Sullivan & Cromwell

(The following information was supplied by the firm)

Firm Overview:

Sullivan & Cromwell LLP provides the highest quality legal advice and representation to clients worldwide. The firm’s record of success and unparalleled client service has set it apart for more than 130 years and made the firm a model for the modern practice of law. Today, S&C is a leader in each of its core practice areas and geographic markets. The firm advises a diverse range of clients on major domestic and cross-border M&A and corporate finance transactions, high-stakes litigation and corporate investigations and complex regulatory, tax and estate planning matters. S&C comprises approximately 875 lawyers who conduct a seamless, global practice through a network of 13 offices located in key financial centres in Asia, Australia, Europe and the United States.

Sullivan & Cromwell established its headquarters in New York City in 1879. Today, the office is situated in the heart of the Financial District.

Co-Chairs: Robert J. Giuffra Jr. and Scott D. Miller

Senior Chairs: H. Rodgin Cohen and Joseph C. Shenker

Number of partners worldwide: 170 +

Total number of lawyers worldwide: Approximately 875

International Offices: Beijing, Brussels, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, Paris, Sydney, Tokyo

More than 550 lawyers in the New York office work with S&C lawyers in offices around the world. Together they conduct leading global practices in securities, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, criminal defense and investigations, banking, commercial real estate, project finance, tax, and estates and personal.

Main Areas of Expertise:

Antitrust & EU Competition:

Sullivan & Cromwell represents clients across a broad array of industries and in multiple jurisdictions in merger clearances, criminal antitrust investigations and civil litigation. The firm provides clients a coordinated approach for securing clearances in the US, the EU and elsewhere, handling merger clearances for some of the largest and most complex M&A transactions in the world. S&C also represents clients in EU Commission and certain EU member state antitrust investigations and EU state aid investigations and litigation before the EU courts. As a leader in representing financial institutions, S&C continues to represent a number of global financial institutions in antitrust and related matters. The firm’s practice also extends to successful efforts in court and before enforcement agencies on competition law-based challenges to the assertion of intellectual property.

Capital Markets:

S&C leads global rankings in both volume and value of offerings and on its ability to structure novel and effective transactions in the representation of issuers, underwriters, selling and controlling shareholders, and other market participants around the world.

Corporate Governance:

Corporate governance represents an increasingly complex and critical area of focus for public companies. S&C’s corporate governance practice is thoroughly multidisciplinary, drawing from across the firm’s preeminent practice areas. No law firm has a more thorough understanding of evolving corporate governance requirements and practices. The firm’s advice is tailored for the specific company, taking into account its unique circumstances based on a deep knowledge of current market practices.

Estates & Personal:

S&C provides comprehensive and customised service to individuals, families, trustees and charitable institutions on a range of sensitive business and personal affairs. The practice includes all aspects of non-US and US transactional matters, and cross-border trusts and estates litigation.

Executive Compensation/ERISA: 

S&C’s premier executive compensation and benefits practice advises on a full range of corporate, securities, tax and employment law matters. The firm’s lawyers represent many of the largest global companies on employment arrangements, corporate governance, succession matters and incentive compensation plan design, as well as senior executives in negotiations, and play a key role in the firm’s financial services, securities and M&A practices.

Financial Services:

S&C remains the leading global law firm on transactional, regulatory, enforcement and other matters affecting financial institutions. The firm’s expertise extends to clients in the banking; broker-dealer; commodities; futures and derivatives; insurance; and investment management sectors. The firm has worked with its clients on achieving their strategic business objectives despite the challenges of an unpredictable and difficult global economic climate. In an increasingly complex regulatory environment, S&C has been at the forefront of educating clients on legislative and regulatory developments.

Healthcare & Life Sciences:

S&C has played a leading role in the consolidation of the healthcare industry, advising on many of the largest pharmaceutical M&A deals to date. The firm represents global companies in healthcare and life sciences, including those involved in research, pharmaceuticals and emerging technology, as well as insurance and managed care providers. The firm also represents smaller biotechnology concerns in strategic acquisitions and capital-raising efforts, and advises clients on new legislation and regulatory developments.

