of Recording Arts in a wide range of employment matters. Other key names include Nigel Telman, located in the Chicago office; the New Orleans-based Nicole Eichberger, and senior counsel Noa Baddish.

Practice head(s):

Neil Abramson; Anthony Oncidi

Testimonials

‘They have solid knowledge and expertise, very relevant practical insight and a business-oriented approach, rather than just theoretical.’

‘The team is approachable, responsive, and provides pragmatic advice tailored to our specific needs.’

‘Jurate Schwartz is a great attorney, whom we see as a trusted partner and true extension of our team.’

Key clients

Major League Baseball (MLB)

National Academy of Recording Arts (GRAMMYS)

McDonald’s Corporation

Cedars-Sinai Health Systems / Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Vice Media

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dispute resolution > General commercial disputes Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP is well-regarded in particular for its ability to handle arbitration and litigation in the asset management, sport, media, and life sciences spaces, though the team is active across a wide spectrum of commercial disputes. Litigation department chair Bart Williams is a key name for corporate investigations and white collar criminal cases, while vice-chair Michael Mervis is noted for his handling of cases in the real estate and entertainment spaces. Head of securities litigation Timothy Mungovan is based in Boston and routinely advises asset management clients on restructurings and bankruptcy matters in addition to handling private fund disputes. Jonathan Weiss is a key point of contact for both plaintiff and defense-side work in antitrust cases, class action suits, and securities litigation. Susan Gutierrez is a key name for the full suite of product liability issues. All attorneys named are based in Los Angeles unless otherwise stated.

Practice head(s):

Bart Williams; Michael Mervis

Key clients

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

Sanderson-Wayne Farms

Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico

Worldwide Streaming Company

Shamrock Capital Advisors

Bayer/Monsanto

SoClean, Inc.

National Football League

Otis Worldwide Corp.

Major League Soccer

Miramax

ATP Tour and WTA Tour

Waste Management

VXI Global Holdings

Work highlights

  • Acted for Gilead Sciences, Inc. in a $3.6bn antitrust case on allegations that the pharmaceutical company struck an anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” patent settlement related to two HIV medications.
  • Acted for Sanderson Farms in a broiler chicken price-fixing case in which, following a six-week trial, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois delivered a full defense verdict, ruling against certain Plaintiffs which accused Sanderson Farms of participating in a supply reduction conspiracy with other producers between 2008 and 2012.
  • Represented a worldwide streaming service, a director/writer, and a writer in a defamation case brought by a former criminal prosecutor relating to a television series created by the defendants.

Insurance > Advice to policyholders Tier 2

The insurance team at Proskauer Rose LLP is adept at managing general liability claims across various sectors including financial services, consumer products, and pharmaceuticals. Moreover, they excel in securing coverage for bonds, financial guaranty, and political risk insurance. This includes coverage selection, negotiation, program structuring, and claims and litigation management. They handle both litigation and transactional matters seamlessly, showcasing proficiency in domains such as general liability, product recall, property damage, business interruption, directors and officers, professional liability, cyber, employment practices, and fiduciary liabilities. Led by John Failla, a specialist in insurance counseling and recovery for business policyholders based in New York, the team offers comprehensive expertise in all aspects of the insurance process. Alongside Failla, Nathan Lander in New York plays a crucial role in counseling business policyholders and representing them in coverage disputes. Lander offers guidance to asset management clients, helping them obtain, negotiate, and structure insurance programs to safeguard their funds, management/advisory companies, portfolio companies, and individuals.

Practice head(s):

John Failla

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Valeant Pharmaceuticals (now known as Bausch Health)

Various – Private Equity/Hedge Fund

Los Angeles Lakers

Wells Fargo, as Securities Intermediary

SoClean, Inc.

Transactional Related Matters

Church & Dwight

Work highlights

  • Representing Valeant in coverage litigation against its D&O Insurers in New Jersey federal court in which Valeant sought coverage under two separate insurance programs to cover the costs of defense and indemnity of securities litigation regarding its failed tender offer to acquire Allergan and significant stock drop litigations and regulatory matters.
  • Represented Los Angeles Lakers in a lawsuit against its insurer, Chubb, seeking coverage for the Lakers’ COVID-19 related business interruption losses.
  • Represented Wells Fargo, as Securities Intermediary against United States Life Insurance Company in the City of New York, seeking $9.8 million owed under a life insurance policy.

Investment fund formation and management > Alternative/hedge funds Tier 2

Specializing in advising alternative investment managers in the full range of hedge fund related matters, the experienced team at Proskauer Rose LLP is jointly led by Christopher Wells and Kelli Moll. Both lead on fund restructuring matters, and quantitative strategy fund formation. Caryn Greenspan advises fund sponsors on credit fund formations, and hedge fund managers on product launching and structuring. Assisting in single fund formation, hedge fund restructuring, and representing joint venture clients in strategy fund formation are among the team’s key strengths. Senior associate Cameron Clark is another recommended contact in the hedge fund practice. Partners Michael Mavrides and Robert Leonard departed to Dechert LLP in June 2023, while Jennifer Dunn joined the team from Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in May 2024. All lawyers are based in New York unless stated otherwise.  

Practice head(s):

Christopher Wells; Kelli Moll

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Christopher Wells is able to harness years of experience to deliver practical, targeted and business-conscious advice. ’

‘Christopher Wells takes real world business considerations into account, and is very knowledgeable and plugged into what is going on in the market. Various associates have worked on various SEC filings and are reliable and proactive.’

Investment fund formation and management > Private equity funds (including venture capital) Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP‘s private investment funds practice is praised by clients for its ‘deep bench and terrific expertise on both fund formation and regulatory work’. The team advises on the structuring and maintenance of private funds, among which are buyout, growth equity, credit and funds of funds, as well as having a particular strength in secondaries transactions and expertise across related tax and regulatory matters. Monica Arora and Howard Beber jointly lead the US based private funds group, with the former being based in New York and specializing on sponsor side advice to funds across diverse asset classes while the latter sits in Boston and focuses on private fund formation, secondaries transactions, including GP-led transactions. Other key names in Boston include venture capital and growth equity fund formation expert Robin Painter, David Tegeler, who is well versed in secondaries transactions and asset manager M&A deals and secondary fund liquidity solutions specialist Mike Suppappola. Credit funds specialist Chip Parsons and secondaries attorney Christopher Robinson are key members of the team based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Monica Arora; Howard Beber

Testimonials

‘Very good market intelligence for fund terms. Collaborative approach. The Proskauer team understands the long-term relationship between GPs and LPs that is at the heart of the private funds business. Creative in terms of addressing client requests.’

‘I think Proskauer’s combination of intelligence, friendliness, responsiveness, clear-cut advice, and just getting it right make them an excellent choice for private funds counsel. We have been thrilled to work with them. Up and down, the team is fantastic.’

‘Monica Arora is incredible – super smart, practical, wonderful to talk to, just everything. She’s an excellent lawyer and just makes us feel confident in her advice.’

‘Proskauer’s team has been a stand-out in this space for some time. They have a deep bench and terrific expertise on both fund formation and regulatory work. They also have terrific tax and ERISA specialists. They are terrific collaborators and have a great sense of the market and counterparties.’

‘Michael Suppappola, Nicholas “Carter” Noon and Alexandria Martin are all terrific. They are all incredibly responsive and commercial and are terrific collaborators and partners and have a great sense of the market.’

