Profile: Shearman & Sterling LLP

Shearman & Sterling LLP - Who's Who Legal '30'

What is the Who's Who Legal '30'?

PROJECT FINANCING

The firm has developed a reputation as a "project finance powerhouse"- with eight nominees. Standing "head and shoulders above the rest" are two partners from either side of the Atlantic, Kenneth MacRitchie in London and Cynthia Urda Kassis in New York. MacRitchie was praised by clients and peers for his high-profile work as lead arranger of the £400 million financing for the new Wembley National Football Stadium in the UK and for the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in the development and financing of a US$1.5 billion LNG plant in Egypt. MacRitchie, the managing partner of the London office, reportedly "gets the deal done and commands great client loyalty". Urda Kassis, a co-head of Shearman & Sterling's project development and finance group is a "stand out" lawyer in the market. Three London partners join MacRitchie in this listing including David Platt, who "has a very good name in the market"; and the head of the firm's project finance group, Nicholas Buckworth, who has a great international reputation. Two nominees in the UAE represent the firm: Tim Pick and Philip Dundas from Abu Dhabi are "exceptional". In Asia, Edward Turner appears in Hong Kong, and Bill McCormack "stands out" in Singapore. The firm has four nominees in the Oil & Gas chapter who all appear in Project Finance - McCormack, Pick, Platt and Dundas.

BANKING AND CAPITAL MARKETS

The capital markets chapter lists six Shearman & Sterling lawyers, led in the voting by the "phenomenally talented" David Beveridge in London. Beveridge was involved in the £1.2 billion IPO of Yell, a deal that earned him praise from clients and peers. He is joined by James Bartos who is "highly valued" for his advice to European issuers in offerings around the world. Stephan Hutter is a "major player" in Germany. In New York the firm calls on the services of Rohan Weerasinghe and Antonia Stolper, who is known for her Latin American expertise. Matthew Bersani in Hong Kong cements the firm's international credentials. Remaining in the financial services sector, Shearman & Sterling also performs well in the research for the Banking chapter, four New York lawyers are listed. Reade Ryan is "in the pantheon of the all-time greats". Jonathan Weld, Bradley Sabel ("one of the best lawyers around") and William Hirschberg also feature.

INTERNATIONAL M&A

Mergers and Acquisitions is another area in which the firm is particularly strong, with talent on both sides of the Atlantic. In New York, John Madden and Peter Lyons were consistently recommended to us, as were German counterparts, Georg Thoma and Hans Rolf Koerfer in Düsseldorf. Thoma was applauded for his "great reputation in the market" and features among the publication's most highly regarded individuals. He is also listed in the corporate governance chapter alongside Martin Winter from the Mannheim office.

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION

Great Continental European bench strength is also apparent in the Arbitration chapter. Of the four European practitioners listed in the following pages, three are from Paris and one from Frankfurt. They are led in the voting by Emmanuel Gaillard, who was described by one source as "the perfect international arbitration lawyer". He is also listed among the chapter's leading lights. Gaillard's colleagues in the France section are Fernando Mantilla-Serrano (a "rising star" according to one source) and the "super able" Phillipe Pinsolle. Richard Kreindler from Frankfurt is "one of the most outstanding experts in Germany" and sources noted his "impressive work as an advocate". The fifth Shearman & Sterling partner is John Savage, a "future star" from the Singapore office.