Cleary Gottlieb Wins Latin American Investment Team of the Year Award and Reaches New Heights in Chambers USA 2008 Guide

Cleary Gottlieb was named Latin American Investment Team of the Year at the 2008 Chambers Awards for Excellence, which was held in New York City on Thursday, June 12th. The firm was also again nominated for Capital Markets Team of the Year and Mark Leddy was nominated for an individual award for Antitrust.

In addition, Cleary Gottlieb and many partners in the firm’s New York and Washington offices were once again recognized in the just-released Chambers USA 2008 guide, with several practices and individuals climbing the ranks. Chambers lists Cleary Gottlieb as one of the leading law firms in the United States, with 29 top-ranked practices. Furthermore, 71 of the firm’s lawyers have been distinguished as “leaders” in their respective fields, representing 65 percent of U.S.-based partners.

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 – “When a merger or dispute demands expertise on both domestic and international fronts, Cleary Gottlieb is considered to outstrip many of its peers.”

Banking & Finance – “The firm’s success in the leveraged finance market is widely respected by interviewees, who note its consistently high-quality advice and its effective staffing of transactions.”

Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance – “This firm is ‘a powerful force in the LBO business’ and is recognized as ‘a formidable borrowers’ counsel.’ … Clients value the group’s ‘holistic approach’ to transactions.”

Bankruptcy/Restructuring – “This high-quality, broad-based global bankruptcy and restructuring practice handles significant work on both the debtor and creditor side, as well as advising sellers and purchasers involved in distressed M&A. … [It is also] noted for its ‘extremely strong’ sovereign debt practice.”

Capital Markets: Debt & Equity – “The firm’s ‘remarkable international alignment’ continues to impress commentators [as does its] ‘dominant profile’ in the domestic capital markets. … [Cleary Gottlieb] possesses ‘the best insight into US securities regulations - they drew the roadmap to Sarbanes-Oxley.’”

Capital Markets: Derivatives and Capital Markets: Structured Products – “For many commentators, Cleary is ‘the best derivatives shop, period. From equity to credit products, from securitized to OTC derivatives into futures and commodities, they just have the best continuum of people’… The team is [also] particularly adept at CLO, CFO and synthetic CDO transactions.”

Capital Markets: Securitization – “Market onlookers agree that ‘Cleary Gottlieb carries a national reputation for doing terrific structured finance work.’”

Corporate/M&A (New York) – “‘The thing about Cleary is that it is so very consistent - just fantastic.’… It is regarded as one of the premier stops for cross-border transactions.”

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Washington) – “Possessed of wonderful ties in the financial world, this ‘top drawer’ firm ‘shimmers with quality,’ according to interviewees.”

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – “Seasoned clients describe it as ‘by far and away the best ERISA group in the country, with a diversity and breadth of expertise.’”

Financial Services Regulation: Banking & Securities (Regulatory Compliance), Banking (Regulatory Enforcement & Investigations), Financial Institutions M&A, and Securities (Regulatory Enforcement & Investigations) – “This ‘veritable powerhouse’ in financial services regulation dominates the field. …Widely commended by the Bar for both its banking regulatory and enforcement practices, the firm is deemed ‘one of the go-to firms for all banking investigations’ [and] a ‘superb cross-border banking practice’ … mark the financial institutions M&A practice out for special recommendation.”

International Arbitration – “Those with experience of the firm emphasize its consistent production of ‘lawyers of exceptional quality.’”

Investment Funds: Private Equity: Buyouts – “This New York firm is described by one client as ‘our primary go-to law firm for anything that’s difficult and requires quality lawyers.’ The team’s lawyers are singled out for their ‘commercial viewpoint, and seeing the counterpart in deals as their client’s client.’”

Investment Funds: Private Equity: Fund Formation – “Commentators across the sector remarked that the firm is ‘at the top of its game - very client-oriented and very intelligent.’… Faith in the team is derived from the lawyers’ ability to ‘take not overly formalistic legal positions and to make sense from a commercial perspective.’”

Investment Funds: REITs – “Cleary Gottlieb operates a global REIT practice, and representing lenders in REIT-related financings accounts for a substantial portion of its workload. … Another strength of the firm is representing REITs on capital markets transactions, including CMBS matters.”

Latin American Investment – “‘The deepest bench, the longest involvement in the region, the broadest and most sophisticated practice’ is how observers sum up Cleary Gottlieb’s prominent Latin American practice. It is clear to market onlookers that the firm’s supremacy in the region has yet to be matched: ‘It is the name you think of first when the brief is complex and the stakes are high.’”

Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite and Litigation: Securities – “Clients note that lawyers across the firm are ‘just very smart and well balanced.’ … Its broad banking and finance expertise renders it ‘top of the tree’ for banking litigation in particular.”

Projects – “Clients’ unswerving admiration for the quality of this firm is striking: ‘What separates Cleary from others is their commitment to excellence … they really do give you more than you ask for and it’s the key to their success.’”

Real Estate: Mainly Corporate & Finance – “The group enjoys a wide-ranging practice that encompasses joint ventures, bankruptcy, large-scale M&A and joint ventures, and is commended by market sources for its innovative and creative approach.”

Securities Regulation – “This DC office has a ‘deep and experienced’ enforcement practice that benefits greatly from the fact that many of its lawyers have held significant tenures at the SEC. … Interviewees praised the team for its ‘industry expertise and close involvement with the client.’”

Tax – “This internationally renowned tax practice is widely described as ‘without question one of the strongest groups in the country.’ … The practice is staffed by a consistently excellent group of attorneys, from ‘exemplary star players’ to junior associates who win effusive praise for their ‘intellectual rigor, extraordinary thoroughness and responsiveness.’”