Key clients

Adams Street Partners

AllianceBernstein

Almanac Realty Securities/Neuberger Berman

Apollo S3

Apogem Capital

Arbour Lane Capital Management

ARCH Venture Partners

Ardian

Ares Management

Atlas Ventures

Atomico

Avenue Capital Group

Battery Ventures

Bessemer Venture Partners

Blackstone Strategic Partners

Churchill Asset Management

Columbia Capital

CRV

DigitalBridge

Energy Impact Partners

Evolution Credit

Fischer Lynch

Flagship Pioneering

HarbourGroup

JMI Equity

J.P. Morgan

Lexington Partners

Longridge Equity Partners

MJE-Loop Capital Partners

New Enterprise Associates (NEA)

Newbury Partners

Nonantum Capital Partners

Patria Investimentos

Perceptive Advisors

PineBridge Investments

Pomona Capital

RA Capital

TCW Asset Management

Ten Coves Capital Partners

The Raine Group

Ridgemont Equity Partners

Schroders

Spectrum Equity

StepStone

Thoma Bravo

Thrive Capital

Varde

W Capital

Yellow Wood

Work highlights

  • Advised Ares Management on the concurrent formation of multiple private credit funds targeting commitments in excess of $25 billion.
  • Advised NEA (New Enterprise Associates) in two venture funds that raised a total of $6.2 billion.
  • Advised two of the lead investors, Blackstone Strategic Partners and Lexington Partners, in a GP-led continuation fund.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP is recognized for its ‘very strong’ capabilities in advising private equity entities, portfolio companies, and corporations from various sectors on a comprehensive range of benefits and executive compensation matters. The practice is led by Seth Safra from Washington DC, who specializes in retirement, health, and welfare plans, addressing ESOPs, ERISA compliance, and severance schemes. Andrea Rattner in New York is known for her guidance on transactional issues, including equity awards, change-in-control provisions, retention strategies, and post-transaction compensation planning. Ira Bogner, also in New York, offers expertise to asset managers on ERISA fiduciary concerns related to the formation of private funds. Colleen Hart in Los Angeles is adept at designing executive compensation arrangements for private equity clients and their portfolio companies, while David Teigman, based in New York, handles executive compensation and benefits in the context of M&A, securities transactions, and senior executive agreements. Paul Hamburger retired in August 2023.

Practice head(s):

Seth Safra

Testimonials

‘Proskauer is very strong in the area of employee benefits and executive compensation. The practice works very well with their labor and employment practice.’

Key clients

Consolidated Edison, Inc.

OpSec Group

Newbury Partners

Integrated DNA Technologies

Henry Schein, Inc.

Houlihan Lokey

Church & Dwight

Morgan Stanley Capital Partners

Truist Securities, Inc., Cowen and Company, LLC and Roth Capital Partners, LLC

Portfolio Company of MGG

The Raine Group LLC

Sole Source Capital

Owl Rock Capital Corporation

Doodles LLC

Designers Axis, LLC

Patria Investments

7RIDGE Ltd.

Mosaic Dental Collective LLC

The Firmament Group

CSFC Management Company LLC (CapitalSpring)

TGL Golf Holdings LLC

AR Global, LLC

Dansons US LLC

Vesey Street Capital Partners (Vesey Street)

HealthEquity

Ascend Capital Partners Manager, LP

Willard Ahdritz

Private Credit Lenders

Work highlights

  • Advised Consolidated Edison, Inc. on the executive compensation, employee benefits, and human capital aspects of its sale of Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Inc. to RWE Renewables Americas, LLC.
  • Advised Patria Investments on the sale of its portfolio company ODATA to Aligned Data Centers, a hyperscale data center platform.
  • Represented CapitalSpring and its portfolio companies in transactions with an aggregate deal value of nearly $1 billion, including acquisitions of Taco Bell and McAlister’s Deli franchise businesses, Escalante’s Comida Fina, LLC, and a minority investment in Bushfire Kitchen.

Labor and employment > ERISA litigation Tier 2

Primarily New York-headquartered with a broad national scope, Proskauer Rose LLP boasts a full-service ERISA offering, spanning ERISA class and individual lawsuits, employee benefit claims, amicus briefs and DOL investigations. The team is led by the considerable expertise of Myron Rumeld, regarded by many as a leading figure in ERISA civil litigation, along with Russell Hirschhorn, who has represented several high value plan fiduciaries, trustees, sponsors and service providers from a wide range of sectors including technology, entertainment, and financial services. They are joined by Joseph Clark, also operating from New York, and specializing in claims relating to fiduciary responsibilities and withdrawal liabilities. New York-based, Neil Shah serves as the lead for Taft-Hartley plan clients in withdrawal liability and delinquent contributions matters. Tulio Chirinos left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Myron Rumeld; Russell Hirschhorn

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Russell Hirschhorn consistently places an emphasis on keeping us informed of every aspect of the present litigation.’

 

Key clients

Wells Fargo & Company

Xerox Corporation

National Basketball Association

MetLife

Intel Corporation

Bessemer Trust Co.

Baystate Health Inc.

Otis Worldwide Corp.

Robert Goldfarb

The Board of Trustees of the Employee Benefit Funds of Heat & Frost Insulators Local 12

Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Health Plan

Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund (M&K Employee Solutions, LLC; Ohio Magnetics, Inc.; Toyota Logistics Services, Inc.; Phillips Liquidating Trust)

Trustees of the IAM National Pension Fund (American Brass & Iron;BAE Systems, Inc.; Co-Operative Plating Co.; Electrolux Home Products, Inc.; Hydro-Conduit Corporation dba Rinker Materials; Ramcel Precision Stamping and Manufacturing LLC; StrippIt, Inc.; Triumph Composite Systems, Inc.)

IBT Local 854 Pension Fund – Jofaz Transportation Inc.

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP – Dabney

American Benefits Council, ERISA Industry Committee, American Retirement Association, Council on Investment of Employee Benefit Assets – BlackRock Target Date Fund Litigations

Work highlights

  • Representing Wells Fargo & Company and others in a putative class action related to its 401(k) Plan that has more than 50bn in assets and more than 325,000 participants.
  • Representing MetLife in a putative class action alleging cutting-edge claims that retirement plans use antiquated group annuity mortality tables to convert plan participants’ accrued benefits.
  • Representing the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan and its Trustees in a high-profile lawsuit brought by the late Ed Asner.  

M&A/corporate and commercial > Private equity buyouts: middle-market (Up to $500m) Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP‘s team benefits from firmwide strengths in fund formation, growth investment, and venture capital matters, allowing the practice to handle a wide variety of private equity-linked transactions. Key areas of focus for the team include fund mergers and de-mergers, such as abrdn’s recent sale of its US private equity and venture capital business to HighVista Strategies, sponsor-backed joint ventures and strategic partnerships in growth areas such as the sports and media sectors, and high-profile exits across a diverse range of industries. Practice heads Daniel Ganitsky, Lauren Boglivi, and Michael Ellis jointly lead the team from New York, with Ganitsky and Ellis handling a wide variety of public and private M&A, restructuring, and corporate governance matters, while Boglivi focuses on private equity-backed transactions in the sports and entertainment sectors. In Los Angeles, leveraged buyout experts Kristian Herrmann  and Christopher Ahn are highly recommended, while structured private capital expert Steven Peck is a key contact in the Boston office.

Practice head(s):

Lauren Boglivi; Michael Ellis; Daniel Ganitsky

Testimonials

‘Ben Orlanski is the best! Great at listening to everyone and pulling us all together.’

Key clients

Lincoln International

7RIDGE

abrdn Inc.

