Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP - The Who's Who Legal 100 2012

What is the Who's Who Legal 100?

By far the firm’s strongest chapter is capital markets where it fields 11 practitioners. In New York, co-head of the global capital markets group Michael Kaplan has acted for companies such as Cellcom and Delphi Automotives on IPOs, and advised ExxonMobil and Ford on capital financing. He is a key player in the market. He is joined by his fellow co-head Richard Truesell Jr, a significant presence in the market who has acted for Credit Suisse, JP Morgan and other global investment bodies. Leader of the global capital markets group, Richard Sandler is an experienced adviser on security offerings, derivatives, leveraged investments and related governance issues. Nicholas Kronfeld is a leading lawyer on securities regulation and focuses on South American deals for clients such as Santander, CTC Chile and Grupo Aval. In London, head of the European financial institutions group Jeffrey Oakes and the “highly regarded” Paul Kumleben represent European corporations and investment banks in securities offerings and other financings in the international public and private markets.

Davis Polk is strongly represented in Tokyo by Eugene Gregor, who has nearly 25 years’ experience counselling leading companies in the Japanese and larger Asian market, particularly in Hong Kong and Korea. Also in the Tokyo office is Theodore Paradise, who “is a leader in the practice”. He represents issuers, underwriters and governments on privatisations, IPOs and global and US targeted securities offerings by Japanese issuers.

John Douglas splits his time between New York and Washington, DC, advising clients on banking regulations and recapitalisation of financial institutions, earning him an additional listing in the banking chapter, where he is joined by established practitioners Bradley Smith, Randell Guynn and James Florack.

Managing partner of Davis Polk Thomas Reid leads an active capital markets, M&A and corporate governance practice. He has acted for blue-chip companies and financial entities, including Alstom, Neste Oy, Royal Dutch Shell and AstraZeneca. He enjoys listings in all three corresponding chapters, where he is joined by William Barron in Hong Kong whose practice is geared towards dealing with multinationals looking to invest in or around the Asia-Pacific region. He advises on M&A transactions, joint ventures and related financing and governance issues.

The global co-head of the firm’s M&A practice, George Bason Jr, also features in the M&A and corporate governance chapters. He is a “heavy hitter” on strategic acquisitions and general governance and securities advice and “a pleasure to deal with”. Joseph Rinaldi’s practice encompasses takeovers, general securities and corporate law.

The co-founder of the West Coast team, William Kelly, is “very strong” and acts for technology companies on takeover defences and provides general counselling on corporate governance issues. Joining him is fellow co-founder Daniel Kelly, who has experience representing boards of directors in governance and sensitive corporate matters.

Senior counsel in New York John McCarthy deals primarily with corporate governance matters, advising US and non-US clients on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, defensive matters, with a concentration on cross-border investments.

Seven lawyers are included in the competition chapter, most notably Christopher Hockett, a “prominent, bright and talented” lawyer in California; Michael Sohn “a deserving inclusion” based in Washington, DC; and Ronan Harty in New York, who received many votes from his peers for his antitrust work for pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and Novartis.

Corporate tax is another of the firm’s strengths, and includes John Paton in London, who deals with all aspects of private and public offerings, structured financial products and tax implications of investments. Davis Polk fields five lawyers in the New York office, with Samuel Dimon standing out for his federal income tax practice in the context of reorganisations, hedge fund strategy and investments.

Davis Polk’s expertise stretches across a range of practice areas, such as environment law, commercial litigation, insolvency and restructuring, private funds and business crime.