Profile: Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP

Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

What is the Who's Who Legal '70'?

INSURANCE
The single largest contingent from the firm appears in the insurance and reinsurance chapter. The firm has provided regulatory advice in this field to financial institutions including Citibank, Credit Suisse First Boston, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Merrill Lynch. In the New York office, John Nonna was described as “a class act” and an “excellent negotiator” and enjoys particular renown for his insurance dispute resolution work. Larry Schiffer is regarded as “highly-skilled”, and Lawrence Pollack “drives a very hard bargain” as “a formidable opposing counsel”. Donald Henderson’s transactional and regulatory practice was also the subject of repeated recommendation. James Dwyer divides his time between the New York and Chicago offices and is “well regarded”, while the latter office was recently further strengthened by the lateral hire of Mark Goodman. Dean Hansell in the Los Angeles office is a “smart and experienced” litigator. Overseas, the firm is represented in the important London market by Francis Mackie, as well as in Paris thanks to the “very impressive” Jean Alisse.

ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
Dewey & Leboeuf has five highly rated experts from five offices in the oil and gas chapter. Steven Davis in New York is the chairman of the firm and formerly led the firm’s energy and utility practice. Charles Moore in Houston served as general counsel of the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from 1981 to 1983 and has the reputation as an “authority on FERC matters”, as well as being a “very good oil and gas litigator”. Moscow-based Jonathan Hines has a strong reputation for upstream, transactional and pipeline work in Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Jean-Claude Petilon is senior counsel in the firm’s Paris office and an authority on African markets – he also appears in the mining chapter. The firm’s presence in this field is further strengthened by the 2008 recruitment of Gavin Watson from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP as a resident partner in the new Dubai office. In addition, Richard Shutran earns a place among the leading figures in the project finance research.
The environment research identifies three further experts from the firm. Paul Watchman is a “big name in the London market”, primarily known for his non-contentious environmental planning and regulation work. John Bowman, his colleague from the same office, is well regarded and the firm also appears in the US research through the inclusion of James Thompson.

REGULATION
The trade and customs chapter sees four more partners included. Former Weil Gotshal partner Paul Victor practises in the firm’s New York office and is recommended as “excellent for trade and antitrust”; he also appears in the competition chapter alongside “very capable” Jeffrey Kessler. Alan Wolff is “clearly a leading light” in the trade bar and rated as “a dean of the practice”, while Kevin Dempsey is also well known to respondents to our survey. Bradford Ward impresses with the strength of his practice, particularly in the anti-dumping arena. In addition, Brian Zimbler in the London office appears as a leader in the field of regulatory communications law.

DISPUTES
Dewey & Leboeuf is represented in both the arbitration and litigation chapters. All three lawyers we list in the commercial litigation chapter are based in the US. The “eminent” Judah Best is of counsel to the DC office, while Harvey Kurzweil in New York is “hugely impressive”. The “highly rated” Alan Salpeter in Chicago joined the firm in 2007 from Mayer Brown LLP. The arbitration research in London identifies former barrister Arthur Marriott QC. Marriott works in London and Hong Kong. Sources commend him on his advocacy, and ability to be “on top of his files”. Eric Schwartz in Paris is also described as “top tier” with a “distinguished career” in international arbitration.

CORPORATE AND FINANCE
The firm’s sole inclusion from Germany is Hanno Berger, who appears in the corporate tax chapter. Described as “very creative and intelligent”, he is joined by Joseph Pari in Washington, who was praised for his “tremendous technical knowledge” in this field. The firm’s M&A work was the subject of much praise; highlights for the group include representing HCA in its $33 billion acquisition by Bain Capital LLC. Morton Pierce in the New York office is chairman of the mergers and acquisitions group and a “big name” in our M&A research.
The firm’s Polish office makes an appearance in the capital markets chapter through the inclusion of Lejb Fogelman, whose “local knowledge is invaluable in international business transactions”. Back in New York, Fred Bass’s “first-class” aviation finance practice earns him a place in the corresponding chapter. John Kennedy’s IT work is “of the highest standard” and he features in the internet and e-commerce section.