Women’s Tennis Association

National Football League

32 Equity

Firmament

Newbury Partners

Media, technology and telecoms > Advertising and marketing: litigation Tier 2

Lanham Act disputes and advertising challenges before the NAD and NARB are key expertise of Proskauer Rose LLP. The New York-based practice also represents clients from a range of sectors in false advertising claims, marketing and unfair competition claims, and IP disputes. Leading the team is Baldassare Vinti, who is adept in IP litigation with a focus on advertising and patent law andexperience handling cases in federal and state courts, as well as before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, the International Trade Commission, and international arbitration tribunals. Other key members of the team are Jeffrey Warshafsky – who specializes in consumer class actions, sports litigation, false advertising, and IP disputes – and Jennifer Yang – who concentrates on false advertising claims and IP disputes. They are both regularly involved in representing clients before the NAD and NARB. The practice has notably had four partners join the team in 2023, Erik Milch and Joseph Drayton from Cooley LLP; and Grant Esposito and David Fioccola from Morrison Foerster.

Practice head(s):

Baldassare Vinti

Testimonials

‘Jeffrey Warshafsky and Jennifer Yang are experts in advertising law.’

Key clients

Church & Dwight, Co.

Welch Foods Inc.

S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc.

Bausch Health

PVH Corp.

SoClean, Inc.

NFL Properties, Inc.

The Guess Who

Work highlights

  • Represented Welch Foods Inc. in numerous threatened class actions from consumers alleging false advertising of Welch’s juice drinks.
  • Representing two founding members of Canadian rock band, The Guess Who in a false advertising lawsuit filed by two other original members of the band.
  • Represented of S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc. in challenging competitors’ advertising in a variety of areas, including drain clog removers and home cleaning products, and for various advertising counseling and due diligence matters.

Real estate > Real estate investment trusts (REITs) Tier 2

Split between New York and Chicago, Proskauer Rose LLP‘s real estate capital markets practice is led by Michael Choate and Steven Lichtenfeld from New York and Chicago, respectively. The practice is historically known for its expertise in the non-traded REIT sector, but has recently been expanding its scope to include private REITs. Choate is a specialist in private equity and joint venture transactions, while also handling M&A and corporate governance for REIT clients. Lichtenfeld has long-standing expertise in rea estate capital markets, advising REITs on debt and equity securities, preferred equity investments and joint ventures. The team is trusted by clients in a number of asset classes such as retail, healthcare, data centers, and single family homes.

Practice head(s):

Michael Choate; Steven Lichtenfeld

Testimonials

‘Proskauer Rose has very strong resources across REITs, tax and funds. The strengths in each practice area, makes the team incredibly strong. Our firm had a highly unique structuring with a newly formed REIT that required creative thought. We were well equipped with the team at Proskauer from the term sheet phase to final deal documentation. ’

‘I particularly want to commend Michael Choate who advised us on this transaction. He was highly efficient with resources, and struck the correct commercial judgment to lead our deal through execution.’

Key clients

American Finance Trust

Ares Capital Management

DataBank and Digital Bridge Advisors

Fortress Credit Co LLC

Global Net Lease, Inc.

Healthcare Trust Inc.

Hospitality Investors Trust, Inc.

Inland Real Estate Income Trust

Leisure Acquisition Corporation

MG3 Developer Group LLC

Morgan Stanley

Pacific Oak Residential Trust II

Work highlights

  • Advised on matters related to the definitive merger agreement of Global Net Lease Inc. and Necessity Retail REIT Inc. With a combined company managing $9.6 billion in aggregate real estate asset value at closing.
  • Advising Healthcare Trust, Inc. on a number of matters, including a preferred stock equity line and a Series B Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock offering.
  • Represented DataBank and Digital Bridge Advisors in the closing of a partial equity recapitalization and general partner led secondary valued at approximately $6 billion.

Real estate Tier 2

Advising on a range of matters that include leases, financings, joint ventures, and restructurings, Proskauer Rose LLP is praised by clients for its ‘high quality thinking and legal work’, regularly acting for large investors, operators, and developers, with experience on all sides of transactions. The real estate department is led by Keith Barnett and Ronald Sernau, the first of which is based in Boston and the latter in New York. In Boston, Sean Boulger is particularly knowledgeable in life sciences and senior housing along with a range of real estate transactions, with Katelyn O’Brien regularly advising on financings, developments, acquisitions, and dispositions. Active across a wide range of geographies and asset classes, the firm also stands out for its hospitality, leisure and gaming group for which New York partner Robert Shmalo is a key member. Also in New York is Paul Polking, who has experience representing landlords and tenants on a range of transactions and deal structuring mandates, and commercial and retail leases and subleases.

Practice head(s):

Keith Barnett; Ronald Sernau

Testimonials

‘The personal attention and high-quality thinking and legal work we get is second to none. Many others who have been on the other side of deals with us have ended up using the Proskauer team themselves on subsequent transactions because they’ve been so impressed.’

‘Sean Boulger is simply without a peer. His calm demeanor, thoroughness and thoughtful approach go above and beyond anyone else we’ve worked with.’

‘The depth of experience and the size of the group allow it to handle any matter.’

‘Ronald Sernau is knowledgeable, accessible, dedicated, meticulous, and has a good business sense.’

Key clients

AEW Capital Management

Albertsons Companies, Inc.

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Bedrock Detroit

Campanelli Companies

Carpenter & Company, Inc.

Hines Investments

MacNaughton

Wayfair LLC

Tax > International tax Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP advises on cross-border structuring issues such as withholding tax, permanent establishment risk, transfer pricing consideration, asset and business migrations, anti-deferral regimes, and tax treaty benefit. Team lead Amanda Nussbaum, who sits in the New York office, has significant expertise in structuring tax free and taxable mergers and acquisitions as well as taxation in the sports industry. Also located in New York, David Miller has considerable experience handling matters relating to the taxation of financial products, lending transactions, M&A, hedge funds, and HNWI, in both a domestic and international context whilst Martin Hamilton advises on cross-border investments and structured financing arrangements, and tax-efficient corporate financing techniques. In Los Angeles, Robert Friedman’s practice covers tax advice on public and private mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, divestitures, private equity fund formation, financial products, and electric and gas utility tax issues. In Boston, Stephen Severo represents corporate, private equity and investment fund clients in connection with all tax-related aspects of their businesses. At the associate level, New York-based Kathleen Semanski and Washington DC-based Yomarie Habenicht, who both advise on a wide range of cross-border transactions, and Boston-based Philip Lenertz, who has particular strengths in the funds space, are notable team members.

Practice head(s):

Amanda Nussbaum

Testimonials

‘Very focused approach with highly skilled background.’

 

Key clients

abrdn Inc.

Adams Street Partners

Alexandria Real Estate Equities

AllianceBernstein

AnaCap Financial Partners

Apollo Global Management

Ares Management

Atalaya Capital

Blackstone Strategic Partners

BTG Pactual

DataBank / Digital Bridge Advisors

Diabolical Fun / Iron Galaxy Studios

Energy Impact Partners

Grifols

Hollyport Capital

Hoteles City Express, S.A.B. de C.V.

Investcorp

Jaime Gilinski

KKR

Pantheon Ventures

Patria Investments

StepStone Group

Temasek

The Women’s Tennis Association (“The WTA”) and the ATP Tour (“ATP”)

17Capital

7Ridge

Work highlights

  • Advised the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) in a strategic partnership with CVC Capital Partners (CVC).
  • Advised Patria Investments in its definitive agreement to sell its portfolio company ODATA, a data center service provider offering scalable, reliable and flexible IT infrastructure in Latin America, to Aligned Data Centers.
  • Advised Hollyport Capital on the formation of its latest fund, Hollyport Secondary Opportunities Fund VIII2, which closed above its target of $1.5 billion.

