Cleary Gottlieb Receives Chambers Awards for Excellence and Achieves Outstanding Results in Chambers USA 2007 Guide

Cleary Gottlieb received the award for Capital Markets Team of the Year and Mark Leddy won an individual award for Antitrust at the 2007 Chambers Awards for Excellence, which were held in New York City on Thursday, June 14th.  In addition, the firm was nominated for the Corporate/M&A, Corporate Tax and Private Equity Team of the Year awards.

Cleary Gottlieb and many partners in the firm’s New York and Washington offices once again received top rankings in the just-released Chambers USA 2007 guide.  Chambers lists Cleary Gottlieb as one of the leading law firms in the United States, with 27 top-ranked practices (up from 16 last year).  The new practices cited for excellence are: Banking & Finance; Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance; Corporate/M&A & Private Equity; Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Regulatory Enforcement & Investigations); Financial Services Regulation: Securities (Regulatory Enforcement & Investigations); Latin American Investment; Private Equity: Buyouts; Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment; Projects; REITs; and Securities Regulation.  Additionally, 65 of the firm’s partners and counsel have been distinguished as “leaders” in their respective fields, up from the 43 cited last year (all of whom were recognized again).  The newly recognized partners are: Sheldon Alster, David Becker, Alan Beller, Robin Bergen, David Brodsky, John Byam, Brian Byrne, Rich Cooper, Bob Davis, Jaime El Koury, Bill Gorin, Jorge Juantorena,  Francesca Lavin, Jeff Lewis, David Lopez, Wanda Olson, Andrea Podolsky, Linda Soldo, Roger Thomas, Mark Walker, Steve Wilner and counsel Geoffrey Goldman.

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 – “The lawyers at Cleary Gottlieb are ‘top-notch and just excellent,’ agree interviewees.  Clients relish an approach that ‘avoids over-lawyering’ and prioritizes the supply of ‘pragmatic legal advice that is always consistent with our business culture and point of view.’”

Banking & Finance – “This outstanding team is at the ‘top of the pile’ for regulatory matters, and clients regard its financial institutions regulatory practice as ‘the greatest in the country.’”

Banking & Finance: Acquisition Finance – “This group fields ‘top-level lawyers experienced in complex acquisition finance structures.’”

Bankruptcy/Restructuring – “Clients report that ‘the group has the resources to help across the board’ and can handle complex tax and derivatives attached to bankruptcy issues.”

Capital Markets: Debt & Equity – “When asking clients what attracts them to this group, a clear pattern emerges: ‘They are our first port of call when we need a quick and accurate answer on extremely complex matters – the rapidity and quality of their responses in difficult situations has yet to be matched.’”

Capital Markets: Derivatives and Capital Markets: Structured Products (Structured Derivatives, CDOs, Repackaging & Synthetic Products) – “Cleary Gottlieb…stands ‘a cut above other firms in terms of depth of expertise, cross-disciplinary capabilities and institutional recognition.’”  

Capital Markets: Securitization – “The team delivers an extremely high standard of service and excels in its chosen niche of expertise: complex and high-value transactions in the field of mortgage securitization.”

Corporate/M&A – “In an increasingly global marketplace, this firm is viewed as a ‘pioneering’ force with a cross-border practice that has ‘always been strong,’ yet does not rest on its laurels.”

Corporate/M&A & Private Equity – “This strongly finance-oriented firm is praised by clients for the above average degree of integration between both legal specialties and its string of offices in international centers.”

Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation – “This ‘absolutely excellent’ outfit is streets ahead of the competition.  ‘Great judgment’ lies at the heart of the group’s appeal and the team is ‘at the top of its game’ for its transactional practice.”

Financial Services Regulation: Banking (Regulatory Enforcement & Investigations), Banking & Securities (Regulatory Compliance), Financial Institutions M&A and Securities (Regulatory Enforcement & Investigations) – “Market-leading clients assert that this is ‘absolutely one of the premier financial services law firms in the USA’ … a ‘no-nonsense firm that is easy to work with, and does a quality job without over-lawyering.’”

International Arbitration – “Cleary has spent its 60-year history building up an impressive sovereign and institutional client base that has come to rely on its skills when international arbitration matters arise.”

Investment Funds: Private Equity – “Clients rate the ‘quality work’ produced by [the] firm’s fund formation team and its cohesion with the buyouts group … The firm is [also] well regarded for its international footprint.”

