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The Legal 500US Awards2014

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Covington is proud to support the

The Legal 500 Awards and we celebrate the excellence

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The Legal 500 US Awards2014

Welcome to the first ever The Legal 500 US Awards, where we recognize and reward the very best of the best across the legal industry. We pride ourselves on the thorough, in-depth research we carry out in order to produce our rankings of the elite firms in the United States. This leaves us in a unique position to be able to identify the teams who warrant particular recognition.

The shortlist and winners are based on merit alone, there are no specific submission requests. Each researcher who worked on the guide was asked for their input and the criteria was a simple but effective one: which law firms stood out for you this year and why?

We were not necessarily looking for top-tier firms, nor the largest firms. We also asked, which companies stood out throughout the course of your research and why? We combined those answers with the research carried out for our Corporate Counsel 100 series, and for the launch of our upcoming magazine for in-house counsel, to identify our in-house winners.

In the pages to follow I will share some of the reasons behind our decisions with you.

LAUREN HUGHESEDITORTHE LEGAL 500 UNITED STATES

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AVIATION/AEROSPACEINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARMichael McAleveyVice-president and general counsel, legal operations and business development – GE AviationAs the general counsel and business development leader for GE’s $21bn aviation business, Michael McAlevey garners huge respect from inside the business. He has twice received the GE chairman’s award for his leadership of GE’s SEC-related matters.

TEAM OF THE YEARHoneywellLed by Kate Adams, senior vice-president and general counselAs a $37.7bn-dollar company, Honeywell’s legal team is adept at dealing with SEC filings and a range of issues, from disclosure, corporate governance, litigation, acquisitions and divestitures, to government relations and global security. General counsel Kate Adams was named to our inaugural Corporate Counsel 100 list, where we highlighted her demonstrable commitment to diversity, environmental sustainability and ethics.

AUTOMOTIVEINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARHoward HarrisVice-president of legal affairs, general counsel, and secretary – BMWHaving worked for BMW since 1998, and before that for Ford, Howard Harris has a wealth of experience when it comes to navigating the myriad legal issues that the automotive giant regularly finds itself faced with. A judge recently ruled in the company’s favor

during a $5m lawsuit blaming allegedly defective airbags for a driver’s severe injuries suffered during a high-speed collision brain injury claim.

TEAM OF THE YEARGoodyear Tire and Rubber CompanyLed by David Bialosky, senior vice president, general counsel and secretaryAs a company that is frequently faced with product liability claims, often related to serious personal injuries, a robust legal team is essential. Goodyear’s team frequently attracts praise from the law firms it works with, and its general counsel David Bialosky is renowned for his non-micromanagement style and for ensuring his team take credit where it’s due.

BANKING/CAPITAL MARKETSINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEAREric GrossmanGeneral counsel – Morgan StanleyEric Grossman oversees all of Morgan Stanley’s advisory law and litigation on a global basis, having been promoted to this position in 2010. Grossman’s main area of expertise is litigation, and past highlights include defending the lender in an almost $1.6bn lawsuit by financier Ron Perelman. Recently, Morgan Stanley’s legal team was successful in defending a $500m breach of fiduciary duty claim.

TEAM OF THE YEARBank of America Merrill Lynch – Capital MarketsLed by Lily Chang, managing director and associate general counsel - debt capital markets and Tom Yang, managing director and associate general counsel - equity capital marketsWe’ve previously recognised Lily Chang for her ‘extraordinary legal talent, with vast experience coupled with superior business savvy and practicality’. The bank has featured as underwriter on a number of high-profile deals including, on the debt side, ConocoPhillips’ $2bn registered debt offering,

IN-HOUSE WINNERS

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The Legal 500 US Awards 2014

and on the equity side, Northern Tier Energy’s $262m IPO of approximately 18.7 million common units representing master limited partnership interests.

ENGINEERING/CONSTRUCTIONINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARTimothy W TriplettGeneral counsel and president, legal and risk management – Black & VeatchOver the past 18 months it has become apparent to us that Tim Triplett has tremendous standing in the construction market and beyond. Law firms which have worked alongside him note the significant role he has contributed towards the impressive growth of Black and Veatch. In doing so he has successfully managed what so many in-house counsel aspire to do in establishing himself as a true business partner. He also contributes greatly to the industry as a whole, spreading his knowledge by frequently giving presentations to eager audiences, on topics such as Business Information Models (BIM).

TEAM OF THE YEARBechtelLed by Michael Bailey, general counselBechtel has a highly respected team that is adept in handling complex regulatory and legal issues surrounding the company’s engineering and constructions projects. Areas of particular expertise include licensing, risk management, compliance, and employment. Its expertise is not limited to just the US either – Bechtel has legal operations in almost all of the 50 countries in which it has a presence.

ENERGYINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARJosh McMorrowAssociate general counsel, US and Canada – WeatherfordJosh McMorrow first caught our attention while working at PSC, where he drew praise for his

proactive approach to the law – as a lawyer who also has a keen business mind, his favourite tactic is to go on the ‘offense’ rather than the ‘defense’. McMorrow has been hailed as representing ‘the future of the general counsel position’.

TEAM OF THE YEARBPLed by John Lynch, general counselBP’s legal battles are well documented, and none more so than those spawned by Deepwater Horizon in 2010, when it took the unusual but effective step of using a ‘virtual law firm’ made up of the very best outside counsel in the market. The challenges facing a company of this size naturally warrants having a huge, international team, and BP’s is one that has been praised for its collaborative, cohesive approach.

ENVIRONMENTINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARJack BalagiaVice-president and general counsel – ExxonMobilExxonMobil’s recent legal activity included challenges before the FERC and the Regulatory Commission of Alaska, a multibillion-dollar ICSID arbitration against Venezuela, and a successful Supreme Court case involving a dispute over oil and gas operations at a ranch in southern Texas. At the helm of the company’s huge legal team is Jack Balagia, who was promoted to the position in 2010, having worked in the litigation department since 1998.

TEAM OF THE YEARThe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Led by Avi Garbow, general counselThe EPA faces a continuous struggle: enforcing regulations while defending itself against challenges. For example, its suite of greenhouse gas regulations have faced myriad challenges by industry coalitions before the Supreme Court, as has the Cross-State

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Air Pollution Rule, which requires states to improve air quality by reducing power plant emissions which contribute to pollution across other states; the industry is arguing that it violates the CAA.

ENTERTAINMENTINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARMichael FricklasGeneral counsel and secretary – ViacomHaving been general counsel for the company since 1998, Mr Fricklas is a recognized expert on copyright issues; most notably, he led the company’s high-profile battle against YouTube which ran from 2007-2010. More recent challenges have included class actions brought in relation to unwanted text messages (which were dismissed) and an MDL relating to tracking of cookies sharing user information.

TEAM OF THE YEARWalt DisneyLed by Alan Braverman, general counselWalt Disney’s legal team is frequently faced with high-profile trademark and copyright challenges: a recent example saw the company prevail at a Second Circuit appeal, which upheld a district court ruling that dismissed claims brought by the plaintiff and found that it had the right to buy the Tinkerbell trademark, following its acquisition of rights from a third party.

FOOD/BEVERAGEINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARSabine ChalmersGeneral counsel – Anheuser-Busch InBevWhen Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired Mexico’s Grupo Modelo in 2013, Chalmers led the successful negotiations with the DOJ and a year-long review, putting her background as an M&A lawyer in private practice to good use. An ‘indefatigable advocate’, she is qualified in both England and New York and has been recognized numerous times for her

contribution to the legal industry. In addition to being an excellent lawyer, she serves on a number of professional and not-for-profit boards.

TEAM OF THE YEARPepsiCoLed by Larry Thompson, executive vice-president, government affairs, general counsel and corporate secretaryThe legal team at PepsiCo has responsibility for the company’s global portfolio of food and beverage brands – it has 22 different brands that generate more than $1bn each in estimated annual retail sales. The team also plays an important role in the group’s government affairs and public policy organizations.

FINANCIAL SERVICESINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARAlex DimitriefSenior vice president and general counsel – GE CapitalAlex Dimitrief has previously been recognized on our Corporate Counsel 100, for his role in overseeing a legal team of more than 450 lawyers – virtually a law firm in itself. GE Capital as a whole employs 50,000 people in 50+ countries, and Dimitrief oversees the legal functions in all of its business units, which range from commercial lending and leasing to capital aviation services. His background as a trial lawyer across numerous different industries has served him well in this broad-ranging role.

TEAM OF THE YEARJP Morgan ChaseLed by Jill Centella, global litigation head and acting general counselFrom litigation in the Lehman Brothers and Madoff bankruptcy cases, to LIBOR investigations – the nature of JP Morgan Chase’s legal issues mean that having a top-notch team is absolutely crucial.

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Recently, it has been facing a slew of RMBS suits, which it has been responding to aggressively, and to great effect, establishing new securities law precedent in the process.

HEALTHCAREINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARFarinaz TehraniGeneral counsel and chief compliance officer – Sunrise Senior LivingFor Ferinaz Tehrani, being at the helm of Sunrise Senior Living’s legal team is a major responsibility – the company operates some 300 retirement communities in the US, Canada and UK, comprising around 29,3400 units, and employs 31,600 people. Tehrani’s knowledge and experience of M&A came to the fore recently when the company was acquired by Healthcare REIT, and its management business was sold to an entity formed by affiliates of KKR.

TEAM OF THE YEARAmerican Hospital AssociationLed by Melinda Reid Hatton, senior vice-president and general counselAmerican Hospital Association’s legal team recently filed a suit challenging Medicare policy denying payment under Part B after Recovery Audit Contractors (RAC) denials. Other activity included filing amicus briefs on the Affordable Care Act, and dealing with all manner of fraud and abuse matters, in addition to the myriad regulatory issues it faces on a daily basis.

INSURANCEINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARWilliam CasazzaExecutive vice president and general counsel law and regulatory affairs – AetnaWilliam Casazza has been at Aetna for 20 years, and has been its general counsel since 2005,

overseeing its legal, regulatory and compliance affairs. The company has had some high-profile matters of late, most notably its $2bn SEC-registered senior notes offering and its $7.3bn acquisition of Coventry Health Care.

TEAM OF THE YEARLiberty MutualLed by James Kelleher, senior vice-president and chief legal officerMajor challenges for Liberty Mutual lately have included a coverage dispute with Eli Lilly when the latter was facing mass tort claims in a labor case, and separately, various nationwide cases involving Chinese drywall claims. The team is also noted for being one of the first in-house groups to develop a formal pro bono program.

IPINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARKathryn Barrett Park Senior counsel, advertising and brand management – GEShe has been described as ‘quite simply, one of the leading trademark lawyers of her generation’, although Kathryn Barrett Park also likes to ensure that her ‘amazing team’ receive due credit too. As past president of INTA and a member of the Trademark Public Advisory Committee, she is an influential and respected figure in the IP community.