Intellectual Property & Technology: 

S&C assists clients globally with the full spectrum of intellectual property and technology issues, including in significant M&A transactions, complex patent and other IP disputes, as well as in licensing matters.

Investment Management:

S&C combines a traditional investment management and an alternative investment management practice to provide expertise in transactional, structuring, trading, advisory and regulatory matters. The group is at the forefront of assisting clients in the new challenges and opportunities resulting from Dodd-Frank and the changing landscape of the industry.

Litigation: 

S&C’s litigators take a global, multidisciplinary approach to every aspect of litigation and regulatory matters, with a practice strengthened by S&C’s deep experience and leadership position as a corporate, financial and transactional firm. S&C’s team of litigators is distinguished by this diversity of experience, its exceptional professional judgment and a proven track record of innovation. It includes some of the most experienced US trial and regulatory lawyers. Its approach to litigation matters has made S&C the go-to firm for cross-border litigation, with its litigators holding leading roles in some of the most significant cross-border actions.

Mergers & Acquisitions: 

S&C mobilises teams of lawyers worldwide for clients on their largest and most important domestic and cross-border M&A transactions. Guided by clients’ commercial objectives and S&C’s deep experience, the firm seeks to provide the best possible advice to achieve these objectives. A perennial leader in M&A, S&C ranks first by value among law firms over the last 20 years, having acted in over $9 trillion in announced transactions worldwide.

Private Equity: 

S&C’s private equity practice is distinguished by its exceptional depth, its hallmark multidisciplinary approach, and its broad geographic reach. The practice draws upon the integrated resources and efforts of S&C offices around the world, taking advantage of the firm’s preeminent global capabilities to advise private equity firms, family offices, sovereign wealth funds and other investors of private capital on their most important and complex acquisi tions, strategic investments and exits, across a broad range of industries.

Project Development & Finance; Infrastructure:

S&C is a leader in project and infrastructure development and finance. The firm has advised on many of the most transformative and complex projects and financings in both developed and emerging markets involving oil and gas, mining, other natural resources, and infrastructure. The group also advises clients in joint venture arrangements, M&A, restructurings and public-private partnerships in these critically important sectors.

Real Estate:

S&C’s real estate group combines public/private market expertise and innovative deal-making skills to assist clients in purchasing, selling, developing and financing real estate companies and assets worldwide, and represents clients in restructuring real estate and other assets to facilitate generational transition and/or resolve disputes. The practice includes bankruptcy and creditors’ rights, financial institutions, M&A, private equity, securities, structured finance and professional sports-related transactions.

Restructuring & Bankruptcy:

S&C’s restructuring and bankruptcy litigation lawyers have significant experience working on a diverse mix of international and domestic distressed opportunities. The firm represents debtors, creditors, financial institutions, agents and trustees, directors, owners and purchasers. S&C is unique in its ability to handle all elements of a corporate restructuring—whether or not an insolvency proceeding is used as a tool. The firm is equally comfortable with bankruptcy and non-bankruptcy execution paths. The group has prosecuted and defended very large contested claims, challenged and defended plans of reorganisation and bankruptcy settlements, defended major avoidance actions, protected acquirors from challenges to bankruptcy purchases and resolved a wide variety of other disputes.

Tax:

S&C’s tax group has a global reputation for innovative tax planning, the successful resolution of tax controversies, as well as providing pivotal tax advice on corporate transactions. S&C plays a significant role in structuring new, tax-advantaged financial instruments and complex M&A transactions and represents prominent industrial and commercial enterprises in US, French, UK and cross-border tax matters.