Latin American Investment – “The New York powerhouse reigns supreme in all matters Latin American; indeed it is the ‘unrivaled quality advice and a deep, historic understanding of the business and legal environment of the region’ that sets it apart … Clients highlighted the team’s ‘extraordinary flexibility, extensive contact network and premier expertise.’”

Litigation: General Commercial and Litigation: Securities – “[This] ‘highly credible’ litigation offering plays to the strengths of the firm’s network of offices … blazing a trail in areas such as sovereign litigation.”

Private Equity: Buyouts and Private Equity: Buyouts & Venture Capital Investment – “‘Clearly good at turning over a volume of deals’ in the buyouts space … A visible performer in both the international and domestic markets, the team is well versed in handling both national and cross-border LBO transactions.”

Projects – “The strength of its project finance practice derives from its international profile, especially in Latin American emerging markets … ‘Cleary is more creative on the commercial side – it isn’t stymied by different rules and regulations,’ reported clients.”

Real Estate – “The ‘compact yet high-quality’ team of top partners … is renowned for its international client base and its ability to punch above its weight.”

REITs – “According to clients, ‘you retain this firm on those big projects that require creative thinking, not on the cookie-cutter work’ … [and lawyers] have a working knowledge of more areas than their specialist area.’” 

Securities Regulation – “[Given its] ‘tremendous experience,’ the team is ‘highly respected by the SEC for its honesty and judgment.’”

Tax – “[Cleary] stands out in the New York tax market thanks to its impressive ‘business acumen and ability to think outside the box’ … Clients say they also benefit from the intellectual prowess of the attorneys, who are praised for ‘looking under every rock’ when considering a case.”  

The complete list of Cleary Gottlieb partners profiled by Chambers as leading lawyers in the U.S. is as follows:  

• Brian Byrne, George Cary, David Gelfand, Mark Leddy and Mark Nelson for antitrust; 
• Jim Bromley and Lindsee Granfield for bankruptcy and restructuring;
• Alan Beller, Craig Brod, Nick Grabar, Jeff Karpf, David Lopez, Les Silverman and Allan Sperling for capital markets: debt & equity;
• Michael Dayan, Seth Grosshandler, Ed Rosen and counsel Geoffrey Goldman for capital markets: derivatives;
• Raymond Check, Mitch Dupler and David Sugerman for capital markets: securitization;
• Robin Bergen, Raymond Check, Mitch Dupler, Michael Mazzuchi, Andrea Podolsky and Linda Soldo for capital markets: structured products (Structured Derivatives, CDOs, Repackaging & Synthetic Product);
• Bob Davis, Victor Lewkow, Michael Ryan, Paul Shim and Dan Sternberg for corporate/M&A;
• John Byam in corporate/M&A & private equity; 
• Arthur Kohn, Bob Raymond and Brick Susko for employee benefits & executive compensation;
• Jack Murphy, Linda Soldo and Bob Tortoriello in financial services regulation: banking (regulatory enforcement & investigations);  
• Derek Bush, Paul Glotzer, Jack Murphy and Bob Tortoriello for financial services regulation: banking & securities (regulatory compliance); 
• Paul Glotzer, Jack Murphy and Bob Tortoriello in financial services regulation: financial institutions M&A;  
• David Becker, Jack Murphy and Bob Tortoriello in financial services regulation: securities (regulatory enforcement & investigations);
• Larry Friedman for international arbitration;
• Michael Gerstenzang for investment funds: private equity;
• Rich Cooper, Carmen Corrales, Jaime El Koury, Bill Gorin, Nick Grabar, Jorge Juantorena, Francesca Lavin, Jeff Lewis, Wanda Olson, Roger Thomas and Mark Walker for Latin American Investment;  
• Max Gitter for litigation: general commercial; 
• Max Gitter and Mitch Lowenthal for litigation: securities;
• David Brodsky and Lewis Liman for litigation: white-collar crime & government investigations;
• Michael Ryan and Paul Shim for private equity: buyouts;  
• Steve Horowitz and Steve Wilner for real estate: corporate;
• Steve Horowitz and Michael Weinberger for real estate: finance;
• Michael Weinberger and Steve Wilner for real estate: REITS;
• David Becker for securities regulation: enforcement;
• Sheldon Alster, Jason Factor, Ed Kleinbard, Erika Nijenhuis, Jim Peaslee, Yaron Reich and Les Samuels for tax;
• Ed Kleinbard, Erika Nijenhuis and Jim Peaslee for tax: financial products.