TEAM OF THE YEARGoogleLed by Kent Walker, senior vice-president and general counselGoogle’s legal team likes to experiment with new approaches to assessing the company’s legal issues and risks. Its 750-strong team has developed a tool to help its members analyse and manage legal spend at the company

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through the use of an internal dashboard. In a particularly groundbreaking move, it recently teamed up with The Legal 500 US to add its rankings data to the dashboard, thus enabling all team members to effectively weigh up both the cost and quality of outside counsel. Other initiatives include a ‘gHarmony’ project to match its team members with projects that interest them, and exploring alternative ways of helping users resolve disputes online.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENTINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARNeil RosolinskyHead of employment law – RBSThe financial crash of 2008 caused inevitable repercussions for RBS, and as head of employment law, Neil Rosolinsky faced what he described as a ‘unique and challenging time’. During a painful period of layoffs and bonus reductions, he dissuaded scores of people from filing claims, and where they did, he negotiated numerous favorable resolutions. As a result, the bank was able to minimize related litigation and arbitration.

TEAM OF THE YEARSterling JewelersLed by Christina Janice, vice president and associate general counsel (head of litigation) and Lynn Dennison, senior vice president of corporate affairs and general counselSterling Jewelers’ legal team achieved success recently in a major post-Wal-Mart class and agency discrimination case, where The US District Court for the Western District Of New York granted its motion for summary judgment in EEOC v Sterling Jewelers Inc and dismissed the lawsuit. It found that the EEOC had failed to carry out a full nationwide investigation before making the accusation.

LITIGATIONINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARPD VillarrealSenior vice president, global litigation – GlaxoSmithKlinePD Villarreal is a pioneer of early dispute resolution, having implemented policies at two previous companies before joining GSK. When he came on board in 2009, the company was undergoing multiple investigations, and Villarreal was able to drastically reduce the number of cases. In addition to being an innovator of ADR, Villarreal is known as an innovator generally in the legal world, and is also highly committed to diversity.

TEAM OF THE YEARComcastLed by Arthur Block, senior vice president and general counselComcast’s legal team has been attracting much attention of late due to its involvement in a class action regarding the acquisition of cable systems in Philadelphia; the high-profile nature of the case is owing to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to accept an appeal against the plaintiff’s class certification. On the M&A side, a notable deal was the company’s purchase of a 49% stake in NBC Universal.

MEDIAINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARStanton DodgeEVP and general counsel – DISH NetworkStanton Dodge is one of few GCs who can claim to be a home-grown talent of his company, having started there as an unpaid intern. Among his many achievements at DISH, he has implemented a successful e-discovery system, and obtained the necessary approvals to pave the way for the company’s entry into the mobile broadband business.

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TEAM OF THE YEARAereoLed by Brenda Cotter, general counselAereo has been surrounded by lots of noise in the legal world due to its high-profile copyright battle. On June 25th, a judge ruled in favor of television broadcasters, but not before the battle went all the way to the Supreme Court, with the company’s robust legal team behind it every step of the way. The decision has now been returned to the lower court, and further steps are being mapped out by the team.

NOT-FOR-PROFITINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARJoanna PressmanGeneral counsel – The Robin Hood FoundationIn 2008, the Robin Hood Foundation needed to hire its first-ever general counsel, and selected Joanna Pressman. It provided a unique opportunity to define and shape a role that, given she was and still is, sole counsel, would have to be broad in scope. Pressman has proven adept at turning her hand to a wide variety of legal issues, including intellectual property and employee benefits and compensation, as well as event planning.

TEAM OF THE YEARMoMALed by Patty Lipshutz, general counsel and secretaryThe Museum of Modern Art’s proposed expansion and purchase of the American Folk Museum building has been keeping its legal team busy; meanwhile, it continues to work on the usual array of labor and employment, copyright, corporate governance, contract, and provenance of ownership issues. A high-profile case in 2009 saw it settle a lawsuit brought by the descendant of the Jewish owner of the Picasso painting Boy Leading a Horse.

PHARMACEUTICALSINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARBryan SupranSenior vice president and associate general counsel – Pfizer‘The Pfizer approach’ means taking decisions and carrying out processes that may once have fallen to outside counsel, and bringing them in-house. Bryan Supran was one of the pioneers of this approach. In recent years, he’s had hands-on involvement in some major M&A deals, such as the sale of its global nutritional business to Nestlé, and the divestiture of its animal health business.

TEAM OF THE YEARJohnson & JohnsonLed by Michael Ullmann, vice-president and general counselJohnson & Johnson’s legal team has recently had to deal with a multitude of issues, including litigation brought by the State of Oregon following the company’s recall in 2009 and 2010 of certain medicines, and a False Claims Act case that settled in 2013. On the M&A side, there was its $650m acquisition of Aragon Pharmaceuticals, including up to $350m in contingent payments, allowing Aragon’s remaining assets to be spun out into a new biotechnology company.

PRIVATE EQUITYINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARJohn FinleySenior managing director and general counsel – BlackstoneDuring his tenure at Blackstone, John Finley has helped the group navigate the choppy waters of increased regulation for funds, post-Lehman. Finley joined Blackstone in 2010 following 22 years at Simpson Thacher. The firm’s longstanding role as chief outside counsel to the leading fund manager meant Finley was well versed in his

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new employer’s needs and issues before joining. Stephen Schwarzman, Blackstone’s chairman and CEO, has called Finley ‘one of the most outstanding corporate lawyers of his generation’.

