Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP‘s M&A team remains a key player in the private equity space, standing out for its ability to handle bulge-bracket buyouts, take-private acquisitions, and portfolio deals for major funds including EQT, Silver Lake, and Carlyle. The department’s reach extends across a diverse array of sectors, including life sciences and consumer products, and it also handles a growing volume of deals in the tech and infrastructure sectors. Marni Lerner, an expert on PE investments and divestitures, and Elizabeth Cooper, a key contact for public and private M&A with close ties to private equity giants like Blackstone, co-head the practice from the firm’s New York office. New York-based Michael Holick leads on numerous PE investments in the energy and infrastructure space. Also based in New York is Anthony Vernace, an expert in both strategic and private equity-backed transactions. Palo Alto-based Naveed Anwar navigates complex leveraged transactions and buyouts for the likes of KKR, and Atif Azher, also in Palo Alto, stands as a key contact for fund investments in the tech sector.