Tax > Not-for-profit (Fortune 1000 private foundations, national trade associations, and charities) Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP acts on behalf of a diverse client base of tax-exempt organizations, including prominent organizations in the sports and cultural sectors in addition to a significant number of education and healthcare industry groups. New York-based Amanda Nussbaum, who leads the firm’s tax department, also co-heads the not-for-profit group with Washington DC partner Seth Safra. Nussbaum’s practice covers issues in relation to cooperation with taxable entities, including joint ventures, partnerships, and for-profit subsidiaries, while Safra handles a range of employment and tax compliance issues. Core team members in the New York office include healthcare specialists Whitney Phelps and Jason Madden, who frequently work closely together. Katrina McCann, also in New York, is a further name to note.

Practice head(s):

Amanda Nussbaum; Seth Safra

Testimonials

‘Proskauer provides exceptional legal and practical advice in handling very difficult and complex issues. ’

‘Seth Safra is an excellent lawyer who partners with us to provide world class advice. ’

Key clients

Chicago State University

Amherst College

Barnard College

Bowdoin College

Bryn Mawr College

Pomona College

WTA Tour

ATP Tour

Baystate Health Inc.

Big 12 Conference

Catholic Health Services

Greater New York Hospital Association

Hip Hop Museum

Hospital for Special Surgery

Lighthouse Guild

LiveOnNY, Inc.

Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Cedars-Sinai Health Systems/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Montefiore Medical Center

Mount Sinai Health Systems

Metropolitan Museum of Art

Museum of Modern Art

Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the GRAMMY Organization)

The American Council on Education

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (“ASCAP”)

The Eclipse Foundation

Metropolitan Opera

NYC Ballet

Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) Health Plan & Screen Actors Guild-Producers Pension Plan

Producer-Writers Guild Health and Pension Plans

AFTRA Retirement Fund

Equity-League Health Plan

American Federation of Musicians & Employers’ Pension Fund

Work highlights

  • Represented the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, as well as MusiCares, the charitable arm of the GRAMMY Organization, in all of their employment and litigation matters as well as providing day-to-day advice and counseling.
  • Advised the Hospital for Special Surgery, which specializes in orthopedic surgery and the treatment of rheumatologic conditions, as primary outside counsel.
  • Assisted 33 liberal arts colleges and universities on submitting an amicus curiae brief in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, No. 20-1199, and Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. University of North Carolina, No. 21-707.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 2

Proskauer Rose LLP’s transactional tax team has considerable experience handling the full spectrum of corporate and financial taxation matters, with particular strength in the fund formation space. The group is also notably active in the sports sector, recently advising Major League Soccer on several issues, including the signing of soccer legend Lionel Messi by Inter Miami CF. Amanda Nussbaum, with considerable expertise structuring taxable and tax-free M&A, real estate transactions, and capital markets offerings, as well as in sports tax matters, heads the practice in New York. David Miller, also in New York, has broad experience encompassing the taxation of derivatives, private equity and hedge funds, lending transactions, multinational mergers, and workouts, among other issues. Scott Jones in Boston focuses on tax planning for private equity fund managers in relation to fundraising and internal organization matters. He also advises domestic and international investors on investments in venture capital, buyout, and hedge funds. Arnold May and Jeremy Naylor, both in Boston, are well known for advising fund managers and fund sponsors, respectively. Jamiel Poindexter, also in Boston, handles matters involving venture capital, buyout, and secondary funds, as well as other investment partnerships. Alan Parnes retired in April 2023.

Practice head(s):

Amanda Nussbaum

Testimonials

‘The team offers breadth of experience, knowledge and practical guidance.’

‘Amanda Nussbaum is excellent. She is always available, responsive, extremely knowledgeable and practical in her guidance. We rely on her almost exclusively for tax advice.’

Key clients

Adams Street Funds

Almanac Realty Investors, LLC

Angeleno Group

Apollo S3, Blackstone Strategic Partners and Five Arrows

Arbour Lane Capital Management

abrdn Inc.

DFW Capital Partners

The Firmament Group

Intapp, Inc.

JMI Equity

Major League Soccer

MGG Investment Group LP

Newbury Partners

New Enterprise Associates Inc.

Owl Rock Capital Corporation

Pacific Lake Partners

Strategic Partners Fund Solutions

TGL Golf Holdings LLC / TMRW Sports

Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)

32 Equity

Work highlights

  • Advised Major League Soccer, L.L.C. (MLS) on three deals this year: the signing of soccer icon Lionel Messi, the formation of Leagues Cup, and the League’s expansion to San Diego.
  • Advised Ares Management Corporation on the closing of its latest fund, Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment Finance.
  • Advised longtime client New Enterprise Associates on the formation and closing of two funds – New Enterprise Associates 18, L.P. and NEA 18 Venture Growth Equity, L.P. – which totaled over $6.2 billion.

Dispute resolution > Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense

Proskauer Rose LLP handles a wide range of white-collar matters, including insider trading, tax fraud, bribery, and corruption. Practice head Dietrich Snell advises on false claims, securities fraud, and environmental crimes. Seetha Ramachandran specializes in cases relating to money laundering and economic sanctions. Noted for her broad experience in white-collar matters, Hadassa Waxman has an in-depth knowledge of cybercrime, wire fraud, and FCPA offences. Other prominent members of the team include Mark Harris and William Komaroff. Harris has experience advising on corporate embezzlement cases, while Komaroff frequently handles government investigations. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York. Robert Cleary has left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Dietrich Snell

Testimonials

‘Their bench is deep and their people are incredible.’

‘Seetha Ramachandran is the person to see for complex financial crimes and questions. Her depth of knowledge is unparalleled. Her understanding of DOJ is incredible, and her ability to creatively solve problems on the fly is amazing. She is an absolute joy to work with.’

Finance > Commercial lending Tier 3

With a firm foothold in the private credit sector, Proskauer Rose LLP boasts an impressive roster of lender clients, including The Carlyle Group, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. The team fields expertise in a range of credit financings, including senior-stretch, unitranche, second-lien and secured mezzanine loans. Justin Breen is a prominent figure in the private credit lending space and leads the firm’s global finance group. Gary Creem heads the firm’s private credit practice from Boston, alongside Michael Mezzacappa, who plays a lead role in financing and credit arrangement deals. Stephen Boyko focuses his practice on finance transactions, including leveraged buyouts and acquisition financings. Marc Freiss advises a diverse list of hedge funds, private equity funds, commercial finance companies and investment banks. In Los Angeles, Sandra Lee Montgomery represents first- and second-lien senior lenders, mezzanine investors and equity sponsors in financing and restructuring transactions. Former firm chair Steven Ellis is an experienced figure, based between New York and Boston. All attorneys mentioned are based in New York, unless stated otherwise.

Practice head(s):

Gary J. Creem; Michael M. Mezzacappa

 

Testimonials

Exceptional law practice, significant depth, partnership approach, subject matter expertise.’

Gary Creem in particular is exceptional.