Key Contacts

Firm Rankings

Banking & Finance
Band 3

6.0

Bankruptcy
Band 3

6.0

Capital Markets
Band 2

8.0

Competition/Antitrust
Band 2

8.0

Corporate/M&A
Band 1

Environment
Band 2

8.0

Insurance
Band 3

6.0

IP
Band 3

7.0

IP: Patents: Contentious
Band 3

7.0

IP: Patents: Transactions
Band 2

8.0

Labour & Employment
Band 1

Litigation
Band 1

Private Wealth Law
Band 1

9.5

Real Estate
Band 1

Restructuring & Insolvency
Band 2

8.5

Securities: Litigation
Band 1

Tax
Band 1

White-Collar Crime
Band 1

Articles

Civil Litigation Risks for Non-U.S. Companies Listed in the United States

David Rein and Eric Andrews Author Article on Civil Litigation Risks for Non-U.S. Companies Listed in the United States for Financier Worldwide David Rein, Deputy Managing Partner of S&C’s Litigation Group, and Eric Andrews, a litigation associate, authored an article for Financier Worldwide, “Key Litigation Risks and Mitigation Strategies for non-US Companies Listed in the US.” The […]

New German Law on ESG Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains

Introduction of New Due Diligence Obligations on ESG Matters That May Affect German Companies and International Organizations Based on Their Business Activities in Germany SUMMARY On January 1, 2023, the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz – the “Act”) came into effect. The Act requires certain German companies and foreign […]

Key ESG Considerations for U.S. Financial Institutions in 2023

Review of Significant ESG Developments and Additional Considerations for 2023 As U.S. financial institutions assess their ESG risks, opportunities, policies and procedures for 2023, key considerations include the numerous significant ESG developments in 2022—in particular, recent proposals and initiatives announced by financial regulators with respect to climate-related risk management and disclosures—and overarching regulatory, political, investor […]

EU Adopts Expansive Corporate Sustainability Reporting Requirements

Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive Will Apply to Public and Private Companies, Including Many Non-EU Companies SUMMARY The European Union has finalized the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) that will introduce more detailed sustainability reporting requirements for EU companies, non-EU companies meeting certain thresholds for net turnover in the EU and companies with securities listed on […]

Comments on M&A Outlook in 2023

Senior M&A Partner Frank Aquila spoke to Reuters about the outlook for M&A activity in 2023 given the market turndown in 2022. Frank said he expected an uptick in cross-border M&A activity. “It is likely that we are going to see significant M&A activity in the U.S. in 2023; not only U.S. companies making acquisitions, but also […]

Proposed Equity Market Structure Reforms

The SEC’s Proposed Rules Would Result in the Most Fundamental Changes to Securities Trading and Market Structure Regulation Since Regulation NMS In 2005. On December 14, the SEC voted to propose new rules and rule amendments relating to four aspects of U.S. equity market structure: (1) a new proposed rule under Reg NMS regarding order […]

Press Releases

Sullivan & Cromwell Obtains Complete Dismissal of Antitrust Class Actions Against BP

BP West Coast Products obtained the dismissal of two coordinated antitrust class actions seeking billions of dollars in damages based on alleged price fixing in the California gasoline market. Following the district court’s dismissal of the actions in September 2022, the Plaintiffs appealed the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  […]

28 Feb 2023
Sullivan & Cromwell Advises OpenAI in Its Partnership with Microsoft

On January 23, OpenAI announced the third phase of its long-term partnership with Microsoft through a multi-year, multibillion-dollar investment by Microsoft to accelerate AI breakthroughs to ensure these benefits are broadly shared with the world. This agreement follows Microsoft’s previous investments in OpenAI and extends their ongoing collaboration across AI supercomputing and research and enables […]

28 Feb 2023
Sullivan & Cromwell Grows Asia-Pacific Credit Practice With Partner Chris Beatty’s Return to the Region

HONG KONG – Sullivan & Cromwell LLP announced today that Partner Chris Beatty has relocated to the Asia-Pacific market to bolster the firm’s finance, special situations and private credit practice in the region. Sullivan & Cromwell has maintained its practice in Asia-Pacific for nearly a century, providing U.S., Hong Kong and English law advice to international clients […]

03 Feb 2023

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