Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (UK) LLP

Executive partner: Eric J Friedman
London office head: Pranav Trivedi

Since opening the London office in 1988, Skadden has established itself as a major player in the London legal market, offering a fully integrated UK, European and US practice.

Its clients, which it counsels on cross-border European and global matters, include major corporates, financial institutions and governments. Skadden’s global platform allows its lawyers in London to quickly marshall relevant experience across practices and offices.

Principal areas of work
Mergers and acquisitions: Skadden is one of the most successful firms to have established a single global platform combining US and local law capability around the world. The firm’s London office is staffed with English and American partners and acts as an international hub powering multi-jurisdictional transactions. In London, the firm advises on international M&A offering a unique mix of US and English law advice.

Private equity: Skadden advises private equity firms on the structuring and execution of large, cross-border and domestic private equity transactions, including the purchase and sale of portfolio companies. The firm combines leading transactional experience with sophisticated financing and tax techniques in relation to a range of matters including leveraged buyouts, management buyouts and recapitalisations.

Capital markets: Skadden advises on a variety of capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, rights offerings, high-yield financings, offerings of regulatory capital and other hybrid securities, and other global equity and debt offerings.

Banking: The English banking group comprises experienced finance lawyers familiar with all aspects of acquisition finance, high-yield and private placements, project and real estate finance, general corporate lending and restructuring.

White-collar crime and corporate investigations: The government enforcement and white collar crime team provides advice to corporations and individuals involved in cross-border regulatory investigations and disputes. The practice combines an on-the-ground presence in Europe with Skadden’s global experience in government investigations, enforcement actions and internal investigations.

International arbitration and litigation: The international arbitration and litigation group provides legal advice and representation on international commercial disputes for multinational companies and major institutions, particularly in the commercial, energy, telecoms and financial services fields, including arbitrations under bilateral investment treaties, ICC, LCIA and UNCITRAL rules, and under the auspices of all the major international arbitration institutions.

Tax: Skadden focuses on tax advice in connection with M&A and private capital transactions, and our lawyers also are leaders for complex tax advice in relation to the real estate sector, and on behalf of high-net-worth individuals.

Tax controversy and investigations: Skadden’s UK tax controversy and investigations practice combines the skills of experienced English-qualified tax practitioners and dispute resolution lawyers. The group provides its clients with tactical and technical advice to ensure that tax disputes and investigations are resolved as effectively as possible.

Insurance: Skadden represents insurance and reinsurance companies and their financial advisors and underwriters in a wide variety of corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, public and private financings, restructurings and reorganisations.

Corporate restructuring: The corporate restructuring group advises enterprises in cross-border out-of-court restructurings and pre-negotiated plans of reorganisation, and judicial insolvency restructuring transactions and bankruptcy proceedings.

Investment management: Skadden’s investment management group services a wide range of private capital and asset management clients, including: private equity fund houses, hedge fund managers, high-net-worth investors, in-house asset management teams at financial institutions, family offices, SIVs, ABCPs and other shadow banks, private trading companies and sovereign investors.

IP, IT, data protection and cybersecurity: Skadden’s London-based practice advises international clients across various industries on IP, IT, data protection and cybersecurity issues, assisting at every stage of matters to ensure compliance with applicable privacy, data protection and cybersecurity legal and regulatory frameworks.

European Union and international competition: Skadden’s European Union (EU) and international competition practice focuses on four principal areas under EU and other non-US antitrust laws: merger control, cartels, abuses of dominant positions and other antitrust issues ( e.g., vertical licensing/distribution arrangements and state aid issues).

Employment: Skadden’s London employment practice advises businesses and senior executives on a wide range of employment matters. The firm frequently advises on employment issues that arise in corporate transactions, as well as on labour relations, including collective bargaining and industrial disputes, the introduction and implementation of workplace policies and contracts, UK employment laws, corporate governance, data privacy and business protection.

Energy: The energy group provides comprehensive assistance on complex energy transactions, representing clients in a broad array of energy matters.