Key clients

Antares Capital

Apollo Global Management

Ares Capital Corporation

Bain Capital

Benefit Street Partners

Blue Owl Capital/Owl Rock Capital Partners

Blue Torch Capital

The Carlyle Group

The Firmament Group

Fortress Credit Co LLC

Goldman Sachs

Golub Capital

HarbourVest Partners

HPS Investment Partners

Jefferies

MGG Investment Group

Midcap Financial Trust

Morgan Stanley

Neuberger Berman

Sixth Street Partners

TCW Asset Management Company

Finance > Restructuring (including bankruptcy): corporate Tier 3

Led by Martin Bienenstock in New York, Proskauer Rose LLP handles a range of clients on both the creditor and debtor side on all matters related to distressed situations, corporate governance insolvency and bankruptcy. The firm specializes in corporate governance, as well as advising borrowers in restructurings and Chapter 11 cases, as well as hedge funds. David Hillman has substantial experience in every phase of the restructuring process as well as addressing inter-creditor issues involving the relative rights of majority and minority lenders. Vincent Indelicato represents direct lenders, ad hoc groups, bondholders and creditors’ committees both in and out of court and in Chapter 11 matters, while Ehud Barak is noted for his specializations in bankruptcy litigation and Chapter 11 cases. All lawyers mentioned are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Martin Bienenstock

Key clients

Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico

Prospect Capital

Sixth Street Specialty Lending

Ad Hoc Group of Genesis Global Capital Lenders; Genesis Earn Program Group 2

Dunn Paper Ad Hoc Second Lien Group

Diameter Capital LP

Ad Hoc Group of Holdings PIK Noteholders (including BC Partners, Marathon Asset Management and Monarch Alternative Capital)

Ad Hoc Group of Second Lien Lenders

Invictus Global Management

SLR Capital

Centre Lane Partners

Banco Azteca

Yesco Holdings

ARK Investment Management

Owl Rock Capital Corporation

MidCap Financial Trust

Work highlights

  • Lead outside counsel to the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico, which was created under the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act to represent Puerto Rico and its instrumentalities in the restructuring of their debts.
  • Represented Prospect Capital in its purchase of an interest in PGX Holdings Inc.’s credit repair service Progrexion Holdings Inc. and other parts of its primary business, including websites Credit.com and CreditRepair.com, for $257.5 million.
  • Advising an ad hoc group of Holdings PIK Noteholders (including BC Partners, Marathon Asset Management and Monarch Alternative Capital) in the Lucky Bucks Holdings bankruptcy case pending in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.

Intellectual property > Copyright Tier 3

The US copyright practice at global firm Proskauer Rose LLP represents high-profile clients in music and entertainment involved in complex infringement litigation. The practice was recently involved in the obtainment of a settlement for Miramax in its high-profile copyright and breach of contract claim against director Quentin Tarantino concerning his intention to issue Pulp Fiction NFTs. The practice is led in Los Angeles by Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks, a music industry expert and seasoned litigator, who acts as National Legal Counsel for the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc. (the not-for-profit responsible for the Grammy Awards) and specializes in the negotiation of pre-litigation and pre-trial resolutions. In New York, David Munkittrick, who was promoted to partner in November 2023, acts for a wide base of clients across such sectors as music, medical devices, publishing, sports, and tech.

Practice head(s):

Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks

Testimonials

‘Sandy Crawshaw-Sparks is the boss. Simply put, whether she handles the matter or staffs it as needed, clients get what’s needed. This is a tremendously powerful law firm and Sandy is able to harness same to benefit her clients. That’s all a client could ask.’

Key clients

Miramax

BMG Production Music, Inc.

Work highlights

  • Represented Miramax in a lawsuit against director Quentin Tarantino, alleging intellectual property infringement and breach of contract related to Tarantino’s NFT concerning Pulp Fiction.
  • Advised BMG Production Music, Inc. in a California state court case filed by a plaintiff identified as “Jane Doe,” alleging claims of misappropriation and unauthorized use of voice recordings against BMG.

Labor and employment > Immigration Tier 3

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 3

The privacy and cybersecurity team at Proskauer Rose LLP counsels clients from a broad range of industries, bringing together team members’ experience in corporate law, litigation, and sports law to serve clients’ data and cyber-related needs, its cyber work for sports clients a particular hallmark. The team is led by Leslie Shanklin, who joined the practice in July 2023 from an in-house position and is based in Washington DC.  New York-based Margaret Dale co-heads the firm’s data privacy and cybersecurity litigation group, specialising in complex business disputes. Co-heading the cyber litigation group with Dale in New York is Nolan Goldberg, whose practice focuses on technology-centric litigation. Ryan Blaney has left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Leslie Shanklin

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Ascension Health

T-Mobile

National Football League

Hearst Corporation

Capstone Investment Advisors

LA 2028 Olympic Committee

Financial Institutions

New Enterprise Association (NEA)

Church & Dwight

SingleStore

Media, technology and telecoms > Media and entertainment: litigation Tier 3

As well as handling litigation involving copyright and defamation, Proskauer Rose LLP is skilled in delicate employment matters that involve sensitive and confidential information. The nature of this work demands a discretion that the team is able to use to avoid media scrutiny and prevent industry embarrassment. In Los Angeles, Anthony Oncidi leads the strategy and arguments behind numerous high-profile labor matters. Team head Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks splits her time between New York and LA; utilizing pre litigation and negotiation skills to protect her clients’ reputations and businesses. Based in New York, Keisha-Ann Gray represents clients in litigation and internal investigations relating to discrimination and workplace harassment on behalf of high-profile media organizations or individuals.    

Practice head(s):

Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘Sandy Crawshaw Sparks is the best in class music/entertainment industry lawyer that a firm could offer. She is the reason that BMG now uses and will continue to use this firm.’

‘Sandy Crawshaw Sparks. Industry veteran, trained by the best. Smart, focused and results oriented.’

 

Key clients

Miramax

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

BMG Production Music

Sony Music Entertainment

Walt Disney Company

Live Nation

Work highlights

  • Leading a trial for a worldwide streaming service, a director/writer, and a writer in a defamation case brought by a former criminal prosecutor relating to a television series created by the defendants.
  • Represented Sony Music Entertainment and Sony Music Publishing in pursuing copyright infringement claims against rapper Trefuego.
  • Represented Miramax in a groundbreaking lawsuit against director Quentin Tarantino, involving allegations of copyright infringement and breach of contract related to the offering of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the film Pulp Fiction.

Antitrust > Civil litigation/class actions: defense Tier 4

Prominent in the agriculture and food sector, Proskauer Rose LLP fields extensive experience representing agricultural co-operatives in a variety of antitrust matters. The team fields knowledge of international antitrust regimes, advising multinational clients from various industries on merger review, class actions, litigation, investigations, and enforcements. Colin Kass co-heads the Washington DC-based team, with extensive experience before the FTC and the DOJ. Practice co-head Christopher Ondeck advises his impressive clientele, that includes industry groups and trade associations, on antitrust compliance and consumer protection matters. John Ingrassia advises investment firms and industry heavyweights on CFIUS, M&A, and JV-related antitrust matters. With a successful track record in price discrimination matters and group boycott claims, David Munkittrick represents clients in bench and jury trials from New York. Stephen Chuk is another name to note.

Practice head(s):

Colin Kass; Christopher Ondeck

Key clients

Wayne-Sanderson Farms

Gilead Sciences

National Football League (NFL)

Butterball, LLC

Major League Soccer (MLS)

Bright Data

Lupin Inc.

Sanofi Pasteur

Barnabas Health

Weyerhaeuser Company

Several Egg Suppliers

Welch Foods

Agriculture/Food Companies

Work highlights

  • Secured a victory for Sanderson Farms in a broiler chicken price-fixing case.
  • Representing of the National Football League (NFL) and its 32 Clubs in antitrust class actions pending in the Southern District of New York.
  • Secured a victory for Gilead Sciences, Inc. in a $3.6bn antitrust case on allegations that the pharmaceutical company struck an anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” patent settlement related to two HIV medications.

Dispute resolution > Appellate: courts of appeals / Appellate: supreme courts (states and federal)

Proskauer Rose LLP’s cross-practice representation of the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB) in relation to the restructuring of Puerto Rico’s public debt translates into a significant volume of appellate cases, both before the First Circuit and the US Supreme Court. Alongside its robust activity in the bankruptcy sphere, the team also argues appeals concerning constitutional law, patent issues, and antitrust matters, among other areas. The department is led jointly by New York-based Mark Harris and Boston-based John Roberts; together they lead the FOMB’s appellate work. New York’s Myron Rumeld is recommended for ERISA-related appeals.

