Profile: Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP - Who's Who Legal '30'

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

BANKING

The New York office is home to the Banking chapter's most highly nominated practitioner: firm chairman H Rodgin Cohen, who wins this year's Who's Who Legal Banking Lawyer of the Year Award. In total we list five Sullivan & Cromwell lawyers in New York - more than from any other firm. Michael Wiseman is particularly praised for his regulatory work; Erik Lindauer is "extremely good across a range of complex financings". Donald Toumey, "spectacular for banking related M&A", and the "very good" Mark Welshimer complete the quintet in New York. Collectively, they were described as "one hell of a team" by one local rival. The Tokyo office appears in this chapter courtesy of Stanley Farrar, who is well known for his M&A work for clients such as Citigroup.

CORPORATE TAX

Sullivan & Cromwell has a strong contingent in the Corporate Tax chapter, with nominees in New York and Paris. The "pre-eminent" Willard Taylor scoops the Who's Who Legal Corporate Tax Lawyer of the Year Award, polling more votes than any other individual for the second year running. The firm's fine international Capital Markets practice is also embodied in the following pages by six S&C representatives. This group was led in the voting by "the senior statesman of capital markets", William Williams in New York. He is joined by the "supremely talented" John Bostelman. The firm is also represented in Japan by Izumi Akai in Tokyo, and by the "superlative" Chun Wei in Beijing and Hong Kong. It is also strong in Germany, where we identify two lawyers - Wolfgang Feuring and David Morrison (who also works from Paris) in Frankfurt.

MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS

S&C also contributes a formidable group of M&A lawyers, represented in our bopok by lawyers in France and the US. The New York office boasts four of the city's "leading lights". Among them, the managing partner of the group, James Morphy, earns a place on our list of the area's elite. The "absolutely brilliant" H Rodgin Cohen was also recommended here. He represented Procter & Gamble's compensation committee in the company's US$57 billion merger with Gillette. Joseph Frumkin maintains the firm's excellent reputation, as do Dominique Bompoint and Gérard Mazet, who both fare well in the France research.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The firm's reputation for corporate practice spawns results in six nominations in the Corporate Governance chapter. "First-class" Alison Ressler in California is joined by three New York partners: the "A team" of Benjamin Stapleton, John Warden and James Morphy, "one of the leaders of the younger generation". Two partners from the Paris office, Gérard Mazet and Dominique Bompoint, add an international dimension to the Sullivan & Cromwell's showing.

DISPUTES

S&C is among the best-represented firms in New York. John Warden was described as "the best of the bunch", with a client list that includes Amax and The Bank of New York. David Tulchin was also praised by one of our sources as: "One of the finest trial lawyers I have seen in 26 years of practice."

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

Project Finance is another chapter in which the firm does well. The practice is blessed with "some of the finest legal minds around", according to a prominent source. Frederic Rich, "an acknowledged leader", makes it onto our list of the practice area's most highly regarded lawyers. In London, Jamieson Logie is also recognised as "one of the finest project finance lawyers", equally as prominent in energy, mining and infrastructure. The firm's real estate practice also stands out spawning three nominations: Joseph Shenker - praised as "one of the greatest lawyers in the US" - is accompanied by the "very good" Anthony Colletta and Arthur Adler. The firm's lawyers also made the grade in five other practice areas, reflecting the high esteem in which the firm is held both in the US and further afield.