787 Seventh Avenue
New York, NY 10019-6099, US
Tel: +212 728 8000
Fax: +212 728 8111
Web: www.willkie.com
Co Chairmen:
Thomas M. Cerabino, Steven J. Gartner
Number of partners worldwide: 145
Number of other lawyers worldwide: 424
Firm profile:
Established in New York City in 1888, the firm comprises over 600 lawyers, including 145 partners, in offices in New York, Washington, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Frankfurt, and Brussels. Continuing to expand its international practice, the firm is regularly sought to represent multinational clients in an array of corporate and securities-related transactions and litigation and arbitration matters.
Main International Areas of Practice: Corporate and financial services; insurance; litigation; real estate; business reorganization and restructuring; communications, media and privacy; tax; intellectual property; trusts and estates; government relations; environmental, health and safety; executive compensation and employee benefits.
M&A: The firm regularly represents clients that buy and sell companies in complex cross-border transactions. It also represents a large number of international issuers and underwriters in relation to debt and equity offerings in the United States.
Private Equity: The firm represents a number of private equity and venture capital funds and venture banking firms that provide seed money to start-up companies and make private equity investments in established enterprises. The firm has advised these clients in connection with successful investments in such areas as healthcare, biotechnology, e-commerce, computers, consumer products, electronics, publishing, telecommunications, and environmental cleanup and control.
Banking and Finance: The firm regularly represents banks, investment advisers and other securities professionals in their relationships with European regulatory authorities.
Communications, Media and Privacy: The firm has significant expertise advising on regulatory issues and commercial transactions involving all types of telecommunications, information technology and outsourcing, e-commerce, media and entertainment matters.
Litigation and Arbitration: The firm is known for its expertise in most major areas of business and corporate litigation, including shareholders' disputes, battle for corporate control, and professional liability actions. Its lawyers are frequently sought to intervene as counsel or arbitrators in various national and international arbitrations.
European Union Law: The firm advises clients on a full range of EU and competition law matters, from merger control and restrictive practices/agreements to state aid and market liberalization matters. The antitrust team deals regularly with the European Commission's services.
Business Reorganization and Restructuring: The firm regularly assists public and private corporations in internal restructurings and strategic alliances, including in relation to potential insolvency issues. It is regularly involved in judicial stay and bankruptcy proceedings as counsel to debtors and creditors.
Tax: The firm advises on tax-related aspects of commercial and financial transactions and is especially skilled in devising tax-efficient structures for the listing of European companies in the United States and in drafting tax-relevant segments of issuing prospectuses in capital market transactions.
Languages spoken:
Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
World wide offices:
Washington DC, Paris, London, Milan, Rome, Frankfurt and Brussels.