Practice head(s):

Mark Harris; John Roberts

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (FOMB)

The Depository Trust & Clearing Corporation

Weyerhaeuser Company

Amherst College and thirty-two other colleges and universities

IAM National Pension, 401(K) Plan & Benefit Trust

ARKK Food Company

The American Council on Education and twelve other educational organizations

Neuberger Berman

The Board of Trustees of Chicago State University

Toll Brothers

OneSource Medical Diagnostics

Sanofi Pasteur Inc.

Work highlights

  • Obtained a win in the First Circuit on behalf of the Financial Oversight and Management Board of Puerto Rico (FOMB) concerning the balance of power between the Governor of Puerto Rico and the FOMB.
  • Prevailed at the Eighth Circuit on behalf of ARKK Food Company in an appeal concerning Chapter 5 of the Bankruptcy Code.
  • Secured a victory in the Fifth Circuit for Weyerhaeuser Company, and nine other prominent US lumber manufacturers, in a case involving allegations of a conspiracy to artificially inflate wood product prices during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Dispute resolution > Leading trial lawyers Tier 4

Bart Williams at Proskauer Rose LLP in Los Angeles has had a successful year as first chair on several trials, and won a full defense verdict in a complex, billion-dollar antitrust trial for Gilead Sciences, Inc. in 2023 as joint first chair, reflecting his strength in the pharmaceutical industry. Williams is equally comfortable with judge and jury trials, with a strong track record in both types of trial.

Dispute resolution > Securities litigation: defense Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP‘s litigation group is ‘a delight to work with‘. The firm handles the full range of litigation and regulatory enforcement matters, including SEC investigations and shareholder class actions. Boston-based practice head Timothy Mungovan is recognized as a skill trial attorney, and he recently secured the dismissal of claims of breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting, and unjust enrichment against asset management firm Shamrock Capital Advisors. Key partner Jonathan Richman and asset management and securities litigation specialist Joshua Newville, both based in New York, stand out for their defense of a securities class action against Obra Capital arising from a write-down of the fund’s assets. The arrival of Stephen Hibbard in Los Angeles from Jones Day and Washington DC-based regulatory enforcement specialist Robert Pommer, ‘a superstar in respect of SEC matters‘ from Kirkland & Ellis LLP bolster the firm’s capacity to handle high-stakes matters.

Practice head(s):

Timothy Mungovan

Testimonials

‘Deliver great value.’

‘Bob Pommer and associate Bryan Cruz. Very responsive’

‘Bob Pommer is a superstar in respect of SEC matters. We followed him from Kirkland, and while I never want to speak with him again, when I have to speak with a securities litigator, he’s the one I want to speak with. His record with us speaks for itself, which is why he’s our go-to when these matters arise.’

‘The Proskauer Rose legal team is extremely knowledgeable, thorough, well organized and a delight to work with. In addition to generating exceptional written analysis, they ensure that – as much as possible – the drafts are ready with sufficient time for review and to ensure all necessary coordination is in place for any future next stps, bethey filing in court, discovery procedings or court hearings.’

‘All of the team I have worked with as local counsel for a case where Proskauer Rose are lead counsel are excellent. Not only are they excellent professionals but great team players; always ensuring local counsel is involved at the pertinent stages of the case and striving to always ensure that we are informed well-in-advance when our input may be needed.’

‘Besides being very experienced with a very deep bench, the thing that makes the practice most unique is their ability to advise how to get things done and accomplished. Many law firms are really good at telling you what you can’t do – but they are terrible at suggesting solutions as to how something can be done. Proskauer is one of the few firms that does more than just give you a long list of things you can’t do.’

‘Joshua Newville is a Proskauer Partner that really stands out. Earlier in his career he worked in the Enforcement Division of the SEC. He brings that full experience to helping advise clients on how to do things properly so that they don’t run awry of the SEC. He is very good at finding solutions to potential issues.’

Key clients

Shamrock Capital Advisors

Several large hedge fund advisors

Obra Capital Inc.

.406 Ventures Management and Sparta Group

The Necessity Retail REIT

Volta Inc.

Super Micro Computer, Inc.

Oclaro Merger Litigation

Dawn Zier

Karen Murray

Work highlights

  • Secured a significant victory for Shamrock Capital Advisors, in a case brought by founders and other minority shareholders of FanDuel, a portfolio company of Shamrock. FanDuel’s founders and other minority shareholders alleged breach of fiduciary duty, aiding and abetting and unjust enrichment claims against Shamrock, a preferred shareholder in FanDuel, and other defendants.
  • Representation of the former directors of Oclaro, Inc., an optical connectivity company, in connection with a securities class action filed in the Northern District of California arising out of Oclaro’s acquisition by Lumentum Holdings.
  • Representation of Vida Longevity Fund, Vida Capital, and other defendants in a securities class action and related derivative litigation arising from a write-down of the Fund’s assets.

Environment > Environment: transactional Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP’s environmental team is based in New York and offers comprehensive assistance to clients in the chemical, industrial, manufacturing, and pharmaceutical sectors. The team excels in various facets of environmental law, covering enforcement, compliance, and transactional advice. Their expertise extends to managing intricate merger and acquisition transactions, as well as handling capital market deals, underwritings, and financings. The team is led by Aliza Cinamon, noted for her knowledge of environmental issues related to complex corporate, real estate, financing, and bankruptcy transactions, and is actively involved in ESG, sustainability and climate change, as well as in environmental compliance and enforcement proceedings.

Practice head(s):

Aliza Cinamon

Key clients

Arkema

Dansons US, LLC

Morgan Stanley

Havencrest

48-18 Van Dam Holdings LLC

AEW Capital Management, L.P.

Work highlights

  • Represented Arkema in the acquisition of the performance adhesives unit of Ashland Global Holdings Inc., in a multi-national transaction valued at approximately $1.65 billion.
  • Advised Dansons US, LLC in the sale of its business to W.C. Bradley Co. Environmental counsel for this transaction included evaluating the scope of potential environmental liabilities and drafting complex provisions in the equity purchase agreement and renegotiated leases to properly allocate those risks among the parties.
  • Advised Morgan Stanley in a highly successful restructuring of von Drehle Corporation, a North Carolina-based paper tissue and paper towel manufacturer, handling all the environmental aspects of these transactions.

Healthcare > Life sciences Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP‘s life sciences practice is particularly adept at handling multi-faceted patent disputes concerning biologics, medical devices and pharmaceutical developments, and 2023 saw the team expand with the arrivals of Erik Milch in Washington DC and Joseph Drayton in New York from Cooley LLP in July and October respectively, while Morrison Foerster‘s Grant Esposito and David Fioccola also joined the New York office in October. The team is led by Boston’s ‘excellent patent lawyer’ Fangli Chen, whose litigious experience encompasses immunotherapy, gene therapy and editing and vaccines, and managing partner and transactions specialist Daryn Grossman in New York. Siegmund Gutman has left the firm.

Practice head(s):

Fangli Chen; Daryn Grossman

Testimonials

‘The Proskauer life sciences practice is unique in the close partnership they form with their clients. Project teams are diverse and appropriately staffed both in number and level to provide excellent legal services.’

‘Special call out for Fangli Chen in her management of the team and her proactive approach.’

‘The patent team at Proskauer provides insightful, strategic and yet pragmatic advice to its client. Its practice on life sciences is particularly strong, covering both biotech and pharmaceuticals. It is my go-to firm when I need strategic advice to handle complex IP issues.’

