Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Presiding Partner: Peter A. Furci

Number of lawyers worldwide: More than 900

Offices:

USA: New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C.

Europe: Frankfurt, London, Luxembourg, Paris

Asia: Hong Kong, Shanghai

Firm Overview:

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. Clients look to the firm to bring a distinctively high degree of quality, intensity and creativity to resolve legal challenges effectively and cost efficiently. Deep partner commitment, industry expertise and a strategic approach enable the firm to bring clear commercial judgment to every matter. The firm draws on the strength of its culture and structure to deliver superior work to every client through true collaboration.

Main Areas of Practice:

Corporate:

■ Private Equity:

A trusted partner and legal advisor to a majority of the world’s largest private equity firms, Debevoise has been a market leader in the private equity industry for over 40 years. The firm’s Private Equity Group brings together lawyers around the world from a multitude of practice areas, who work together to advise clients across the entire private equity life cycle.

■ Funds/Investment Management:

The Funds/Investment Management Group is one of the largest, most diverse and most successful practices of its kind in the world. With a global regulatory network and deep international experience, the practice counsels across the entire life cycle of these complex products and vehicles — covering organisation and economic arrangements for sponsors, fund formation, downstream transactions, exits, firm and fund restructurings, buy-side work, secondaries and wind downs.

■ Insurance & Financial Institutions:

Debevoise’s Financial Institutions Group regularly handles major compliance challenges, enforcement proceedings and litigation, as well as marquee M&A transactions, financings and an array of other complex transactions. With more than 35 years of insurance experience, Debevoise is a top choice for big-ticket insurance M&A, complex litigation, intricate financings, restructurings and a host of other matters. The firm’s insurance lawyers advise a wide range of industry clients around the world, including major insurers, reinsurers, hedge funds, private equity funds and other capital providers, intermediaries and significant industry associations.

■ Mergers & Acquisitions:

Consistently ranked among the leading M&A firms, Debevoise is one of a handful of advisors of choice to the world’s leading corporations, financial institutions and private equity firms. The practice offers clients sophisticated and market-wise teams in both public and private M&A, regularly develops innovative structures and approaches, and deals smoothly and effectively with associated shareholder and governance issues, activist challenges, national security and antitrust reviews, and deal-related litigation.

The wider corporate department also includes active practices in capital markets, leveraged finance, business restructuring and workouts, real estate, project finance, equipment finance, structured finance, intellectual property and environmental law. The firm has an extensive track record advising clients in technology, media and telecommunications, banking, insurance, healthcare and life sciences, and energy sectors.

Litigation:

■ White Collar & Regulatory:

Debevoise brings unmatched government experience to client matters, boasting 12 former Assistant US Attorneys among its ranks, along with numerous former senior government lawyers from the SEC, DOJ and other agencies. The firm’s top-ranked white collar and regulatory defence team’s expertise includes defending against criminal prosecutions, civil enforcement actions and securities-related litigation; conducting internal investigations; negotiating complex global settlements; and facilitating cooperation with government regulators. The team routinely counsels clients regarding preventive measures, compliance programs and the collateral consequences of criminal proceedings.

■ Commercial Litigation:

The commercial litigation practice is one of the strongest in the industry, consistently delivering outstanding results for its clients at every stage of litigation.

■ International Dispute Resolution:

Debevoise’s international dispute resolution group is a leader in its field. Lawyers in the practice handle a broad range of matters, including international commercial and treaty arbitration, public international law and complex commercial litigation.

■ Intellectual Property:

The highly regarded IP group handles a wide variety of cases around the world, including trademark, trade dress and advertising disputes; copyright matters in media and entertainment; right of publicity issues; and unfair competition, trade secret and patent cases. Many of its cases have cross-border components, and it has deep experience across a wide range of industries.

■ Cybersecurity & Data Privacy:

The firm’s Data Strategy and Security Group, which includes lawyers specializing in cybersecurity, data privacy and AI, has special expertise in helping clients navigate the forensic and legal aftermath of data breaches. The firm’s cross-border, interdisciplinary team also offers regulatory counselling, defends clients in government enforcement actions, litigates privacy-related class actions and other matters, and advises on AI-related compliance and legal matters, and on transactions involving data protection and security issues.

Other areas of litigation concentration include trial practice, crisis management, securities litigation, antitrust, bankruptcy, insurance industry disputes, business integrity, products liability and professional services firms.

Tax & Employee Benefits:

The tax department works closely with the firm’s corporate lawyers in structuring complex transactions. The department also focuses on tax planning and advice for business entities, high-net-worth individuals and exempt organisations and includes an active executive compensation and employee benefits practice.

Industries:

Debevoise represents clients in a range of industries including banking, consumer finance, energy and natural resources, healthcare & life sciences, insurance, manufacturing, media, private equity and technology.