Cleary Gottlieb Achieves Outstanding Results in Chambers USA 2013

Cleary Gottlieb and many lawyers in the firm’s New York and Washington offices were recognized in the just-released Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business 2013 guide. Chambers honored Cleary Gottlieb as one of the best law firms in the United States, with 34 top-ranked practices and 74 lawyers distinguished as leaders in their respective fields, many in more than one area of expertise.

The following Cleary Gottlieb practices are recognized for being among the best in the United States, based on Chambers’ interviews of the firm’s clients as well as lawyers at other firms:

Antitrust (National) – “Cleary Gottlieb has one of the leading antitrust practice groups in the country... Its capabilities are manifold, with exceptional strength and coverage in civil litigation, cartel investigations and mergers and acquisitions. ‘They are so easy to work with – they fit right in, are highly intelligent and I trust them implicitly.’ ‘They bring a unique combination of agency experience, talent and advocacy skills – they are experts in the variety of antitrust issues that arise out of a company’s day-to-day operations.’”

Antitrust (D.C.) – “Commentators are unanimous in their praise of Cleary’s antitrust practice, pointing in particular to its exceptionally deep bench and the breadth and quality of its work. These attributes are evident from the scope of top-class clients in its portfolio. ‘A fantastic firm that brings its breadth and depth of expertise to bear in the antitrust arena.’”

Banking & Finance (National) – “This firm is a popular choice with private equity clients and corporate borrowers. ‘They are dedicated to us: they offer consistency and have a great work ethic. They are always available.’ ‘Their turnaround time is so rapid, it is amazing. They have a great bedside manner.’”

Bankruptcy/Restructuring (National) – “Cleary Gottlieb’s restructuring and insolvency practice is headquartered in New York. The firm’s wider global footprint enables it to conduct engagements in any top-level bankruptcy matter, particularly those involving international and cross-border restructuring elements. ‘A solid practice with outstanding professional skills and great client focus.’”

Bankruptcy/Restructuring (N.Y.) – “This group leverages admirably from the firm’s internationally recognized banking and finance practice, and continues to be involved in many high-value bankruptcy and restructuring matters in the USA and around the world. This is a major differentiator for a practice which is experienced at the highest level across a comprehensive range of bankruptcy situations. ‘A strong group with a good breadth of expertise. They deal well with complex bankruptcy matters. They also have breadth within the transactions and litigation groups, which makes them strong on cross-border stuff.’”

Capital Markets: Debt and Equity (National) – “This team maintains its outstanding reputation for advising both issuers and underwriters on key transactions including IPOs, equity offerings, and convertible and secured debt offerings. ‘The sheer brain power of their practice is impressive.’ ‘They are consistently good no matter who the partner is and their associates are also very good.’”

Capital Markets: Derivatives (National) and Capital Markets: Structured Products (National) – “Market sources report that this team is frequently called upon to advise financial institutions on transactions and regulatory matters of the utmost complexity. It has been at the vanguard of shaping and analyzing the Dodd-Frank Act, in addition to advising market-leading clients on the consequences of these reforms. ‘The service is excellent and their expertise is great.’”

Capital Markets: Securitization (National) – “This team frequently advises underwriters on MBS work and its reputation for CLO work remains strong. ‘Their strengths are depth of knowledge, the broad resources readily available, the attention to detail, the personal interaction and the ability to share your sense of urgency.’”

Corporate/M&A: The Elite (National) – “The dexterity and experience of this firm’s New York and Washington, DC teams allow it to remain at the vanguard of corporate activity, especially in the technology, IP and pharmaceutical industries. Lawyers have been prominent on some of the largest deals of the year. ‘I think the Cleary team was very professional, knew what it was doing, and all the legal processes were done very slickly.’”

Corporate/M&A: The Elite (N.Y.) – “This acclaimed New York M&A team is enormously experienced in technology and life sciences M&A, and acts on a wide array of high-end transactions, many of which have an international flavor. Its M&A clients also benefit from the firm’s powerful domestic capital markets practice and the support of its many international offices in Europe, Asia and South America. ‘They had strong background in our industry and were able to offer excellent service.’”

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (D.C.) – “This corporate team stands out for its strong and enduring representation of financial institutions, private equity firms and major international companies…The team includes a considerable number of corporate governance and SEC compliance experts in DC, and offers clients wide-ranging knowledge at every stage of a deal.”

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (National) – “Cleary Gottlieb stands out for its prominence in four main areas: executive compensation, private equity, ERISA fiduciary matters and M&A. The team boasts an impressive client list which features the likes of banking powerhouses as well as global corporations. ‘A very high-quality firm and practice.’”

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (N.Y.) – “Cleary Gottlieb is widely acknowledged as a standout firm in employee benefits and compensation in New York. The group focuses on transactional work, with notable expertise in M&A and private equity compensation matters…In addition to its deal-based practice, the group advises on ERISA fiduciary matters, and is viewed as a go-to choice in this area for banking giants.”

Energy: Metals & Mining (Transactional) (National) – “This firm is best known for its expertise in mining and metals transactions. The group handles sales, securities offerings and purchases for a range of top-drawer clients. The team has been active over the past year advising on a number of the leading deals in this space. ‘The attorneys are all exceptional: they are assertive and able to manage difficult situations very well, and always look for solutions.’”

Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Compliance), Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Enforcement & Investigations), Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance), and Financial Services Regulation: Financial Institutions M&A (National) – “Cleary Gottlieb maintains its position at the cutting edge of financial services regulation and reform. The firm has cultivated an experienced team of specialist practitioners and continues to attract new talent from the regulatory community. The team’s broad spectrum of capabilities across compliance, enforcement and transactional matters is highly valued by clients, which include some of the county’s leading financial institutions. ‘They have an extremely good understanding of the business and market risks. They give pragmatic solutions and advice that you can ‘operationalize’ and work well with the regulators on.’”

International Arbitration (National) – “This flourishing firm continues to bolster its global strength by recently opening additional offices in South Korea, Abu Dhabi and Brazil. The prominent group is held in high esteem for its strong investment treaty and commercial arbitration practices, and clients especially appreciate its commercial awareness. ‘All the lawyers possess great knowledge of international arbitration and the law in many different countries. They focus not only on the legal aspects of the arbitration but also on the business aspects, providing a valuable business-oriented solution.’”

Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation (National) – “Cleary Gottlieb’s private funds team has racked up an impressive deal list forming funds for a number of prominent industry players. Its lawyers have made an impressive mark on the international stage, and demonstrate notable skill in forming private equity funds with global elements… It offers clients the benefit of its extensive market perspective, gained through years of working with major industry players.”

Latin American Investment (N.Y.) – “Cleary continues its transactional dominance in Latin America, with an impressive roster of institutional corporate clients. Its large Latin America team is principally based in New York, though it also makes use of its offices in São Paulo and Buenos Aires. The team is regularly present on many of the region’s most significant deals. ‘The undisputed leader.’ ‘Capable, professional and service-oriented lawyers.’”

Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (N.Y.), Litigation: Securities (N.Y.) and Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (N.Y.) – “Cleary houses an impressive bench of renowned litigators whose ability to handle the most complex disputes keeps the firm at the top of the list for high-profile clients. Its notable experience in matters involving financial institutions continues to see it involved in key commercial and securities disputes on both a national and international scale. The team is also highly regarded for its expertise in the white-collar criminal defense arena, and is bolstered by its significant complement of former government practitioners. ‘They have a very broad base of expertise, and real depth that extends globally.’ ‘They offer outstanding strategic and expert litigation advice.’”

Private Equity: Buyouts (National) – “This solid firm has a well-established international private equity practice with cross-border capabilities across Europe and Asia. The team has impressive expertise across the full gamut of matters, ranging from M&A and leveraged buyouts to portfolio company transactions and fund formation. ‘A great firm that is well established in the area.’” 

Projects: PPP (National) – “A big name within the PPP community, Cleary Gottlieb continues to handle domestic and international infrastructure, energy, and various other projects on behalf of several longstanding clients… The firm is frequently instructed in relation to innovative projects, as well as those that call for cross-border expertise.”

Real Estate (National) – “This versatile real estate group handles complex financing, securitization and capital markets transactions, drawing on its deep bench of highly skilled and specialized attorneys. It also offers significant experience in bankruptcy matters, restructurings and workouts. ‘A very good, diversified practice.’”

Real Estate: Mainly Corporate & Finance (N.Y.) – “This sophisticated practice focuses on handling complex corporate and finance-related matters for a high-end client base. The team offers particular experience in securitization, leasing and capital markets, and regularly lends this expertise to some of the most prestigious projects in the USA. ‘Their client service is outstanding.’ ‘The response time is immediate and they know how to get deals done and protect the client.’”

Securities: Litigation and Securities: Regulation: Enforcement (National) – “This premier firm stands out for its ability to guide clients through national and international regulatory challenges in the securities arena. From both an advisory and enforcement standpoint, the firm is able to provide its client base with a full response to regulatory and litigious securities matters. An experienced and knowledgeable team of regulatory experts includes a raft of former federal prosecutors and senior SEC executives. The group is engaged on some of the industry’s highest-profile investigative proceedings. ‘They have good solid experience and provide good practical advice. Their client service is good. They understand customer service and get the right expert to us.’”

Tax: Corporate & Finance (National) – “This international goliath has a domestic and global reputation for financial products, taxation issues and M&A work, which sees it placed in the very top tier of US corporate tax firms. The group continues to adapt and evolve according to the new challenges presented by ever-changing domestic and international legislation. ‘Very good, very proactive. They do excellent work and are very thoughtful, polished lawyers.’”

Tax (N.Y.) – “This outstanding firm commands a great deal of respect from market sources. It attracts particular approbation for its capability in tax matters relating to capital markets and financial products, and advises on a range of tax issues in the field of M&A, recapitalizations, structured finance, reorganizations, and legislative and regulatory matters. Further strength resides in the firm’s capacity to advise international and financial clients engaged in controversy and IRS audits and appeals, and in a tax bench that offers a commercial, proactive, professional and excellent value for money service. ‘Always professional and proactive in their analysis and services. They always seem to be one step ahead of the process.’ ‘Absolutely world-class. A top-notch firm with some of the smartest lawyers in the city.’”

For complete details, please visit Chambers’ website.