Profile: Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP

Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP - Who's Who Legal '70'

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

Cravath now houses around 400 lawyers and concentrates on four key areas: corporate and tax, litigation, trusts and estates, and environmental law. Interviewees have commented upon the “inestimable quality” of the firm’s work and its “standing as one of the most respected firms, both in New York and internationally.” Twenty-one Cravath lawyers appear in the following pages, the vast majority are from the New York office; two represent the firm’s London branch.

CAPITAL MARKETS
Cravath’s capital markets team gains plaudits on both sides of the Atlantic, boasting clients such as Goodyear and Crédit Agricole. New York’s Kris Heinzelman is “one of the best I’ve ever dealt with, bar none,” according to one source. He appears alongside the “exceptionally talented” David Mercado. Head of the firm’s London office William Rogers was noted for his international securities work and Gregory Shaw also maintains an excellent reputation.

BANKING
Banking also proves to be an area of real strength within the firm – four lawyers appear in the chapter. The group represents JPMorgan Chase and Credit Suisse, among others. Cravath “sits at the top table of US banking law”, according to rivals – James Cooper was described as “a great lawyer and great to work with”. Allen Parker’s “thorough and immaculate” practice also received praise, while Robbins Kiessling stood out as a “giant in the field”. James Vardell was fêted for his “phenomenal deal flow”.

CORPORATE
Four practitioners from the firm appear in the mergers and acquisitions chapter. Faiza Saeed is “great and destined to be a star”, Richard Hall remains one of the practice area’s leading lights. Alan Stephenson was also consistently endorsed, with one contributor calling him “simply brilliant”. Alan Finkelson’s high-profile caseload also attracted compliments from competitors. The firm has represented clients such as Dreamworks SKG, Weyerhaeuser and Chevron.

Hall and Finkelson also form part of a group repeatedly nominated for its corporate governance advice. Robert Joffe also appears in the listing. He was previously the presiding partner between 1999 and 2006. The firm’s insolvency group received plaudits thanks to the bankruptcy and reorganisation work of Richard Levin, who joined in 2007 in a rare lateral hire for the firm. Levin joined from Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom to head up Cravath’s new practice group. Levin’s CV includes having been a key member of the group that drafted the 1978 Bankruptcy code.

Cravath’s corporate group attracted further compliments for its high-profile tax work. Michael Schler appears in the breakdown of the area’s top practitioners, reflecting the firm’s reputation in the field both domestically and internationally. The “phenomenal” Stephen Gordon is co-head of the tax department and is recommended for his “top-drawer M&A taxation work”.

COMMERCIAL LITIGATION
Three highly rated partners feature in Commercial Litigation. “One of the top disputes lawyers in town,” Paul Saunders, was commended for his work, both contentious and non-contentious. Robert Joffe appears once again, and is viewed as a “legend” by his peers for his litigation practice. The firm’s presiding partner Evan Chesler completes the trio. Also appearing in our competition chapter, he has represented clients such as Xerox, DuPont and GlaxoSmithKline and at least one contributor sees him as “one of the pillars of the New York legal community”.

Joffe and Chesler also find recognition in the competition chapter, highlighting the firm’s strength in the antitrust litigation area. The firm represented American Express in class action litigation and counts British American Tobacco among its clients in class action litigation and related price-fixing cases. Katherine Forrest is also well known for her litigation prowess, especially her representation of record and media companies on competition and licensing-related topics.

ENVIRONMENT AND REAL ESTATE
Further recognition of the firm’s practice was gained in the real estate and environment chapters. Jeffrey Smith heads the firm’s environment group, with a practice that tackles all sectors of business and includes regulatory and litigation services. Head of real estate Roger Turner represents traditional real estate clients as well as real estate investment funds such as O’Connor Capital Partners and Tishman Speyer Properties.