TEAM OF THE YEARThe Carlyle GroupLed by Jeffrey Ferguson, managing director and general counselThe Carlyle Group’s recent high-profile transactions include a $3.3bn acquisition of Getty Images and its acquisition of NGP Energy Capital Management, including the purchase of a 40% stake from Barclays Natural Resource Investments. The group recently had its first foray into retail registered investment products, and announced that it had raised $308m for Carlyle Peru Fund LP and its parallel vehicles, extending its South America investment presence.

REAL ESTATE/HOUSINGINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARMadison GroseCo-general counsel – Starwood Capital GroupMadison Grose has been Starwood Capital’s general counsel since 1992, joining just one year after its launch. He has been involved in the restructuring of its interests in the Starwood Hotel Group, and also led the structuring and investment process for the fund’s first energy investment. These days the majority of his time is spent on strategic projects, as well as overseeing the legal function of the fund’s growing energy portfolio, which focuses on infrastructure investments. Grose works alongside co-general counsel Ellis Rinaldi.

TEAM OF THE YEARTishman SpeyerLed by Michael Benner, senior managing director and general counselTishman Speyer recently acquired the $422.5m Wilshire Courtyard office and entertainment

complex in Los Angeles, and embarked on a joint venture with China Vanke for the latter’s first investment in North America – acquiring a 1.7-acre parcel of land located at 201 Folsom Street as well as the acquisition of 1400 Mission Street for $620m. It also arranged for the lease renewal, expansion and restructuring of 520 Madison Avenue in New York, which is owned by the company.

SPORTINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARBill DalyDeputy commissioner and chief legal officer – National Hockey LeagueThe National Hockey League (NHL) recently signed a C$5.23bn, 12-year agreement with Rogers Communications for nationwide broadcast in Canada and multimedia rights to NHL games. At the center of all the league’s legal activity is Bill Daly, and his remit is to oversee all legal issues involving all of the hockey clubs and their staff, including co-ordinating litigation.

TEAM OF THE YEARMajor League BaseballLed by Ethan Orlinsky, senior vice president and general counselRecent high-profile work for the MLB team includes conducting a crackdown on counterfeit sales of merchandise and tickets during the World Series. Contentious matters included a grievance filed by Alex Rodriguez challenging his 211-game suspension for alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs, and a high-profile lawsuit brought against the New Jersey governor challenging the authorization and licensing of gambling on it and other sports leagues’ athletic events. The league also has an impressive patent portfolio of innovations.

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TAXINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARTodd FreebernManaging director, director of tax – JC FlowersTodd Freebern’s background is in accounting, but as director of tax at JC Flowers he interacts regularly with the legal world. He oversees a vast array of domestic and international companies, and has been described as ‘extremely bright and able’ and a ‘master not only of the various fund structures JC Flowers uses for its investors but also of the far-flung portfolio companies in which the funds invest’. He has vast knowledge of the taxation of investment partnerships and of financial services companies both inside and outside the US.

TEAM OF THE YEARHertz Global HoldingsLed by Anthony Fiore, staff vice president of global taxThe tax team at Hertz, and particularly Anthony Fiore, are said to be ‘masterful at optimizing the company’s worldwide tax position’. The relatively small team is responsible for a vast array of companies and handles myriad complex tax issues, making theirs a very demanding job. It uses outside advisers wisely and to great effect, by ‘treating them as partners in achieving Hertz’s goals’.

TECHNOLOGYINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARSteven GreenspanAssociate general counsel – United Technologies CorporationWhen we hosted our Corporate Counsel 100 roundtable in January 2014, Steven Greenspan impressed the room when he told them how he had reduced 72% of UTC’s outside counsel spend to something other than the hourly rate. He and the legal team are widely viewed as leading the way when it comes to AFAs. Greenspan oversees some 300 significant legal matters across the globe.

TEAM OF THE YEARAltecLed by Robert Hunter, senior vice-president, general counsel, and secretaryThe highly effective legal team at Altec have an excellent track record – in recent times it has seen some 60% of cases dismissed without trial. General counsel Robert Hunter, who was previously recognized in our Corporate Counsel 100 list, has overseen the introduction of various new safety features, product improvements and a training program, which resulted in accidents involving the company’s products dropping to just 5% of what they had been.

TELECOMSINDIVIDUAL OF THE YEARRaj KumarSenior counsel, corporate – Time Warner CableAs a key member of Time Warner Cable’s corporate division, Raj Kumar has attracted praise from outside counsel who have worked with him. Significant activity from the company of late includes its investment in Clearwire Corporation and its distribution agreement with SportsNet LA.

TEAM OF THE YEARAT&TLed by Wayne Watts, senior executive vice president and general counselThe AT&T legal team recently worked on a significant acquisition – that of Atlantic Tele-Network’s US retail wireless brands. The deal meant that former Alltell subscribers in six states now have access to AT&T’s 4G LTE, which has speeds up to ten times faster. It also recently acquired prepaid wireless provider Leap Wireless International, which operates under the Cricket brand, giving the company access to Cricket’s distribution channels and expanding Cricket’s presence to additional US cities.

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FINANCEASSET FINANCE AND LEASING TEAM OF THE YEARDespite being well-established in The Legal 500’s top tier for asset finance, Clifford Chance hasn’t rested on its laurels. The firm’s capacity for cutting-edge deals is as strong as ever, a highlight being its advice to LATAM Airlines Group on a $270.9m bond issue, the first ever ECGD-guaranteed bond issuance for an airline.

