Cleary Gottlieb Achieves Excellent Results in The Legal 500 EMEA 2011: More than 50 Practices Distinguished as Leaders
June 27, 2011
Cleary Gottlieb has been acclaimed in the latest edition of The Legal 500 EMEA guide, with more than 60 partners and counsel and 54 of the firm’s practices being recommended. The firm is recognized for work in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Nigeria, Qatar, Russia, Tunisia and the UK.
The firm’s practices recognized for the first time are Qatar: Foreign Firms; Russia: TMT; and UK: Dispute resolution: International arbitration. For the second year running, Cleary Gottlieb is the only firm to be top ranked for EU, regulatory and competition law in Italy.
The following Cleary Gottlieb practices are recognized for being among the best in the UK based on Legal 500’s interviews with firm clients and competitors between August 2009 and August 2010, with some selected quotes:
Belgium
Banking, finance and capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s expertise at financial restructuring resulting from the financial crisis has continued…”
Competition: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s thirteen-partner practice offers ‘very hands-on practical advice in extremely difficult situations’; junior associates are praised for ‘excellent technical legal skills’, overall, the team delivers a ‘consistent top-end service with a creative approach, year after year.”
Corporate and M&A: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is described by clients as ‘the best in town’”
Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
EU regulatory: Financial services
EU regulatory: Information technology
EU regulatory: Privacy and data protection
EU regulatory: Telecoms
Information technology: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is well versed in assisting clients in the IT industry, including software, hardware and internet ventures; clients are usually large multinationals, often advised by the firm’s competition law practice. Away from state aid, abuse of dominance, ECJ litigation and cartel settlements, (for big IT sector names…), the team’s IT work has regulatory connotations on standardisation, transactional elements (in IT-related M&A work), and advice on joint ventures. There is strong cross-over with its other EU regulatory work.”
Media and entertainment: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP represents some of the biggest media industry names on key antitrust and EU regulatory issues…The team’s particular selling point is deep experience in Europe’s pay-television market, across all aspects of pay-television operations, including EU regulatory work…”
France
Banking and finance: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP handles complex and innovative work thanks to a team of highly versatile lawyers.”
Capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ranks as ‘one of the top firms for ECM work’. Thanks to a versatile team that is always ‘very well aware of the latest innovations and entrenched within the local business community’, the firm handles both high-end equity and debt matters in French and US law, acting for large corporations and leading financial institutions.”
Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP demonstrates ‘constant top-end service with a creative approach’.”
Dispute resolution: International arbitration: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has a busy commercial and investment practice.”
Dispute resolution: Public international law
EU competition and distribution: “The ‘very reactive and reliable’ seven-lawyer team advises on the market’s largest merger-control cases at French and European levels…The firm also handles a high amount of strategic antitrust work…”
Insolvency: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a good choice for highly technical financial and corporate restructuring work…”
Mergers and acquisitions: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is an ‘outstanding’ firm for high-profile and complex M&A transactions which are handled by ‘very technical lawyers’.”
Private equity: “…Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has a ‘very technical team’.”
Project finance and energy: Energy
Project finance and energy: Project finance: “Thanks to its experience in the region, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP receives high-profile instructions in Africa. The 13-lawyer practice…assists sponsors on oil and gas, electricity, water, transport and mining projects.”
Tax: “The practice handles top M&A, capital markets, finance and restructuring tax work, acting for the largest French and international companies.”
Germany
Antitrust: “Clients highlight the team’s strong cooperation between the Cologne and Brussels offices.”
Banking and finance: Bank lending: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s team in Frankfurt is ‘very knowledgeable’, and able to provide ‘very appropriate’ advice.”
Capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s team is praised for its ‘cutting-edge know-how’ and had some notable highlights in the equity capital markets arena.”
Corporate and M&A: Large deals
Insolvency and restructuring: Restructuring
Tax
Italy
Banking and finance
Capital markets: Equity: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ‘is extremely good both at understanding what you need and at getting it for you’. The team stands out for its large team of bilingual US and Italian lawyers resident in Italy.”
Corporate and M&A: Milan and Rome: “‘Particularly attractive for large, complex transactions involving multiple jurisdictions’”
Dispute Resolution
EU, regulatory and competition law: “For many clients, the ‘absolutely outstanding’ Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ‘is without competitors either on the Italian or European markets’.”
