Sullivan & Cromwell LLP - Who's Who Legal 70

What is the Who's Who Legal 70?

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in Who's Who Legal

	Corporate Tax
	8

	Project Finance
	4

	Environment
	1

	Insolvency & Restructuring
	1

	Real Estate
	3

	Capital Markets
	12

	Corporate Governance
	5

	Commercial Litigation
	4

	Capital Markets
	12

	Arbitration
	1

	Mining
	1

	Commercial Litigation
	4

	Management Labour & Employment
	1

	Competition
	4

	Banking
	9

	Business Crime Defence
	5

	Mergers & Acquisitions
	9

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has established an international practice with 12 offices worldwide, while maintaining a strong presence in New York, its historical home. It is the winner of our 2011 law firm of the year award for New York, and boasts the leading banking lawyer of the year. It features 68 lawyers in 15 sections, and its strongest practice areas are in the capital markets, corporate governance, banking, M&A and tax chapters.

The firm sees 11 of its partners listed in the capital markets chapter, and “has a fine track record” in this sector, particularly in New York. Bob Buckholz is co-coordinator of the firm’s corporate and finance group and a “wonderful lawyer”. His “stellar” representations list includes IPOs for American Water and J Crew and he has handled debt and equity offerings for Bank of Nova Scotia and Tyco. John Bostelman is of counsel to the New York office and a “legend in the field”, and Bill Williams is similarly well regarded. Co-head of the general practice group David Harms is a leading lawyer in representing underwriters and issuers in SEC-related offerings. Donal Crawshaw specialises in financing, acquisition and investment management for US and Canadian firms. The firm is also strong in Europe, where Wolfgang Feuring is “in the very top-tier” in Germany. Gauthier Blanluet is the most highly nominated lawyer in France and is “brilliant” on tax matters, for which he enjoys a listing in that chapter. Chun Wei is selected in Hong Kong while in Tokyo, Izumi Akai co-heads the Japan practice and acted as US counsel to the underwriters of the US$2.8 billion global equity offering of Hitachi.

New York dominates the firm’s corporate governance and M&A listings. Senior chairman Rodgin Cohen is a “legend amongst men”, according to contributors. He received many highly ranked nominations, a testament to his “premier” practice. He also features in the M&A chapter as “dean of financial M&A” and the banking chapter as “one of the best banking lawyers in the country”, which earned him our award as the 2011 leading banking lawyer of the year. James Morphy has been with the firm for over 30 years and is a former managing partner of the M&A group. He received many international nominations; a reflection of his global corporate governance expertise. He also earns a listing in the M&A chapter for his “terrific” experience and representations, and is joined by Frank Aquila in both chapters. In Los Angeles, Alison Ressler also earns a listing in both chapters as the managing partner and co-head of the private equity group. She has been involved in significant corporate governance matters in the context of her M&A practice, such as Biovail/Valeant Pharmaceuticals and First Republic Bank/Bank of America. The firm fields three more lawyers in New York alongside Dominique Bompoint and Gérard Mazet in Paris. Bompoint also has extensive experience in M&A and appears in that chapter, having acted for the French government, Crédit Agricole and Vallourec.

Also featuring in the M&A chapter is Tim Emmerson in London who is “very capable” and the “super” Joseph Frumkin in New York.

In addition to Cohen, the research recognises eight other Sullivan & Cromwell banking lawyers. In the NY office, Michael Wiseman is widely recognised for his “impressive” client list, including AIG and Goldman Sachs. As a former general counsel of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, William Kroener, counsel to the DC office, is “incredibly learned in this field” and he is joined by Virgil Mattingly who was formerly at the Federal Reserve Board. Stanley Farrar, formerly based in the Tokyo office, is among the leading experts in California.

In the tax chapter, managing partner of the tax group Andrew Solomon splits his time between the New York and London offices. He is much lauded for his extensive experience advising financial institutions, especially insurance companies, as well as banks and securities and commodities dealers. Alongside him is Michael McGowan, who is “very able” and a “certain” inclusion in the research. Willard Taylor is of counsel at the New York office and is “really very good” in the field. In the Paris office alongside Blanluet, Jean-Pierre Le Gall “knows all there is to know about corporate tax”.