North America - United States • M&A/corporate and commercial
Seward & Kissel LLP
Praised for being ‘sensible and reasonable in its approach to negotiation’, Seward & Kissel LLP’s sector focus makes it a popular address for clients from the financial services sector, such as investment management firms and broker-dealers, as well as for shipping and offshore wind companies. The New York-based team’s sizeable roster of non-US-based clients is a testament to its cross-border expertise. Leadership duties are divided between partners Craig Sklar and James Abbott. Sklar, who is praised for his ‘impressive, collaborative approach’ to M&A deals, is well-versed in maritime transactions, while Abbott is a key contact for inbound US work. Nick Katsanos is geared to handle roll-ups in the veterinary industry. Danielle Lemberg, who was promoted to partner in July 2023, handles a broad spectrum of transactional work and is a popular choice for private equity clients.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘They are very efficient in handling complex matters, they show strong availability, and have strong negotiation skills. We seem to always be a priority for them. We always have the right staffing in place with very senior involvement on all matters. We work with very professional and knowledgeable professionals at all levels.’
‘James Abbott is efficient and resourceful. He is definitely our trusted advisor on all US legal matters. He understands very quickly the dynamics of all situations.'
- 'Gerhard Anderson is very experienced in all financial technical matters.'
- 'They all have a very reasonable and efficient approach to handling matters, especially as part of the negotiation process. I appreciate their good appreciation of the market practice that would be acceptable for a counterpart. ’
‘We have worked with the Seward & Kissel team for 5 years. When we have a deal that needs to be done, the team is prepared to be sensible and reasonable in its approach to negotiation, rather than getting stuck on legal points which are out of proportion to the legal risks posed by the deal. This allows us to execute deals quickly, which is often essential to preserve the value of the target entity.’
‘James Abbott has a level of understanding of the issues which allows him to take views confidently and give practical advice. He is extremely responsive and unflappable - too extremely important qualities in a relationship partner. We have also worked with Danielle Lemberg and she is extremely effective.’
‘Attention to detail, quality, responsiveness, balanced and thoughtful approach, depth of team, were all exemplary.’
‘Craig Sklar and Nick Katsanos were the main engagement partners. Their own expertise was excellent, however, equally as important they knew their limitations and when to draw upon their colleagues who specialized in other areas. Impressive, collaborative approach, with no egos.’
Key clients
- AlTi Global, Inc.
- Diana Shipping Inc.
- Growth Catalyst Partners
- Estancia Capital Management
- Stable Rock Solutions, LLC
- Frontline Ltd.
- Marex Group
- TechInsights Inc.
- Kudu Investment Management
- iM Global Partner
Work highlights
- Advised UK-based broker-dealer Marex plc in connection with its acquisitions of ED&F Man Capital Markets and the legacy prime brokerage business of TD Cowen.
- Advised Tiedemann Advisors and TIG Advisors in connection with their merger with UK-based Alvarium and a SPAC to form publicly-traded investment manager AlTi Global, Inc.
- Advised offshore wind turbine company Eneti Inc. in connection with its merger with Denmark-based Cadeler A/S.
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Seward & Kissel LLP
Nick Katsanos is a partner in the Business Transactions Group at Seward & Kissel. Nick joined the Firm in 2008 after practicing in-house at a global media company for more than five years. Nick works with public and private companies, private equity firms, financial institutions, and individual business owners in connection with a variety of U.S and cross-border business transactions and general corporate matters. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity and venture capital transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances in a wide range of industries, including shipping, investment management, broker-dealer and other financial services, B2B media and events, business information and marketing services, and veterinary transactions. Nick also advises clients on compliance with the premerger notification requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act. Prior to joining Seward & Kissel, Nick worked in-house in the legal and corporate development departments of UBM, a global media company listed on the London Stock Exchange. During his time at UBM, Nick worked on evaluating, structuring and completing acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, minority investments and strategic alliances throughout the world, focusing on B2B media (including online and print), exhibitions and events, news distribution, market research and data and software services and solutions. Nick currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce. In addition, Nick acts as an editor for IM Deals® (a blog covering investment management industry transactions). Nick’s work has been recognized by Chambers USA, The Legal 500, The M&A Advisor, New York Super Lawyers and Euromoney Institutional Investor’s LMG Rising Stars (Expert Guides). Legal 500 USA 2019 said this about Nick: “…highly rated is Nick Katsanos, who understands the nuances that differentiate one deal from the next and provides practical advice to overcome the inevitable hurdles that arise.” Nick is admitted to practice in New York and is a member of both the New York City and New York State Bar Associations. Nick received a B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from New York University’s Stern School of Business in 1996, and a J.D. degree from New York University School of Law in 1999.
Next Generation Partners
Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Craig Sklar, James Abbott