Most Highly Regarded Firms: Banking 2012

• January 2012

• Banking

In this section we analyse the findings of our research in greater depth to identify the firms and practitioners who stand out worldwide.

Our research highlights 496 exceptional banking lawyers who have earned the respect and admiration of the peers and clients we canvassed. The scope of this year’s list is broader than ever, encompassing 255 firms and 66 jurisdictions. The firms mentioned below performed particularly well in terms of the number of partners selected for inclusion and the depth and breadth of their banking proficiency.

Allen & Overy’s banking practice has gone from strength to strength in recent years and once again has the highest number of listings in this edition. An impressive 21 attorneys have been selected for inclusion in our banking guide, eight of whom earn this recognition for the first time.

Michael Duncan chairs the global banking practice and has a wide-ranging finance practice. Peers described him as “absolutely first class” and “hard to beat”. He is one of six lawyers listed from the London office, including managing partner Stephen Kensell, whose recent experience includes representing the mandated lead arrangers on event driven investment grade deals such as Enel’s €35 billion financing for Endesa.

Anne Baldock was commended to researchers for her “invaluable commercial acumen” and Jonathan Brownson is “very good at getting the deal done”. Both these lawyers appear for the first time in this edition. Also appearing for the first time is Stephen Matthews from the Moscow office, who was commended as a “highly effective negotiator and drafter”.

The firm is very strong in Europe, with five inclusions from across the continent. The “terrific” Mikuláš  Touš  ka, a counsel in the Prague office, is particularly renowned for his “brilliant” litigation work, while Bart Meesters is a “big name” in the Amsterdam office.

The “sensational” Neil Weiand is the senior partner of A&O Germany and garnered praise from peers for his ability to “tackle the toughest of banking issues”. Peter Bienenstock is a partner in the Brussels office and has a broad financial practice, including syndicated lending and acquisition finance. Luxembourg’s “go-to-guy” Henri Wagner completes the firm’s European contingent. A&O’s performance south of the Equator is especially remarkable, with the UAE and Australia offices each earning an extra listing this year. The “top-notch” Bimal Desai and “highly regarded” Christian Saunders are joined in the Dubai office by Ian Ingram-Johnson, whose “incredibly detailed knowledge” earns him much praise. “Banking heavyweight” Grant Fuzi is listed alongside Chris Robertson, who has over 17 years of experience in the sector and specialises in acquisition and leveraged finance, syndicated and bilateral lending and real estate finance.

Two listings in Singapore and one in Hong Kong secure A&O’s reputation as one of the leading banking firms in the southern hemisphere. John Richards and Kayal Sachi are “clever, dedicated lawyers” and managing partner of the Asia Pacific offices Thomas Brown was commended to researchers for his “unrivalled experience and knowledge”.

“The name Clifford Chance is synonymous with banking” and our research confirms the pre-eminent position of this magic circle firm in the sector. The firm earns 18 nominations spread across 10 offices, reflecting the truly global extent of its expertise. Seven lawyers from London are included.

They are led by global head of finance Mark Campbell, one of the most highly regarded individuals in the research. His “phenomenal expertise and commercial sense” make him “first choice” for many clients. Malcolm Sweeting is lauded for his “leading restructuring practice” and fellow partner Alan Inglis is well regarded for his insolvency and reconstruction work, while new inclusion Christopher Bates is in demand for his skill in regulatory matters. Peter Avery, a partner in the Dubai office, garnered votes for his “first class” structured finance practice and the firm’s Hong Kong office is represented by Huw Jenkins, whose expertise was described as “enviable”.

In Russia the “formidable” Logan Wright is listed alongside new inclusion Victoria Bortkevicha, who is “much admired” for her regulatory work relating to Russian banking and insurance activity. New inclusions Frank Graaf and Vlad Petrus from the Netherlands and the Czech Republic respectively have further bolstered the firm’s European listings. Washington DC lawyers Fabricio Longhin and Kate McCarthy are also both recognised for the first time in this edition and earned high praise for their “impressive diligence”. With partners also selected from offices in Ukraine, Singapore and Belgium, there is no doubt that Clifford Chance is “uniformly brilliant”.

