Profile: Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP

Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

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

Corporate governance is just one field in which the firm excels. Weil Gotshal has a “stellar background in this area”, having advised the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Commission and various stock exchanges and regulatory bodies on governance issues. The firm is “well known and hugely respected, both nationally and internationally” and boasts a total of six individuals in the corporate governance chapter. Ira Millstein is an “absolute giant of New York law”, having counselled numerous boards on governance, including the boards of General Motors, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS), Tyco, Walt Disney and the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Robert Todd Lang is an “expert in this field”, recognised for his “encyclopedic knowledge”. The “fantastic” Holly Gregory is a third “high-profile” inclusion from the firm’s New York office. Norman Veasey in the Wilmington office, is well known nationally after serving a 12-year term as the chief justice of Delaware. The firm’s contingent is completed by two nominees from the Dallas office: Mary Korby is a “major corporate player” in Texas; and Michael Saslaw was described to researchers as a “very savvy operator”.

Competition is another strong suit for a firm that boasts an antitrust practice with a headcount of around a hundred. In the past year the firm successfully defended Johnson & Johnson against an antitrust lawsuit brought by Applied Medical Resources. Five partners from the New York and Washington, DC offices feature in this chapter and are led by Steven Newborn and Helene Jaffe – co-heads of the firm’s global competition practice. Newborn is based in DC and has a “great practice” that supports his “excellent reputation” in the area. Jaffe in New York is said to be “superb”. Peers of Debra Pearlstein “agree with her judgements” and she emerges as one of the most highly nominated individuals in this area. The “very senior” Irving Scher and Ann Malester also performed extremely well. Malester was described by one source as “the go-to person for pharmaceutical mergers and litigation”.

The mergers and acquisitions chapter highlights Weil’s European strength, with David Aknin in France and Karel Drevinek in the Czech Republic both making the grade.

The firm lives up to its longstanding reputation as an insolvency and restructuring “powerhouse”. Marcia Goldstein, Martin Bienenstock and Harvey Miller were three of the most highly nominated individuals in the research and were praised by clients and competitors alike. Goldstein co-chairs the firm’s business, finance and restructuring department and acted as lead counsel in the restructurings of WorldCom and Parmalat. Harvey Miller is “one of the big stars in New York” and he has represented debtors in cases including Texaco and Global Crossing as well as for bank lenders in the Safety-Kleen et al and Braniff Airways cases. His “reputation is unsurpassed” and rivals were quick to sing his praises. Alan Miller is senior counsel to the firm and is also based in New York. Martin Sosland was one of the principal partners involved in the firm’s representation of Enron and its affiliates, and is known to be “extremely bright”. He also led the firm’s representation of US ONE Communications, Heartland Wireless Communications, Verado Holdings and Hedstrom in their chapter 11 cases, and was described as “outstanding, smart and practical”. Co-head of the firm’s business finance and restructuring department in Paris Jean-Dominque Daudier de Cassini completes the firm’s strong showing in this area.

Weil Gotshal boasts a “top-drawer” private funds practice, with three partners in that chapter. This “highly respected group” was consistently recommended for its “high level of professionalism”. Barry Wolf co-chairs the corporate department and Jeffrey Tabak co-heads of the firm’s fund formation practice. Wolf is a “shrewd, creative operator”. Shukie Grossman was described as “highly knowledgeable” and completes the firm’s New York group in the chapter.

FINANCE
The firm’s banking practice, which has been acting on some high-profile matters performed well in our research. Partner Glenn West was part of a group that advised Kop Football Limited, the owner of the Liverpool Football Club, on the successful completion of a £350 million financing package. Angela Fontana, also in Dallas, and Ronald Daitz in New York, join West on the following pages. Jonathan Nabarro in Paris completes the strong contingent.

The capital markets section also includes four talented practitioners, three of whom hail from Europe, highlighting the firm’s presence in the region. Anna Frankowska and Pawel Rymarz command respect from their competitors in Poland as does Konrad Siegler in Hungary. Jacky Kelly gives the firm a high profile in the London market, thanks to her “good reputation”. She heads the firm’s London securitisation practice and is co-head of the global structured finance practice.

TAX
Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP has a “strong tax department”, according to sources. The firm put in an impressive performance in this chapter, with four practitioners in New York and one in Texas. Kimberly Blanchard, a former chair of the New York State Bar Association tax section, comes very highly recommended. Kenneth Heitner is the co-head of the firm’s tax department and an “excellent lawyer” and “well respected” among his peers. Martin Pollack is one of the two chairmen of the firm’s global tax practice and is “great” for federal income tax matters. Martin Amdur counts Broadcom, General Electric Capital and Applied Graphics among his clients. Paul Asofsky in Houston has headed the tax group at Weil Gotshal since 1990. Sources noted a speciality in the areas of private investment partnerships, mergers and acquisitions, real estate investments and bankruptcy and debt restructuring.

OTHER AREAS OF EXPERTISE
The firm also boasts a respected international trade practice, with four highly rated individuals in this chapter. Jean Anderson leads in terms of nominations; our sources noted her work counselling the government of Canada and acting as lead respondents’ counsel in one of the largest countervailing duty and anti-dumping cases in history, on softwood lumber. Before joining the firm, Anderson served as chief counsel for international trade at the US department of commerce. Charles Roh is “an anti-dumping specialist”. Roh’s arbitration credentials were also brought to our attention. Joanne Osendarp is a new entry for our book this year and currently heads the firm’s international trade practice. Prior to joining the firm she served as senior trade counsel with the government of Canada. The “excellent” Stuart Rosen affords the firm a presence in our list for New York.

James Quinn features prominently in the commercial litigation chapter and co-chairs the firm’s 500-lawyer global litigation/regulatory practice. Head of the international arbitration group, Guillermo Aguilar Alvarez is “knowledgeable” and “fantastic”. He features prominently in the commercial arbitration section. Otto Obermaier is counsel to the firm and possesses “impressive” trial skills that gained him a place in the business crime chapter.

Co-chair of the real estate practice Philip Rosen is the firm’s representative in that chapter. Karel Muzikar in Prague features in the regulatory communications section. Michael Epstein in the internet & e-commerce chapter and Mark Jacoby in the management labour and employment section bring the firm’s impressive listing to a close.