White & Case LLP - Who's Who Legal 70

What is the Who's Who Legal 70?

White & Case LLP in Who's Who Legal

	Project Finance
	18

	Insolvency & Restructuring
	2

	Business Crime Defence
	1

	Project Finance
	18

	Real Estate
	3

	Oil & Gas
	5

	Corporate Governance
	3

	Trademarks
	2

	Aviation
	11

	Mergers & Acquisitions
	7

	Life Sciences
	1

	Competition
	5

	Construction
	7

	Competition
	5

	Construction
	7

	Commercial Litigation
	1

	Management Labour & Employment
	2

	Shipping & Maritime
	1

	Private funds
	6

	Corporate Tax
	2

	Insurance & Reinsurance
	1

	Banking
	8

	Internet & e-Commerce
	4

	Mining
	1

	Product Liability Defence
	1

	Public Procurement
	4

	Trade & Customs
	7

	Capital Markets
	4

	Regulatory Communications
	2

	Arbitration
	14

White & Case has a reputation for being “one of the largest project finance practices” with 18 inclusions in nine jurisdictions. The firm fields a team of six leading New York lawyers, including the global head of the energy, infrastructure and project finance group, Arthur Scavone, who enjoys a dual listing in the public procurement chapter along with “senior statesman” Eugene Goodwillie and Troy Alexander, who is “a definite inclusion” in the research. The firm’s chairman, Hugh Verrier, is a project finance lawyer with an emphasis on mining and natural resources infrastructure. Nandan Nelivigi has developed a strong practice, as has the “highly regarded” Alexander Kritzalis. Outside the US, the head of the London energy, infrastructure and project finance group, Philip Stopford, is a “respected” name in London where he is joined by Peter Finlay and Jason Kerr. In Asia, Hendrik Gordenker in Tokyo and Xiaoming Li in Beijing are “highly rated”. The firm has further listings in Turkey, Poland, Mexico and France.

In addition to Scavone, Goodwillie and Alexander in public procurement, Ariel Ramos is “rated highly”.

The firm has been involved in some recent major aviation deals, and its aviation practice is “active” and “innovative”, according to one contributor. In Singapore, Sebastian Buss specialises in asset and project finance and has acted for HSBC and Czech Airlines. In Tokyo Robert Grondine and Simon Collins specialise in M&A and structured financing for the airline industry. In Europe, finance lawyer Victoria Westcott is a “certain inclusion” for her focus on aviation and shipping in Paris, in Bucharest Thomas McDonald is “wonderful”, and in London Adrian Beasley represents a range of clients in asset finance and leasing transactions, along with the “very smart” Justin Benson.

This year, nearly half of the firm’s 11-strong arbitration contingent are based in the US. Paul Friedland heads the international arbitration practice group in New York and holds positions at several arbitration institutes, including the AAA and the LCIA. Abby Cohen Smutny and Carolyn Lamm in DC were both commended to researchers as “absolutely fantastic” and appear alongside Jonathan Hamilton and former chief of the NAFTA arbitration division for the US State Department Andrea Menaker. In London, Phillip Capper is joined by David Goldberg, who is well known in the CIS region. The firm fields “two of the leading experts in Paris” in Christopher Seppälä and Michael Polkinghorne. Patricia Nacimiento in Frankfurt is “first class” and Claes Zettermarck performs well in Stockholm.

The firm’s banking expertise is a reflection of its “impressive” client list. The head of the global practice group in this area, Eric Berg, has represented clients such as Deutsche Bank, Citigroup and Morgan Stanley. Former general counsel and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York Ernest Patrikis is “known throughout town”, he is joined by the “experienced” Duane Wall and the “top-tier” Sean Geary. In Miami, Carlos Viana is a renowned banking lawyer, with extensive experience on cross-border matters involving Latin America, Spain and the US. In Mexico City, Alberto Sepúlveda Cosío is acknowledged as “one of the very best” for M&A work and is one of the leading banking and corporate governance lawyers, and he features in all three of those chapters. Europe is represented in the form of Gergely Horvath in Budapest.

In trade and customs, the firm has a strong showing in DC and Asia. In Beijing, Christopher Corr concentrates on international trade, competition, IP, and other regulatory matters. In Tokyo Osamu Umejima is known for his work at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and has developed a “knowledgeable” practice on FTAs and other custom issues. DC enjoys the inclusion of three international trade lawyers for their “excellent” and “bright” advice: William Clinton, Walter Spak and Gregory Spak, and Miami boasts the head of the international trade group David Bond. In Geneva, head of the WTO practice group Brendon McGivern received many highly ranked nominations.

White & Case’s global M&A presence is reflected in its seven listings. Mark Polonsky is a “stand out name”, and he works alongside Andrei Dontsov in the Moscow office. In Sweden, Claes Zettermarck has a good reputation and the “notable” Barrye Wall is in Hong Kong. Prague-based Ivo Bárta specialises in financing, privatisations and foreign direct investment projects under Slovakian and Czech law. New addition to the M&A group, Maxim Telemtayev offers both M&A and mining experience in Almaty, where he is the managing partner. He also represents the firm in the mining chapter.

White & Case LLP performed brilliantly in our research, and features in 19 other chapters, including construction, competition, oil and gas, private funds, real estate and internet, making it one of the most wide-ranging law firms in the research.