‘Fangli Chen is an excellent patent lawyer with a deep scientific expertise. Her strengths are in the strategic development of complex patent portfolios that really add value to her client.’

Key clients

Amgen

SoClean

Gilead Science, Inc.

Bayer/Monsanto

NuVasive, Inc.

Biocon

Bachem

Sanofi Pasteur

Alvogen

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company

Versicolor

BlueRock Therapeutics

Church & Dwight

Akebia

Translate Bio

Various Life Sciences

Beam Therapeutics

Work highlights

  • Represented Gilead Sciences, Inc. in a $3.6bn antitrust lawsuit where it was alleged that the pharmaceutical company had engaged in an anticompetitive “pay-for-delay” patent settlement regarding two HIV medications.
  • Represented Amgen in a patent case related to a biosimilar akin to Johnson & Johnson’s Stelara.
  • Advised Translate Bio on their global patent portfolio, encompassing diverse platform technologies and programs, including developing a patent protection strategy for their lipid nanoparticle.

Healthcare > Service providers Tier 4

David Manko leads the New York-based practice at Proskauer Rose LLP, which handles a wide variety of mandates within the healthcare sector, notably including a class action alleging New York’s failure to provide services, resulting in a mental health crisis. Manko has longstanding corporate expertise within the healthcare space, having represented a range of private equity investors, healthcare delivery systems, and portfolio companies. Primarily handling governance and healthcare payment mandates, Edward Kornreich routinely advises both for-profit and not-for-profit providers. Working out of the Los Angeles office, Vinay Kohli is well versed in cases concerning fraud and abuse, and the prosecution of managed care disputes. Jason Madden is a key name within both the corporate and healthcare groups, assisting clients with M&A, and fraud and abuse compliance issues, while Whitney Phelps’ primary areas of expertise include value-based contracting and managed care work.

Practice head(s):

David Manko

Key clients

Aledade

Ascend Capital Partners Manager, LP

Ascension

Brius LLC

Catholic Health Services

Covenant Physician Partners

Covera Health

Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico

Greater New York Hospital Association

Hospital for Special Surgery

Lighthouse Guild

Live on NY

Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Mosaic Dental Collective

National Football League

New Song Healthcare

Pantheon Global Holdings, LLC

Rockport Administrative Services

Vesey Street Capital Partners

Work highlights

  • Acting for a consortium of diagnostic imaging providers in a wave of Insurance Frauds Prevention Act investigations and litigation.
  • Advising the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico on statutory and regulatory Medicaid reimbursement requirements relating to Federally Qualified Health Centers across Puerto Rico to ensure that economically disadvantaged people receive care.

Intellectual property > Trade secrets (litigation and non-contentious matters) Tier 4

Intellectual property > Trademarks: litigation Tier 4

Investment fund formation and management > Mutual/registered/exchange-traded funds Tier 4

Proskauer Rose LLP is a trusted counselor to investment companies and their board directors, fund complexes and financial services firms, with expertise in registered funds and registered alterative fund products, including exchange traded funds, money market funds and business development companies. Furthermore, the ‘very knowledgeable and professional’ team advises on novel developments in the field, including recently on blockchain-enabled registered funds as well as evolving regulations in the field. Practice head Stuart Coleman sits in New York and offers a comprehensive advisory service to registered fund companies and board directors, including Apollo Independent Director Engagements and Central Park Group Funds. New York based David Stephens further strengthens the regulatory side of the practice, especially in SEC regulations and the Advisers Act. The grew in the last year with the addition of John Mahon in March 2023 from Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP in Washington DC.

Practice head(s):

Stuart Coleman

Testimonials

‘Very knowledgeable and professional. Always extremely well prepared and an excellent business sense’

‘Stuart Coleman and David Stephenson are the partners that we work with on our 40 Act companies. They have the total confidence our directors and have earned it over the many years they have represented us.’

Key clients

The BNY Mellon Family of Funds

The Lazard Family of Funds

Central Park Group Funds

UBS AM Funds

Legg Mason Partners Funds and Legg Mason Global Asset Management Trust

Apollo BDCs and Closed-End Funds

Baron Funds

Needham Funds

Harding Loevner Funds

Grosvenor Registered Multi-Strategy Funds

Morgan Stanley Pathway Funds

Sixth Street Partners

Investors Diversified Realty

New Mountain Capital

180 Degree Capital

Great Elm Capital Corp.

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

Proskauer Rose LLP‘s established media and entertainment practice is known for its ability to negotiate and structure media distribution deals involving cable, satellite, and telecoms providers. The team is also well-versed in mandates relating to NFTs and over-the-top platforms. Practice co-head Robert Freeman has a proven track record in advising on joint ventures and strategic alliances in the media and entertainment field. Co-head Lauren Boglivi frequently leverages her private and public M&A experience to handle transactions in the gaming and sports spaces, while in Los Angeles, co-head Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks is a seasoned entertainment industry litigator. Wai Choy’s broad practice extends to the negotiation of regional and national content licensing deals. Unless otherwise mentioned, all named lawyers are based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Robert Freeman; Lauren Boglivi; Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

AMC Networks

Bain Capital

Big Ten Conference

Castlelake

Crown Media

Cox Communications

Digicel

Doodles

DISH Network

Fan Controlled Football League

FanDuel

ForgeLight LLC

fuboTV

Hearst

Hulu

iHeartMedia

Los Angeles 2028 Organizing Committee

LPGA

Major League Soccer

Miramax

National Basketball Association

National Football League

National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences

Spectrum

TelevisaUnivision

TMRW Sports

United States Golf Association

Warner Bros. Discovery

Women’s Tennis Association

Media, technology and telecoms > Technology transactions Tier 4

Working with a range of clients in the healthcare, arts, and asset management sectors, Proskauer Rose LLP advises on the implementation of tech services as well as on the use of tech to develop and distribute new services and products. With demonstrable activity in handling the tech aspects of M&A deals and joint ventures, the firm also assists clients with their company-wide implementation of blockchain, biometrics, and digital asset products. Robert Freeman leads the New York-based team alongside Jeffrey Neuburger, who concentrates on projects involving the use of emerging technologies in business. Wai Choy is a key practitioner in the practice and covers the drafting and negotiation of various complex tech agreements.

Practice head(s):

Robert Freeman; Jeffrey Neuberger

Other key lawyers:

Key clients

Doodles

7RIDGE

HSS Innovation Institute

Big East Conference

ATP Tour, Inc.

Condé Nast

Component Assembly

Miramax

TMRW Sports

SHoP Architects

Optimism

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: large deals ($1bn+) Tier 5

The trio of Lauren Boglivi, Michael Ellis, and Daniel Ganitsky co-head the Proskauer Rose LLP practice from New York and offer in-depth experience handling cross-border M&A, shareholder activism, and corporate governance matters. Boglivi is especially noted for handling transactions in the healthcare and media sectors, whilst Ganitsky and Ellis are experts on complex restructurings and commercial arrangements as well as private equity transactions. Joshua Apfelroth routinely handles public and private M&A as well as alternative investments, Grant Darwin advises on joint ventures and divestitures, and Lauren Kim focuses on buyouts. The firm is particularly noted for its connections with clients in the real estate, consumer goods, and life sciences sectors.

Practice head(s):

Lauren Boglivi; Michael Ellis; Daniel Ganitsky

Key clients

Patria Investments

Henry Schein, Inc.

Jaime Gilinski

Lincoln International

7RIDGE

Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc.

abrdn Inc.

