Profile: Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

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

BANKING & FINANCE
Banking has historically been a strength and today lawyers represent a number of the industry’s leading players such as JPMorgan, Lehman Brothers, CIBC, Wachovia and UBS/Warburg to name but a few. John Walker leads the group in terms of nominations, appearing in our breakdown of the chapter’s most nominated practitioners. Rated as a “formidably impressive practitioner”, he is the “go-to-guy for consolidation related work”, according to sources. Lee Meyerson, head of the firm’s financial institutions practice, represented JPMorgan Chase in its US$58 billion merger with Bank One Corporation, leading one interviewee to single him out as “one of the best banking M&A guys I’ve ever come across”. Francis Huck completes the strong trio from New York. The firm has also established a high-quality practice on the other side of the Atlantic with Anthony Keal performing well in the English research. He is said to be “outstanding” for leveraged finance.

International capital markets is another strong suit with lawyers advising issuers and underwriters on a variety of matters. Tokyo-based David Sneider once again affords the firm a presence in our list of the practice area’s high-flyers and, along with Alan Cannon, forms part of what one source labelled “the strongest US capital markets practice in Japan”. Jin-Hyuk Park in Hong Kong is “particularly active in Korea” where he has represented Goldman Sachs private equity among others. The firm is also strong in its New York heartland with the “exceptionally talented” Glenn Reiter and Walter Looney (recently returned from London) faring well. John Lobrano counts investment banks JP Morgan Securities and Lehman Brothers among his clients. David Williams completes the quartet in the Big Apple: his Latin American practice was highlighted. William Hinman in Palo Alto has a “huge reputation” in the field.

Martin Jacobson appears in two of the following chapters: aviation and project finance. His aviation practice focuses on structured aircraft and equipment financings and last year he worked as part of the Simpson Thacher team representing JPMorgan in US$2.5 billion exit financing for Delta Airlines relating to its emergence from its chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. He is joined in the project finance chapter by George Miller who was part of the team representing Chilean independent power company, Empresa Eléctrica Guacolda, in a US$260-million project financing.

CORPORATE CREDENTIALS
Corporate finance and M&A are top tier practices and the firm’s LBO and finance work for clients such as Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (whom former partner David Sorkin recently joined as its first ever general counsel) and The Blackstone Group was consistently brought to our attention. Simpson Thacher boasts one of the world’s leading merger & acquisition practices and Charles “Casey” Cogut, Richard Beattie, and John Finley all appear in our list of the industry’s leading lights, a feat bettered by no other firm. Cogut is global head of the firm’s M&A practice group and leader of the worldwide private equity practice. He was recommended by sources as “quite simply fantastic” and his advice to boards on corporate governance matters was also noted, thus ensuring an appearance in the corresponding chapter. Beattie also features in both chapters and among other high-profile matters in 2007 advised the Dow Jones board of directors in the announced sale to News Corp. John Finley is also listed in two chapters. Robert Spatt completes the quartet of highly rated lawyers in both the M&A and corporate governance sections. Like Cogut, he advised the Dow Jones board on the announced sale to News Corp. Richard Capelouto is one of the West Coast’s leading M&A lawyers. He advised Google in its high-profile acquisition of YouTube. “Talented litigator” Michael Chepiga adds another dimension to the firm’s listing in the corporate governance chapter. He was part of the team representing ten members of the board of directors of Biomet that obtained the dismissal of shareholder litigation relating to the acquisition of the company.

Private funds, particularly their formation, is another strong suit at the firm. Tom Bell and Michael Wolitzer are consistently ranked as two of the practice area’s leading figures. Bell heads the practice group and represents clients such as The Carlyle Group and JC Flowers. Wolitzer was praised as a “wonderful lawyer and teacher” and clients include Blackstone and technology buyout fund Silver Lake Partners. The duo’s reputation in the field led one corporate source to note, “their substantial roster of clients among the leading private equity firms gives them unparalleled experience to complement their respective excellent legal abilities”. Glenn Sarno completes the firm’s New York triumvirate and drew plaudits for his “impressive expertise”. Michael Nooney in Palo Alto comes recommended as “a key player in California funds”, while Philip Culhane is rated by one high-profile source as “the alpha and omega” of the Hong Kong market.
Simpson Thacher is also home to a much-respected bankruptcy and creditors’ rights practice and two of its number appear in the insolvency and restructuring chapter. Peter Pantaleo’s work on behalf of banks and institutional lenders was brought to our attention and recent work includes advising Wachovia Bank in the Adelphia chapter 11 case and related litigation. Mark Thompson also comes highly recommended and he has acted as counsel to companies such as Russell-Stanley, SkyView Media and Pegasus Gold Corporation during their financial restructurings.

Steven Todrys features in the corporate tax chapter. His work on the tax aspects of major transactions was brought to our attention and in January 2008 he was part of an Simpson Thacher team representing ITC Holdings Corp in the acquisition of IP&L’s electric transmission business.

DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The following pages also reveal the high regard in which the firm’s litigators are held. Barry Ostrager is the firm’s senior litigation partner and heads the department. Rated by sources as “one of the highest-profile litigators in the US, if not the world”, he is currently representing Société de Genève, the America’s Cup holder, in legal proceedings relating to the validity of certain challenges for the 33rd America’s Cup. Michael Chepiga turns up again in this chapter, he is particularly admired for securities litigation. “Fantastic trial lawyer” Roy Reardon’s product liability knowledge also sees him listed in the corresponding chapter.

Reardon also appears in the commercial arbitration chapter along with two further colleagues from the New York office, John Kerr and Robert Smit. Kerr is rated as an “experienced counsel”; Smit is a “rising star” in the sector.

Barry Ostrager is also a pre-eminent insurance coverage lawyer and appears in the insurance & reinsurance chapter alongside the “very highly regarded” Mary Kay Vyskocil. In early 2007 she was part of a team that won summary judgment for Royal & Sun Alliance USA in a multi-year coverage dispute with General Motors. GM had sought coverage for liabilities arising from thousands of asbestos and environmental liability claims. The firm also covers client’s environmental needs and in the figure of senior counsel Adeeb Fadil, Simpson Thacher boasts one of New York’s leading environmental litigators. Fadil’s advice relating to the environmental aspects of business transactions was noted and recent highlights include working as part of the team representing MatlinPatterson Global Advisers in a joint venture with the Falcone Group that will focus primarily on developing real property projects in Florida.

ANTITRUST
Simpson Thacher ranks in the top 20 in Global Competition Review’s annual survey of the world’s leading competition law practices. Of the 54 lawyers throughout the firm specialising in the field, a total of five make the competition chapter on the following pages. The group has been busy in the past 12 months on both litigation and deal work and highlights include working on the US$13 billion merger of equals between Sirius Satellite and XM Satellite Radio. Lawyers from the firm also successfully obtained FTC clearance of Google’s proposed US$3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick. Kevin Arquit in New York is said to be “truly amazing with clients, one of the leaders of the bar”. Kenneth Logan is “one of the biggest names” in the industry and a “very good litigator” to boot according to prominent sources. Joseph Tringali and Aimee Goldstein complete a strong quartet in the Big Apple. The firm’s listing is brought to a close by David Vann in London, a “US lawyer who developed European competition skills very easily”, according to one rival.