BANK LENDING TEAM OF THE YEARSimpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP has an excellent balance between borrower and lender clients - no mean feat at this high level. Additionally, the firm has had an impressive run, handling several headline deals; the most notable was its advice to Silver Lake Partners on the financing of its $24bn acquisition, with Michael Dell, of the computer manufacturer Dell in what was the largest private equity deal since 2007.

CAPITAL MARKETS – DEBT TEAM OF THE YEARSidley Austin LLP has widened its remit considerably, demonstrating involvement in an array of deals throughout the most recent research period. The firm’s client base is impressively diverse – it includes Caterpillar, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Starwood Property Trusts as well as the whole gamut of bulge bracket banks. In addition to standard issuances, it handles private placements, mortgage notes offering and convertible notes offerings. It is particularly well-regarded by underwriters, and recently advised the underwriters in Morgan

Stanley’s offerings of over 620 medium-term notes, totaling $17.4bn.

CAPITAL MARKETS – EQUITY TEAM OF THE YEARDavis Polk & Wardwell LLP acted for the underwriters on what was the most high-profile IPO of the year – Twitter’s $2.1bn offering, which was the second-largest ever in the tech sphere after Facebook’s. The firm advised Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Wells Fargo as joint book-running managers on Hilton Worldwide Holdings’ $2.35bn IPO, the largest-ever in the hospitality sector. Kaplan also represented JP Morgan Securities, Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley as joint book-running managers on Coty’s $1bn New York flotation, highlighting the practice’s cross-border capabilities.

CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING TEAM OF THE YEARCreditor-side specialist Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP faced stiff competition for this award. In the end it was its demonstrable ability to handle the more complex and contentious bankruptcies that gave it the edge. The firm won roles advising the official unsecured creditor’s committee in ResCap, the largest bankruptcy of 2012, and also advised the unsecured creditors’ committees in the Patriot Coal and Hostess Brands cases.

FINANCIAL SERVICES TEAM OF THE YEARDebevoise & Plimpton LLP is deeply entrenched in the financial services industry, where it has strong client relationships with myriad institutions, from investment banks to major insurance clients as well as major trade bodies. Aided by an international network of offices – in particular, its presence in key financial centers including London

LAW FIRM WINNERS

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– the team excels at advising on cross-border compliance, enforcement or M&A mandates. It has been particularly active on behalf of a number of its insurance clients as these look to ‘de-bank’ to avoid the more onerous elements of the Dodd-Frank Act. AIG and JP Morgan are just two of the prestigious names on its client list.

PROJECT FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEARIn the wake of the high-profile merger, Norton Rose Fulbright’s leading energy practice is now complemented by its cohesive global network. To boot, the practice warrants recognition for growing its focus on mining work, as well as its stature as a key player in the US’s growing PPP activity. It advised Macquarie Capital on its bid for a project to design, build, finance, operate and maintain I-69 section 5 in Indiana, the State’s first greenfield PPP road transaction.

STRUCTURED FINANCE TEAM OF THE YEARDuring the most recent research period, Sidley Austin LLP stood out particularly for its work in new asset forms, including REO-to-rental programs (the firm represented Deutsche Bank on a landmark single family rental securitization for funds affiliated with Blackstone). It has also been active in the potentially revived RMBS space, and holds a dominant position in CMBS with continued high volumes of commercial mortgage-backed securitization deals.

INDUSTRY FOCUSENERGY TEAM OF THE YEARChadbourne & Parke LLP has earned this recognition for its excellent work in the ever-more topical LNG and renewable spaces. It has been advising a range of clients on the Sabine Pass bi-directional LNG terminal, the world’s first LNG terminal with the ability to import and regasify LNG and liquefy and export natural gas.

ENVIRONMENT TEAM OF THE YEARLatham & Watkins LLP is one of the few firms to handle a substantial amount of the three regulatory, litigation and transactional categories covered by The Legal 500 United States. It has a huge team, is well respected by peers and is well positioned to cover the whole of the US owing to the presence of offices both coasts and in Chicago. It is also ideally placed to handle new and developing areas such as climate change and renewable energy. In its defense of The Monsanto Company relating to the cultivation of genetically engineered crops across the US, 2013 saw three victories for the client in both the Ninth Court and District Court for the District of Columbia, including the rebuffal of Endangered Species Act (ESA) and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) claims.

HEALTHCARE TEAM OF THE YEARHogan Lovells’ healthcare expertise covers the full gamut of regulatory, contentious and transactional services. The firm is ranked in the highest tiers in all three Legal 500 healthcare subcategories (insurers, service providers and life sciences). In a strong example of its capacity for handling unique, cross-border matters, the firm advised Saudi Aramco on the formation of an innovative joint venture with Johns Hopkins Medicine International for the delivery of healthcare services in Saudi Arabia. Highlights in the life sciences sphere included assisting Amplimmune in its sale to MedImmune, AstraZeneca’s global biologics research and development arm.

INSURANCE TEAM OF THE YEARCahill Gordon & Reindel LLP has continued to build on its core strengths in political risk, trade credit and reinsurance. The firm took a number of reinsurance cases to court and was also very busy in the arbitration space. Another factor was

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its involvement in special appellate counsel work – notably for Global Reinsurance Corp of America, where it was retained for cross-appeals in a facultative reinsurance case.

