Corporate/M&A | Global

The firm is a heavyweight corporate and M&A practice that boasts exceptional coverage across Europe. It is widely recognised as a superb choice for corporate clients headquartered in key European jurisdictions. The firm has an impressive track record in high-value acquisitions, divestitures and joint venture agreements, utilising its breadth of lawyers based in multiple EU jurisdictions. The practice is particularly active in the financial services sector, with clients also stemming from the media and energy sectors. On 1st May 2024, Allen & Overy and Shearman & Sterling merged to form A&O Shearman.

Clifford Chance boasts outstanding Europe-wide capabilities, with a vast on-the-ground presence and a proven capacity to lead pan-European transactions for clients based in multiple jurisdictions. It benefits from in-house regulatory and transactional expertise for corporate matters that extend into the CEE region. The law firm is routinely mandated on complex cross-border M&A transactions, public takeovers and corporate restructurings. Clifford Chance has notable work in regulated sectors, including financial services, life sciences, energy and telecommunications.

Freshfields benefits from top-tier teams in Western European financial centres that consistently attract instructions on high-end M&A transactions spanning multiple jurisdictions. Its standout mandates include acting for continental European companies in the TMT, oil and gas and digital payment services sectors. The firm's market-leading German and London practices lead cross-border teams on both inbound and outbound M&A deals for a varied client list that includes domestic, US or UK-headquartered corporate clients or investment funds.

Linklaters offers a pre-eminent practice with an excellent reputation among European corporate and financial services clients for its handling of high-value transactions. The law firm stands out for its ability to lead multi-jurisdictional M&A mandates both from offices across Europe. It is widely perceived as a go-to firm for large-scale, multi-jurisdictional public and private M&A transactions, restructurings and joint ventures. Linklaters is active across a range of sectors, including energy, TMT, life sciences and financial services.

Skadden is an elite US firm renowned for its capabilities in complex, high-end M&A transactions. It is seen as a superb choice for US-based clients carrying out global or pan-European transactions, with an impressive track record in mergers and acquisitions that target industrial or financial services companies. Skadden's notable clients stem from the retail, life sciences and financial services sectors.

Baker McKenzie is widely recognised for its strength in large-scale, multi-jurisdictional takeovers and carve-outs, and its ability to handle a vast number of both private and public M&A transactions. It boasts impressive geographical strength across Europe, with key offices in CEE, as well as Germany, the UK and France. The law firm attracts notable clients from the pharmaceutical, automotive and technology sectors.

CMS has an expansive practice with a huge array of offices across Europe, drawing on strong teams in the Czech Republic, London, Poland and Austria. The law firm is well placed to handle strategic investments and corporate restructurings that centre on the CEE region. It is also active in pan-European aspects of global corporate deals run from the USA. CMS has further strength handling big-ticket multinational transactions in the finance, energy and media sectors.

Dentons is well placed to advise clients on pan-European M&A transactions, including both large-scale and mid-cap private equity and real estate deals. The law firm acts on the European aspects of global corporate transactions and joint ventures in the financial, energy, food and drink sectors. Strong teams across the CEE region lead US, Asian and EU investments into companies with operations in the region.

DLA Piper is adept in handling both high-value and mid-cap transactions, utilising its vast manpower to act on a large number of cross-border M&A deals. It coordinates significant global mandates from offices in the UK, Germany, Hungary and Austria, with particular recognition for its activity in mid-market transactions. The law firm has impressive local regulatory expertise in the technology, financial services and energy sectors.

White & Case offers an impressive pan-European network, with key branches across the CEE region and in Western Europe, boasting strong independent client rosters consisting of both domestic and international corporates. The law firm frequently assists US-based clients with transactions into Europe. White & Case further stands out for work coordinating acquisitions and joint venture agreements in the financial services, gaming and technology sectors.

Hogan Lovells offers reputable teams across Spain, the UK, Germany and France to coordinate the local law aspects of high-value corporate transactions. It offers a deep bench of specialists in regulated sectors, including energy, insurance and life sciences. The law firm is a strong choice for EU-headquartered corporate or financial services clients looking either to acquire or to divest operations in other European jurisdictions.

Jones Day utilises its expansive European network of offices to advise clients on international joint venture agreements and transactions. It is further well placed to assist with matters requiring coordination with local council. The law firm is active for clients in the life sciences, technology, natural resources and real estate sectors.

Slaughter and May is a UK powerhouse that regularly leads high-value, cross-border transactions from its base in London. The law firm utilises its network of partnerships with leading firms in other major jurisdictions to win roles in key M&A transactions, including high-profile mergers between industrial companies operating in multiple jurisdictions in Europe. The law firm frequently acts for investment banks and private equity sponsors, and often acts for FTSE 100 companies in the technology and financial sectors.

Sullivan & Cromwell has a well-established reputation as a strong choice for US-listed corporates carrying out M&A operations in Western Europe. It also acts for an impressive list of major companies listed in Germany or France on cross-border European corporate deals or outbound investments into US-based companies. The law firm has extensive capabilities in cross-border public M&A transactions, working together with an impressive capital markets offering. Sullivan & Cromwell has additional strength handling multinational mergers of companies, with particular activity in transatlantic transactions.