Energy: “‘Knowing how to play to an international environment,’ Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has been involved in large energy transactions and frequently assists energy companies in regulatory law, as well as antitrust and administrative proceedings.”
Restructuring and insolvency: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP provides ‘deep local understanding but tailored to an international financially minded audience’.”
TMT: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is rated for its ‘deep knowledge of the telecommunications business’. The practice is focused on antitrust and transactional work in the TMT sector.”
Tax
Qatar
Foreign firms: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP picks up corporate and financial instructions in Qatar, primarily via its New York and Paris offices, and is developing its presence across the Middle East.”
Russia
Banking and finance: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has acted as borrower’s counsel on many large syndicated loans and project financings over the last 12 months.”
Capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has advised on 18 Russian IPOs and over 50 Russian Eurobonds… The firm’s capital markets specialists…‘have knowledge and experience that is second to none’.”
Corporate and M&A: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP impresses as a result of its superb reputation and its deals list, even in adverse market conditions.”
TMT
Tunisia
Foreign firms
UK
Corporate and commercial: Equity capital markets: UK capability: “The London team is highly rated for its expertise in emerging markets, particularly Brazil, Russia, China and India.”
Corporate and commercial: Equity capital markets: US capability: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP houses a ‘quality ECM practice’ which handles the full range of issuer and underwriter work.”
Corporate and commercial: M&A: upper and mid-market and premium deals, £250m+: “The ‘very capable’ four-partner team at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP placed a continued emphasis on work from investment banks arising out of the financial crisis, as well as the relatively buoyant mining and pharmaceutical sectors in 2009.”
Corporate and commercial: M&A: US law capability: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP regularly picks up the top work the market has to offer.”
Corporate and commercial: Private equity: Transactions: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP provides an ‘absolutely first-class service’ to clients seeking complex cross-border advice, often with a significant US element.”
Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation
Dispute resolution: International arbitration
Dispute resolution: Public international law
Finance: Acquisition finance
Finance: Debt capital markets: “‘Thorough, timely and helpful, and second to none for US-related liability management’, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP…is prominent in emerging market and sovereign issues.”
Finance: Emerging markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP handles India, Russia and Africa related corporate and securities work.”
Finance: High yield
Cleary Gottlieb has also been noted for its work in Nigeria. “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP…has been particularly active in corporate and M&A.”
The firm’s practices recognized for the first time are Qatar: Foreign Firms; Russia: TMT; and UK: Dispute resolution: International arbitration. For the second year running, Cleary Gottlieb is the only firm to be top ranked for EU, regulatory and competition law in Italy.
The following Cleary Gottlieb practices are recognized for being among the best in the UK based on Legal 500’s interviews with firm clients and competitors between August 2009 and August 2010, with some selected quotes:
Belgium
Banking, finance and capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s expertise at financial restructuring resulting from the financial crisis has continued…”
Competition: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s thirteen-partner practice offers ‘very hands-on practical advice in extremely difficult situations’; junior associates are praised for ‘excellent technical legal skills’, overall, the team delivers a ‘consistent top-end service with a creative approach, year after year.”
Corporate and M&A: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is described by clients as ‘the best in town’”
Customs, trade, WTO and anti-dumping
EU regulatory: Financial services
EU regulatory: Information technology
EU regulatory: Privacy and data protection
EU regulatory: Telecoms
Information technology: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is well versed in assisting clients in the IT industry, including software, hardware and internet ventures; clients are usually large multinationals, often advised by the firm’s competition law practice. Away from state aid, abuse of dominance, ECJ litigation and cartel settlements, (for big IT sector names…), the team’s IT work has regulatory connotations on standardisation, transactional elements (in IT-related M&A work), and advice on joint ventures. There is strong cross-over with its other EU regulatory work.”
Media and entertainment: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP represents some of the biggest media industry names on key antitrust and EU regulatory issues…The team’s particular selling point is deep experience in Europe’s pay-television market, across all aspects of pay-television operations, including EU regulatory work…”
France
Banking and finance: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP handles complex and innovative work thanks to a team of highly versatile lawyers.”
Capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ranks as ‘one of the top firms for ECM work’. Thanks to a versatile team that is always ‘very well aware of the latest innovations and entrenched within the local business community’, the firm handles both high-end equity and debt matters in French and US law, acting for large corporations and leading financial institutions.”
Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP demonstrates ‘constant top-end service with a creative approach’.”
Dispute resolution: International arbitration: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has a busy commercial and investment practice.”
Dispute resolution: Public international law
EU competition and distribution: “The ‘very reactive and reliable’ seven-lawyer team advises on the market’s largest merger-control cases at French and European levels…The firm also handles a high amount of strategic antitrust work…”
Insolvency: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is a good choice for highly technical financial and corporate restructuring work…”
Mergers and acquisitions: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is an ‘outstanding’ firm for high-profile and complex M&A transactions which are handled by ‘very technical lawyers’.”
Private equity: “…Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has a ‘very technical team’.”
Project finance and energy: Energy
Project finance and energy: Project finance: “Thanks to its experience in the region, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP receives high-profile instructions in Africa. The 13-lawyer practice…assists sponsors on oil and gas, electricity, water, transport and mining projects.”
Tax: “The practice handles top M&A, capital markets, finance and restructuring tax work, acting for the largest French and international companies.”
Germany
Antitrust: “Clients highlight the team’s strong cooperation between the Cologne and Brussels offices.”
Banking and finance: Bank lending: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s team in Frankfurt is ‘very knowledgeable’, and able to provide ‘very appropriate’ advice.”
Capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP’s team is praised for its ‘cutting-edge know-how’ and had some notable highlights in the equity capital markets arena.”
Corporate and M&A: Large deals
Insolvency and restructuring: Restructuring
Tax
Italy
Banking and finance
Capital markets: Equity: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ‘is extremely good both at understanding what you need and at getting it for you’. The team stands out for its large team of bilingual US and Italian lawyers resident in Italy.”
Corporate and M&A: Milan and Rome: “‘Particularly attractive for large, complex transactions involving multiple jurisdictions’”
Dispute Resolution
EU, regulatory and competition law: “For many clients, the ‘absolutely outstanding’ Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP ‘is without competitors either on the Italian or European markets’.”
Energy: “‘Knowing how to play to an international environment,’ Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has been involved in large energy transactions and frequently assists energy companies in regulatory law, as well as antitrust and administrative proceedings.”
Restructuring and insolvency: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP provides ‘deep local understanding but tailored to an international financially minded audience’.”
TMT: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP is rated for its ‘deep knowledge of the telecommunications business’. The practice is focused on antitrust and transactional work in the TMT sector.”
Tax
Qatar
Foreign firms: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP picks up corporate and financial instructions in Qatar, primarily via its New York and Paris offices, and is developing its presence across the Middle East.”
Russia
Banking and finance: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has acted as borrower’s counsel on many large syndicated loans and project financings over the last 12 months.”
Capital markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has advised on 18 Russian IPOs and over 50 Russian Eurobonds… The firm’s capital markets specialists…‘have knowledge and experience that is second to none’.”
Corporate and M&A: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP impresses as a result of its superb reputation and its deals list, even in adverse market conditions.”
TMT
Tunisia
Foreign firms
UK
Corporate and commercial: Equity capital markets: UK capability: “The London team is highly rated for its expertise in emerging markets, particularly Brazil, Russia, China and India.”
Corporate and commercial: Equity capital markets: US capability: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP houses a ‘quality ECM practice’ which handles the full range of issuer and underwriter work.”
Corporate and commercial: M&A: upper and mid-market and premium deals, £250m+: “The ‘very capable’ four-partner team at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP placed a continued emphasis on work from investment banks arising out of the financial crisis, as well as the relatively buoyant mining and pharmaceutical sectors in 2009.”
Corporate and commercial: M&A: US law capability: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP regularly picks up the top work the market has to offer.”
Corporate and commercial: Private equity: Transactions: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP provides an ‘absolutely first-class service’ to clients seeking complex cross-border advice, often with a significant US element.”
Dispute resolution: Commercial litigation
Dispute resolution: International arbitration
Dispute resolution: Public international law
Finance: Acquisition finance
Finance: Debt capital markets: “‘Thorough, timely and helpful, and second to none for US-related liability management’, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP…is prominent in emerging market and sovereign issues.”
Finance: Emerging markets: “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP handles India, Russia and Africa related corporate and securities work.”
Finance: High yield
Cleary Gottlieb has also been noted for its work in Nigeria. “Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP…has been particularly active in corporate and M&A.”