Jones Day - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

Jones Day has a “highly impressive” competition practice. It recently provided antitrust advice to Samson Investment Company in its $7.2 billion acquisition by an investor group consisting of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co, Natural Gas Partners, Crestview Partners and Itochu Corporation. The firm sees 15 of its partners listed in the competition chapter from offices in Belgium, China, France, Japan and the US. In Washington, DC, the “outstanding” Phillip Proger oversees the firm’s worldwide antitrust and competition law practice and Joe Sims is a “leader in the field”. Brussels-based Bernard Amory is “incredibly talented” and has acted for American Airlines and Aventis in recent matters. He complements his listing with a further entry in the regulatory communications chapter, where he is a “well-recognised” expert. In Paris, Eric Barbier de la Serre is lauded for his practice, which focuses on antitrust litigation, state aid and merger control, while the “excellent” Peter Wang leads Jones Day’s antitrust practice in China.

The firm also boasts leading experts for business crime defence work, with eight individuals featuring from the US offices. In Los Angeles the “brilliant” Brian Sun is singled out for the breadth of this practice, which encompasses securities fraud, bank fraud, FCPA investigations and public corruption prosecutions involving prominent elected officials. He is joined by the “impressive” Brian O’Neill, who represents business entities and individuals in white-collar criminal matters in areas such as antitrust, bankruptcy and bribery. In Washington, DC, the “top-tier” Peter Romatowski oversees the firm’s securities litigation and Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement practice, and has substantial experience in federal trials. The “highly regarded” New York-based Charles Carberry co-chairs the firm’s corporate criminal investigations practice, which fields further representatives from Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland and San Diego in our chapter.

Seven practitioners are included in our construction section. In San Francisco, David Buoncristiani is a “prominent name” in the field with over 39 years of commercial litigation experience and a primary focus on construction disputes. Washington, DC-based Andrew Ness is lauded for this use of alternative dispute resolution techniques, while in New York Susanna Fodor is hailed as an “industry expert”. Ashley Howlett adds to the firm’s Asia presence. Based in Beijing, his experience has a particular emphasis on construction and engineering issues in connection with infrastructure and major projects.

Jones Day also features prominently in our management labour and employment chapter with six inclusions from the firm’s US offices. Former general counsel of the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Eric Dreiband is a “respected name”. In New York, the “superb” Willis Goldsmith’s extensive expertise includes advising on collective bargaining and labour contract administration, and Chicago-based Lawrence DiNardo’s practice includes employment discrimination litigation.

Six partners also feature in our corporate tax chapter representing offices in Belgium, France and the US. In Washington, DC, the “first-class” Kenneth Krupsky advises global clients on all aspects of US and international tax law. Brussels-based Werner Heyvaert has over 20 years of experience and his clients include mid-size US investment companies as well as one of the leading Belgian film producers. In Paris, Vincent Agulhon’s practice focuses on international and French direct tax matters and he is credited for his “technical expertise”.

Jones Day has a strong insolvency and restructuring team with five lawyers listed in the corresponding chapter. The “phenomenal” Corinne Ball is co-head of the New York office’s business restructuring and reorganisation practice. In Cleveland, David Heiman is an “authority” in the field and has played a significant role in many of the largest Chapter 11 and out-of-court business restructurings in the US.

The firm has a respected IP practice, and in Sydney Anthony Muratore’s broad expertise covers pharmaceuticals, mechanical engineering, chemistry and information technology. A “knowledgeable” practitioner, he is listed in both the life sciences and patents chapters. Four lawyers feature in the oil and gas chapter including Tony Wassaf. An “energy expert”, he is also singled out for his mining expertise.

With listings in a further nine practice areas, the calibre of talent at Jones Day continues to impress. Further, its strength across so many countries highlights its position as a truly international firm.