Linklaters’ international presence in our guide has expanded this year to 11 lawyers from eight countries. Three lawyers are listed from the flagship London office. Co-head of the leveraged finance practice Gideon Moore has extensive experience of acquisition finance and corporate lending and recently acted for Arcus European Infrastructure on its recommended P2P cash offer for Forth Ports. He was commended to researchers for his “forensic approach” and “fierce intelligence”.

Philip Spittal earns recognition for his expertise in property and development finance for the first time in this edition. The firm’s Frankfurt office also performs well with Berthold Kusserow widely praised for his “astute legal analysis”, while Eva Reudelhuber garners votes for her “outstanding” acquisition and structured finance work. Akihiro Wani is “one of the leading banking lawyers in Japan” and co-head of the Asia Pacific banking and restructuring group Trevor Clark is “hugely admired” for his international banking expertise. New inclusion Patrick Geortay ranks highly in Luxembourg and peers described him as “a fantastic lawyer”. Further listings of partners in Russia, Belgium and the US secure Linklaters’ position as a market leader in banking law.

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP continues to set the standard for banking law in the US. Nine of its attorneys feature in this edition, two of whom are among the most highly regarded individuals in the research. The renowned Rodgin Cohen was variously described to researchers as “the Godfather”, “a senior statesman” and “a complete legend”. He is universally revered for his vast experience and is at the forefront of all the major developments within the banking sector. Mark Welshimer is the deputy managing partner of the firm’s financial institutions group and has a particular focus on new products and bank regulatory advice. William Kroener, counsel to the DC and Los Angeles offices, focuses his practice on the supervision and regulation of banks and other regulated financial institutions and is “greatly respected” for his work in this area. The “first class” Donald Toumey has extensive experience advising US and non-US banks on banking and broker-dealer regulatory matters.

White & Case boasts eight listings from four offices. The international focus of its banking practice is highlighted by its recent advisory work for the lead lenders representing a syndicate of 27 global commercial banks in a five-year US$3 billion senior revolving export credit facility for Vale SA. Carlos Viana is a partner in the Miami office and one of the most highly regarded individuals in the research. His work, encompassing project finance, corporate and acquisition finance and structured trade finance, is “always of the highest quality”. Magdalene Bayim-Adomako is head of bank finance in the firm’s banking and capital markets group in London. Peers are impressed by her “extraordinary attention to detail” and “great client relationships”. Alberto Sepúlveda Cosío has “an outstanding reputation” in Mexico and the firm’s global profile is further underlined by the inclusion of Gergely Horváth from the Hungary office.

The seven lawyers listed from Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP hail from three countries. The firm’s banking practice has been very busy in recent months; among other matters it is acting on behalf of Dexia in the nationalisation of Belgian banking subsidiary Dexia Bank Belgium. Robert Tortoriello is a partner in the New York office and one of the most highly regarded individuals in the research. Our sources described him as “simply brilliant” and “a real star in this sector”. Derek Bush specialises in advising domestic and international financial institutions and foreign sovereigns regarding US bank regulatory matters and ranks very highly in the DC list. According to one source, Paul Glotzer is the “first choice” for private equity transactions involving global financial institutions and Seth Grosshandler is “absolutely top notch”. Scott Senecal is a very highly regarded banking expert in Russia and Christof von Dryander, who splits his time between the Hong Kong and Frankfurt offices, was commended to researchers for his “sound judgement and great analytical skills”.