SPORTS TEAM OF THE YEARWhen The Legal 500 last covered sports in 2009, DLA Piper did not appear in the ranking, but in the years that followed it won enough market share to now be constantly recommended by peers and clients alike. It advised US Bank and Goldman Sachs on the financing for the new Vikings stadium in 2013, and advised the San Francisco 49ers on the $1.05bn refinancing of the construction of Levi’s Stadium in California. The practice is integrated in the firm’s media and entertainment department and is therefore very strong in media deals too; for example it advised Al Jazeera Media Network on the launch of its sports-specific network in the US.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTYIP BOUTIQUE OF THE YEARFish & Richardson P.C. remains a strong player in the IP field overall, and particularly impressed us with its patent litigation capabilities, where it consistently handles a high volume of mandates and has taken a number of key cases to trial. Highlights during the most recent research period included maintaining patent protection for Allergan on its LATISSE and Combigan products, and obtaining a Federal Circuit win for the defendants in Mylan Pharmaceuticals v Eurand.

PATENTS – NON-CONTENTIOUS TEAM OF THE YEARKnobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP has a major presence in the market and wins this year’s award on the basis of the outstanding expertise it demonstrates across several industry sectors: these include medical devices, internet and biotechnology. It assists many larger clients with

building their patent portfolios – Amazon, PIMCO and Skyworks Solutions to name just a few.

COPYRIGHT TEAM OF THE YEARBoutique Durie Tangri LLP has attracted considerable attention in the market for its win on the Google books case. But research has shown us that this is far from a one-trick pony: the firm has been able to demonstrate impressive strength in depth, including a deep bench of trial and appellate attorneys. Recent key roles for Aereo and DISH Network have contributed to its growing reputation.

PATENT LITIGATION TEAM OF THE YEARWilmerHale has had a string of success recently: in addition to its role in the high-profile smartphone-related matters, it obtained a $2.15bn settlement for Pfizer, which concluded its dispute with Teva and Sun Pharma regarding at-risk launches of generic Protonix. It obtained a Second Circuit ruling in favour of Eastman Kodak, and obtained a ruling of non-infringement and invalidity on patent claims for the defendant in Cellectis v Precision Biosciences.

TRADEMARKS – NON-CONTENTIOUS TEAM OF THE YEARFross Zelnick Lehrman & Zissu, P.C. is our winner this year having won substantial market share across a wide range of industry sectors. It has particular expertise in worldwide trademark portfolio management for both domestic and international clients within the fields of entertainment, finance, pharmaceutical/healthcare and consumer products. Its client roster is awash with household names such as Gap, Donald Trump, Estée Lauder Cosmetics, Kraft Foods, and Tiffany & Co.

TRADEMARKS LITIGATION TEAM OF THE YEARKilpatrick Townsend & Stockton has impressed both The Legal 500 and the market at large with its deep bench of litigators. Its strong reputation

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in this area is well-deserved – in a recent example of its ability to handle big-ticket mandates, it has been representing Aio Wireless in high-profile color trademark dispute against T-Mobile.

INVESTMENT FUNDSALTERNATIVE/HEDGE FUNDS TEAM OF THE YEARStill an undisputed market leader (as attested by both clients and peers), Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP combines a longstanding history stretching back to the first days of hedge funds with contemporary, cutting-edge expertise, hence their selection as our winning firm for this year. A prestigious client list includes Credit Suisse, Capstone Capital Management, and Signet Investment Advisers.

MUTUAL/REGISTERED FUNDS TEAM OF THE YEARDechert LLP can regularly be found acting for the largest funds across the board, on the biggest deals. During the most recent round of research, the firm attracted universal praise for the sheer depth of its regulatory team, and its 17-office global network makes it an attractive proposition for clients. Its work for insurance-related funds is particularly noted.

PRIVATE EQUITY FUNDS TEAM OF THE YEARPaul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is widely known for the high-end, complex work it handles in this space. During the most recent research period, the group attracted substantial praise for its ability to combine private equity and hedge fund elements in order to advise clients such as Apollo Global Management and Blackstone Group.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT FUNDS (REITS)Goodwin Procter LLP is a market leader in REITs-related capital markets, M&A and tax. The

firm’s recent mandates include acting for Medical Properties Trust on the first registered eurobond offering for a public REIT in the US, as well as three mergers with an aggregate value of $32bn.

LABOR AND EMPLOYMENTEMPLOYEE BENEFITS AND EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION TEAM OF THE YEARJones Day wins this award for the sheer breadth of its EBEC practice. During the most recent research period, impressive matters included its role advising the City of Detroit on restructuring its legacy obligations, including its pension and retiree health obligations to more than 9,000 current employees and 20,000 retirees and beneficiaries. It has also been assisting Tokyo Electron with executive compensation, employee benefits and related securities disclosure matters connected to its $29bn merger with Applied Materials.

IMMIGRATION TEAM OF THE YEARMintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. continues to impress across the market, advising clients of all sizes and building on its track record of success representing clients before government agencies. The firm has shown strong commitment to the industry-at-large through active involvement in the AILA and other organizations. Key clients of the group include Liberty Mutual, John Hancock Financial, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Reebok and Thomson Reuters.

FULL-SERVICE FIRM OF THE YEARMorgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP stands out for its excellence across the board: from EBEC, where it has been advising Alliant Techsystems in connection with its multibillion-dollar pension and 401(k) plans on investment management, fiduciary governance, and compliance matters, to its ERISA litigation practice, which recently

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completed a three-week trial for a class action that was filed on behalf of approximately one million plan participants on behalf of ING/ING Life and Accident Insurance Company. Its immigration practice advises clients such as Toyota and its US subsidiaries on a wide range of matters. Not afraid of a fight, the firm also has an outstanding labor and employment litigation practice that has had a number of recent victories, and the practice is rounded off with strength in labor management relations too.