TGL

Work highlights

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 5

Proskauer Rose LLP has a national real estate practice with locations in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and is particularly known for its prowess in hospitality, leisure, and gaming sectors. New York-based Jeffrey Horwitz is an expert in the aforementioned sectors and has a wealth of experience advising on transformative transactions. The team has a well-rounded practice assisting with retail lease transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and joint venture financings. Steven Lichtenfeld is the go-to for private equity and hedge fund clients, while David Weinberger handles complex mortgage and mezzanine loans and are both based in New York.

Practice head(s):

Jeffrey Horwitz; Steven Lichtenfeld; David Weinberger

Other key lawyers:

Testimonials

‘The real estate finance team at Proskauer Rose is extremely knowledgeable about current market and industry trends and has the resources to close transactions quickly while looking out for their clients’ best interests.’

‘Jeffrey Horwitz leads a great team and David Weinberger is always willing to go above and beyond to help us navigate financing transactions. They are both extremely responsive and their pragmatic approach issues helps keep transactions moving forward.’

Key clients

Accor

AEW Capital Management

Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

Ares Management Corporation

AustralianSuper

Blackstone

Danaher

D.E. Shaw & Co

Extell Limited

FalconEye Ventures

Fortress

Gehr Hospitality

Hines Investments

JLC Infrastructure

Lendlease Development

MG3 Developer Group

Mindspace

Mohari Hospitality

Morgan Stanley

Mr. Chow

Paramount Leasehold

Prelude Capital

The Related Companies

Rubicon

Société Générale

Vornado Realty Trust

Weinberg Properties

Firm Overview:

Proskauer has more than 800 lawyers across 11 global offices. We are strategically strengthening our core practices and industry offerings ensuring that we continually innovate to meet the needs of the markets we serve. We are laser-focused on delivering outstanding client service. We work across borders with asset managers, private equity and venture capital firms, Fortune 500 and FTSE companies, major sports leagues, entertainment industry legends and other industry-redefining companies.

 

Main Areas of Practice:

Existing and potential clients come to Proskauer for a broad range of services within its corporate, labor and employment, litigation, tax and private client services departments, as well as a number of industry specific practices.

 

Corporate:

The firm’s corporate lawyers advise clients across the range of sophisticated transactions and in daily business and regulatory matters. Core practices include private funds; mergers and acquisitions; private equity transactions; business solutions, governance, restructuring and bankruptcy; capital markets; finance; private credit; hedge funds; registered funds; regulatory and environmental.

 

Labor & Employment:

Proskauer has long been one of the world’s pre-eminent firms for labor and employment law. Its lawyers have played key roles in groundbreaking matters and legislation. Core practices include employee benefits and executive compensation (including ERISA litigation); counselling and training; class action; global employment; labor-management relations; litigation and arbitration; and wage and hour.

 

Litigation:

Proskauer’s Litigation Department wins make-or-break cases, changes laws and establishes precedents. Our 150+ litigators cover the full spectrum of complex commercial litigation practice areas, including: antitrust, asset management, bankruptcy, copyright, false advertising, insurance recovery, international arbitration, patent, privacy and cybersecurity, products liability, real estate, securities, sports, trademark and white collar, and have built a track record of success both inside and outside the courtroom. We are also known for our appellate practice, which handles appeals in federal and state court, and advises on trial issues.

 

Tax:

Within its broad tax capabilities, the firm focuses on the tax aspects of investment funds, transactions and tax-exempt organizations, as well as those of employee benefits and executive compensation.

 

Private Client Services:

The firm’s private client services team — one of the largest of its kind — handles estate planning; estate and trust administration; charitable gift planning; fiduciary litigation; and serves as outside counsel to financial institutions and pension plans.

 

Industry Focus:

Proskauer is widely recognized for its industry concentrations in asset management; financial services; hospitality, gaming and leisure; healthcare and life sciences; technology and media; entertainment; real estate; and sports.

Department Name Email Telephone
Chairman Timothy Mungovan [email protected]
Corporate Stephen Boyko
Corporate Lauren Boglivi
Corporate Andrew Bettwy
Entertainment Sandra Crawshaw-Sparks
Labor and Employment Allan Bloom
Labor and Employment Adam Lupion
Life Sciences Daryn Grossman
Litigation Bart Williams
Private Client Services David Pratt
Real Estate Ronald Sernau
Real Estate Keith Barnett
Sports Joseph Leccese
Sports Bradley Ruskin
Tax Amanda Nussbaum
Technology, Media & Telecommunications Robert Freeman
Technology, Media & Telecommunications Jeffrey Neuburger
Photo Name Position Profile
Peter Antoszyk photo Mr Peter Antoszyk Peter J. Antoszyk is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department, a member…
Mark Batten photo Mr Mark Batten Mark W. Batten is a partner in Proskauer’s Labor & Employment Law…
Howard Beber photo Mr Howard Beber Howard J. Beber is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and co-head…
Sean Boulger photo Mr Sean Boulger Sean Boulger is a partner in Proskauer’s Real Estate department. He focuses…
Stephen Boyko photo Mr Stephen Boyko Stephen A. Boyko is the co-chair of Proskauer’s Corporate Department and a…
Nicholas Carter photo Nicholas Carter Nicholas (“Carter”) Noon is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and a…
Fangli Chen photo Dr Fangli Chen Dr. Fangli Chen is a partner in Proskauer’s Litigation Department and chair…
Sarah Cherry photo Ms Sarah Cherry Sarah K. Cherry is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and a…
Gary Creem photo Mr Gary Creem Gary Creem is a Corporate partner, co-head of The Private Credit Group…
Charles Dale photo Mr Charles Dale Chad Dale is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and a member…
Steven Ellis photo Mr Steven Ellis Steven M. Ellis is the former Chair of Proskauer. He is a…
Scott Faust photo Mr Scott Faust Scott A. Faust is a partner in Proskauer’s Labor & Employment Law…
Camille Higonnet photo Ms Camille Higonnet Camille Higonnet is a partner in the Corporate Department and a member…
Scott Jones photo Mr Scott Jones Scott S. Jones is a partner in Proskauer’s Tax Department and a…
David Jones photo Mr David Jones David T. Jones is a partner in Proskauer’s Private Funds Group. He…
Joseph Kasegian photo Joseph Kasegian Joseph E. Kasegian is a partner in Proskauer’s Private Funds Group with…
Philip Lenertz photo Philip Lenertz Phil Lenertz is an associate in the Tax Department and a member…
Arnold May photo Mr Arnold May Arnold P. May is a partner in Proskauer’s Tax Department and a…
Stephen Mears photo Mr Stephen Mears Stephen T. Mears is a partner in Proskauer’s market-leading Private Funds Group…
Timothy Mungovan photo Mr Timothy Mungovan Tim Mungovan is the Chair of Proskauer. He is also the immediate…
Jeremy Naylor photo Jeremy Naylor Jeremy Naylor is a partner in Proskauer’s Tax Department and a member…
Katelyn O’Brien photo Katelyn O’Brien Katelyn O’Brien is a partner in Proskauer’s Real Estate Department. Her practice…
Robin Painter photo Ms Robin Painter Robin A. Painter is a partner in Proskauer’s market-leading Private Funds Group…
Steven Peck photo Mr Steven Peck Steve Peck is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and member of…
Jamiel Poindexter photo Mr Jamiel Poindexter Jamiel E. Poindexter is a partner in Proskauer’s Tax Department and a…
John Roberts photo John Roberts John E. Roberts is a partner in Proskauer’s Litigation Department and co-chair…
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David Tegeler photo Mr David Tegeler David Tegeler is a partner in Proskauer’s Corporate Department and the Private…
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