The six nominees from Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP are spread across five countries: Japan, Spain, Germany, Austria and London. Sean Pierce co-heads the global financial services sector group and has an “excellent” restructuring and finance practice. Friedrich Jergitsch is “in demand” for his skill in regulatory matters and Yorck Jetter’s “stellar” practice in Germany makes him “a must for inclusion”. Naoki Kinami, a partner in the Tokyo office, has experience advising major Japanese banks on capital adequacy issues and was praised by one source as “one of Japan’s top lawyers”.

Shearman & Sterling LLP has a strong presence in the US, with six featured practitioners. Reade Ryan, of counsel to the firm, has more than 40 years’ experience and is “one of the New York office’s greatest assets”. The “formidably intelligent” Cynthia Urda Kassis is listed in three other Who’s Who Legal publications and this year makes her debut appearance in the banking guide. Steven Sherman was “strongly recommended” to researchers, while Bradley Sabel gained many votes for his “phenomenal depth of knowledge”. The firm also earns a listing in England. Anthony Ward is a partner in the London office whose experience includes advising Barclays Capital, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley in relation to the €9 billion financing for the acquisition of Innovene from BP by Ineos Group Limited.

Several other firms stood out in their own jurisdictions. US firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP appears five times, with “senior statesman” Randall D Guynn once again making it onto our list of most highly regarded individuals. He is head of the firm’s financial institutions group and is “greatly admired and respected” for his expertise and experience. James A Florack is co-head of the global credit group whose clients have included JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America, Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs. He was described to researchers as “a top tier practitioner” for leveraged acquisition work. The “supremely talented” John L Douglas heads the firm’s bank regulatory practice and has been involved in some of the most high profile matters arising out of the financial crisis, including advising the boards of directors of Indymac and Bank United and counselling Citigroup with respect to FDIC matters.

Canadian firm Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP has a “first-rate reputation”, an accolade supported by the findings of our research, which identifies five attorneys as experts in this field. Michael Harquail leads the financial services group and has a wide range of banking expertise. Peers commented on his “outstanding knowledge” and consider new inclusion Michael McIntosh to be “a great legal mind”. John Teolis is “in great demand” for his advisory work and Norm Saibil was commended as “one of Quebec’s leading banking lawyers”.

Guyer & Regules performed well in the research, with four lawyers listed in Uruguay. The firm has “one of the best practices in Latin America” and partner Diego Baldomir is described as “second to none”. Nicolás Herrera’s “invaluable business acumen” makes him a first port of call for clients, while Alvaro Tarabal and Nicolás Piaggio were both commended as “exemplary lawyers”.

Swiss firm Lenz & Staehelin earns five inclusions with both Shelby du Pasquier and Stefan Breitenstein widely praised for their “indispensable expertise in the most complex of matters”.

Slaughter and May is “a very prestigious firm with huge talent across the board” and the banking practice is no exception. The firm earns four listings in London, including head of the financial regulation group Ruth Fox, who has extensive experience advising financial institutions on regulatory developments in the UK and Europe. Stephen Powell is “highly regarded” for his work advising corporate treasury departments and Nigel Boardman and Frances Murphy are equally well regarded.

The “fantastic” Jeff Clark is one of five nominees from Mallesons’ Stephen Jaques and is “renowned” for his advisory work in relation to financial restructures and workouts, general insolvency issues and securities enforcement. Three other partners are listed in Australia, with Richard Mazzochi giving the firm an additional presence in Hong Kong.

German firm Hengeler Mueller appears five times in this edition. Stefan Krauss was described as “very experienced”, while Thomas Cron and Hendrik Haag earned votes for their “superior advice” on a wide range of financial matters.

New inclusion Cecilia Mairal joins three other partners from Marval O’Farrell & Mairal on the Argentina list. Her practice includes giving advice on securities issues, trusts, syndicated loans, derivatives and debt restructurings and sources described her as “very bright”. Gabriel Matarasso is “one of Argentina’s finest banking lawyers” and specialises in advising investment banks, financial entities, strategic partners and private equity funds in international transactions.

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