BOUTIQUE OF THE YEARLittler Mendelson, P.C. was chosen for its strength in the courtroom and its role in thought leadership. Testament to its market standing, the firm was one of only two to appear before the House Subcommittee on Workforce Protections to explain the potential pitfalls in relying on recent DOL/Office of Management and Budget guidelines on an employer’s responsibilities under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. The firm was also present at a Congressional hearing before the House Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions to discuss the development of organizations known as ‘work centers’. Furthermore, it joined one of 278 businesses in the amicus brief United States v Windsor, advising the US Supreme Court on the impact of the Defense of Marriage Act.

LITIGATION (INCLUDING ERISA) TEAM OF THE YEARPaul Hastings LLP impressed us during research with its high-stakes courtroom victories and appellate wins. For example, in 2013, the team prevailed for Cintas Corporation before the Sixth Circuit in a nationwide gender, race and national origin discrimination class action. Demonstrating an ability to lead on new market trends, the firm also led the trial of the first ‘suitable seats’ class action, resulting in a victory for client Rite Aid.

LITIGATIONINTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION TEAM OF THE YEARHughes Hubbard & Reed LLP is virtually unbeaten for the level of commitment it has shown to maintaining the strength of its practice over the years. It is one of the few firms in this area to have retained its pillar figures for decades, but combines a high retention rate with the addition of new talent. As a result, the firm now has invaluable strength in depth, and attracts praise from both peers and clients as well as winning roles in many of the most high-profile matters. For example, it represented Canada in its dispute against the US over the interpretation of an LCIA award in relation to the Softwood Lumber Agreement.

INTERNATIONAL TRADEIn an area driven by politics and therefore susceptible to cyclic activity, Baker & McKenzie LLP has successfully adapted to the shift in global trade practice towards an increased focus on FCPA, anti-corruption and customs compliance, while simultaneously retaining its capacity in more traditional sub-practices such as export controls, trade sanctions and WTO work. The team is one of the few to be truly present nationwide, with a strong West Coast base that caters for high-tech clients.

LEADING TRIAL LAWYER OF THE YEARThe last thing that Daniel Petrocelli of O’Melveny & Myers LLP is doing is resting on his laurels. As a trial lawyer should do, Petrocelli regularly tries high-profile cases back-to-back in different parts of the country across a range of industries. He recently obtained a critical ruling from the Ninth Circuit on behalf of Warner Bros relating to its Superman franchise, and negotiated a ten-year reduction to former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling’s 24-year prison sentence.

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MASS TORT AND CLASS ACTION TEAM OF THE YEAR: PLAINTIFF SIDELieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein, LLP has a nationwide presence and is particularly strong in employment, and in pharmaceuticals and medical devices where it was promoted to tier one in our ranking this year. Among the work highlights that particularly impressed us were securing a $29.75m settlement on behalf of 12,700 foreign nationals, and leading on recent litigation concerning Silicon Valley cases where plaintiffs allege a conspiracy to drive down wages.

PRODUCT LIABILITY TEAM OF THE YEARRecent recruitment in Reed Smith LLP’s product liability team has supplemented what was an already strong team. It represents a number of household names and has recently been serving as national counsel for Merck in the In re Nuva Ring product liability litigation. It has also been advising Shell and Johnson Controls.

SECURITIES LITIGATION TEAM OF THE YEARDuring the most recent research period, Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP garnered unanimous praise from peers. This did not come as a surprise either, given the fact it has played a major role in a number of headline cases for financial institutions and major corporates: Merck & Co called upon the firm in a federal securities class action, it advised Deutsche Bank Securities on matters relating to the failed takeover of Huntsman Corporation, and it represented JPMorgan Chase in 15 mortgage-backed securities lawsuits.

SUPREME COURT AND APPELLATE TEAM OF THE YEARBancroft PLLC had another stunning year and continues to be a natural choice to conduct difficult and high-profile matters before the highest court in the land. The group represented

Carol Anne Bond in Bond v United States, and Northwest Airlines in Northwest v Ginsberg, and argued McCutcheon v Federal Election Commission before the Court.

TRADE SECRETS TEAM OF THE YEARCovington & Burling LLP is coming into its own as a trade secrets practice, and caught our attention in particular for the variety of the work handled. It recently represented Manheim Auctions in trade secrets litigation against BidReady LLC in relation to the online web interface for automobile auctions, and advised Intercos on a complex multi-jurisdictional case in the cosmetics manufacturing industry.

WHITE-COLLAR DEFENSE TEAM OF THE YEARHaving been on our radar for some time now, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP really surpassed itself during the most recent round of research and impressed enough to reach tier one – no mean feat in this highly competitive category. The work being handled was undoubtedly on a par with the existing tier one firms and the team garnered excellent feedback from peers. It recently assisted BP’s board of directors in reaching a favorable settlement with the DOJ regarding the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

MEDIA, TECHNOLOGY AND TELECOMSOUTSOURCING TEAM OF THE YEARMayer Brown practices across the globe, advising both customers and providers. It also has niche expertise in areas such as facilities management, telecoms, cloud computing and privacy. In an outsourcing transaction valued at over $1bn, it assisted CEMEX with outsourcing its back-office operations in 50 countries.

REGULATORY TEAM OF THE YEARMorrison & Foerster LLP is a leading firm in the data protection and cyber security space, where it

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is renowned for providing high-level advice to the heavily regulated healthcare, financial and retail sectors. The firm has an excellent track record in responding to investigations concerning data breaches and privacy, and it is currently involved in a number of significant such matters. Clients include MySpace, Citibank and Target.

TRANSACTIONAL TEAM OF THE YEARWeil, Gotshal & Manges LLP appeared on the majority of 2013’s big-ticket technology and telecoms deals. Notably, it advised on Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp, Lenovo’s acquisition of Motorola from Google, and Comcast’s purchase of 49% stake in NBC Universal.

MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS AND BUYOUTSANTITRUST TEAM OF THE YEARThis was a tough and competitive category, but Latham & Watkins LLP was selected as our winner this year due to its involvement in a number of large deals, as well as its antitrust litigation capabilities across the US, including strategic B2B litigation and class actions. Among the headline deals were Omnicom’s $35bn merger with Publicis Groupe and Lucasfilm’s $4bn acquisition by Walt Disney.

M&A LARGE DEALS TEAM OF THE YEARWhite & Case LLP wins the award in recognition of its US-led global experience and its stunning high-value, high-stakes deal list. It advised DISH Network on its $25.5bn unsolicited proposal to acquire Sprint Nextel, which was one of the largest deals of the year and also one of the more complex, as it involved an existing merger agreement between Sprint and SoftBank as well as Sprint’s acquisition of the outstanding shares of Clearwire.

M&A LITIGATION TEAM OF THE YEARWachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz wins this award owing to its takeover and transactional litigation

practice. Day-in, day-out, it plays leading roles in high-end M&A litigation. Recent successful defenses include the New York Stock Exchange’s merger with the InterContinental Exchange, the going-private sale of Dell, and the merger between Saks Fifth Avenue and Hudson’s Bay Company.

M&A MEGA-DEALS TEAM OF THE YEARWall Street firm Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP has had a stunning return to form that earned it this recognition. Demonstrating its global credibility, it advised on CNOOC’s landmark $15.1bn acquisition of Canadian global energy company Nexen. It also represented Heinz on its $28bn acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital.

M&A MID-MARKET TEAM OF THE YEARMcDermott Will & Emery LLP has strengthened its New York office with strategic hires. It has been handling an increasing volume of private equity and SPAC work, and stands out for its sector strengths, which include healthcare, life sciences, food and beverages, and metals and mining and chemicals. The team advised Copper Beech Townhome on its staged $970m sale of a 48% equity interest.

PRIVATE EQUITY BUYOUTS TEAM OF THE YEARBuilding on its virtually peerless middle market platform, Kirkland & Ellis LLP has attracted a series of bulge-bracket sponsor clients and has worked a on a series of high-value transactions. Of particular note, it represented 3G Capital and Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway on the $28bn buyout of Heinz.

VENTURE CAPITAL AND EMERGING COMPANIES TEAM OF THE YEARFenwick & West LLP deserves special recognition for its outstanding record in the tech environment,

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Covington is proud to support the

The Legal 500 Awards and we celebrate the excellence

and innovation of tonight’s honorees.

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including digital media, and its growing presence in the life sciences arena. With a client list that includes Facebook, Twitter and Dropbox, it has a major presence in this sector.

REAL ESTATE AND CONSTRUCTIONCONSTRUCTION TEAM OF THE YEARDuring the last research period, specialist firm Peckar & Abramson demonstrated that it has impressive coverage both in the US and abroad. It recently acted for a joint venture of two Indian contractors in ICDR arbitration proceedings against a US government contractor regarding a project in the Middle East.

LAND USE/ZONING TEAM OF THE YEAR:During research, we noted that the magnitude and variety of matters on which Perkins Coie LLP advises had notably expanded on the previous year. It also reported several new high-profile client wins, particularly in California. It obtained entitlements and vested development rights for BioMed Realty for two life sciences campus redevelopment projects in the city, which are set to be worth $15bn upon completion. The group has a truly national presence and demonstrates expertise across the entire spectrum of land use-related matters, attracting tremendous feedback, particularly for its litigation capabilities.

REAL ESTATE TEAM OF THE YEARKatten Muchin Rosenman LLP’s real estate practice has been going from strength to strength, attracting a raft of headline clients with its sophisticated and business-focused approach. It advised Ivanhoé Cambridge and Callahan

Capital Partners on the acquisition of a 51% interest in 1211 Avenue of the Americas in New York.

TAXDOMESTIC TAX TEAM OF THE YEAREast Coast powerhouse Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP has had an excellent run of acting for high-profile clients. Key examples of this include advising Overseas Shipholding Group Inc, the second-largest publicly traded oil tanker company in the world, in connection with its Chapter 11 reorganization, and advising Google on tax aspects of the $2.35bn sale of its Motorola Home Business.

INTERNATIONAL TAX TEAM OF THE YEARCaplin & Drysdale, Chartered deserves to be commended for its continued development in the international tax space – during the last research period it demonstrated an impressive number of new clients, with the aggregate amount of assets at issue in these cases exceeding $1bn. This year was notable, with the team welcoming two prominent lateral hires with considerable experience.

TAX CONTROVERSY TEAM OF THE YEARMayer Brown had another very strong run, which saw its dedicated tax controversy experts advising clients such as Tyco International in the US Tax court with respect to the deductibility of interest paid by Tyco entities in the US to a related finance company in Switzerland. Other clients include Eaton and Exelon, which the firm is assisting in a complex and high-stakes tax controversy.

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