THE FIRM This stellar New York firm has a dominant and universally respected position at the top of the M&A market. The team is a national leader in the corporate space, working on some of the most complicated and high-profile deals around. Respected by peers and clients alike, Cravath has had a pivotal role in advising Nalco Holding Company in connection with its recent $8.1 billion merger with Ecolab. Other notable clients include Massey Energy Company, Kraft Foods and Johnson & Johnson.

Client Service "The lawyers are very focused on what matters and distilling an issue into what you need to know. So many law firms can tell you the law but not how to apply it."

Commercial Awareness "They know the market and have great market practice. They are very thoughtful on getting up to speed."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Richard Hall, Faiza Saeed and Scott Barshay are all leading practitioners at the firm and are supported by rising star Sarkis Jebejian. 

THE FIRM With offices spread across the entire country in California, Texas, New York, Illinois and DC, Latham has a dynamic and deeply respected corporate practice group with far-reaching domestic and cross-border expertise. The department has recently advised on M&A transactions across a variety of industries including pharmaceutical, biotech, media and telecommunications. The team is well known for handling the most lucrative deals, which was recently exemplified by its representation of Energy Transfer Equity in its $9.2 billion acquisition of Southern Union Company.  

Sources say: "I have a very favorable impression of the firm based on the consistently positive experiences that we have had in working with Latham."

KEY INDIVIDUALS The global practice group is led by cochairs Adel Aslani-Far in New York and Mark Gerstein, who divides his time between both the New York and Chicago offices.

THE FIRM This team is renowned for its universal M&A strength in both its East and West Coast practices and is overwhelmingly respected for its tremendous private equity knowledge and transactional experience. The firm acts as an international go-to for clients and has a keen focus on financial services and energy M&A work. The firm recently took a lead role in one of the corporate deals of the year, by advising Petrohawk Energy Corporation on its $15.1 billion acquisition by BHP Billiton. Its exceptional client list includes Microsoft, Arch Coal and Tyco International.

Commercial Awareness "They are current on trends and they keep us appraised on latest contracts."

KEY INDIVIDUALS M&A group head Lee Meyerson is based in New York. On the West Coast, the Palo Alto practice is led by Richard Capelouto, and Dan Clivner heads the LA branch.

THE FIRM This corporate colossus has an extensive M&A practice both domestically and internationally. The practice is composed of some of the world's most technically and legally proficient attorneys, who set a superb standard of service for their clients. The team has an impressive reputation for handling the full array of corporate work and acts for clients ranging from private and public companies to financial institutions and government agencies. The firm offers M&A expertise spanning a range of industries including energy, retail, healthcare and financial services. Skadden's expertise was exemplified by its recent representation of Australian Centro Properties Group in the $9.4 billion sale its US shopping centers to The Blackstone Group.

Commercial Awareness "Skadden provides legal advice that is key to your company to help you maximize and achieve your efficiencies through diligence and leadership."

Client Service "The firm's ability to turn documents and attentiveness was an immense effort."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Howard Ellin in New York and Chicago-based Peter Krupp serve as global co-heads of the firm's corporate transactions and M&A practices.

THE FIRM This M&A heavyweight has a robust presence on both coasts. Offices in New York, California and DC enable the firm to work seamlessly at utilizing its resources as a global M&A practice. The team has led the way on some of the biggest recent cross-border deals and successfully represented Skype and Silver Lake Partners in Skype's $8.5 billion acquisition by Microsoft from an investor consortium led by Silver Lake. This was one of the largest, most high-profile technology deals in recent times. Other highly sophisticated clients include Chrysler, Barclays and AIG.

Client Service "It is an understanding firm both intellectually and ethically. It is sensitive to client needs and client driven."

Commercial Awareness "Without hesitation, it is our go-to firm for large, complex transactions. It provides excellent service and reasonable billing."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Joseph Frumkin is the firm's managing partner and is based in New York. The West Coast practice is headed up by leading partner Alison Ressler.

THE FIRM This New York titan is an exceptional player in the M&A space and effectively handles all areas of complex corporate transactions from its unique one-office base. The team is renowned for overcoming significant legal obstacles for its clients and has had a stellar year completing deals for a diverse array of companies from the healthcare and pharma industries to energy, technology and financial services. Its compact workforce represents the likes of NYSE Euronext and Duke Energy. The group's immense technical expertise was recently demonstrated by its defense of Airgas from a $5.9 billion hostile takeover bid by Air Products and Chemicals.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Martin Lipton is one of many highly respected founding partners of the firm, and Andrew Brownstein is a seasoned attorney who recently advised Genzyme on its $20 billion sale to Sanofi.

THE FIRM This East Coast firm works from both its DC and New York offices on a range of complex and high-profile international deals. The firm has one of the most enviable client rosters, ranging from financial institutions like Bank of America and JPMorgan to technology giants such as Google and Hewlett-Packard. The team certainly shines in the technology sector and has represented Google on a number of recent deals, most notably in its $12.5 billion acquisition of Motorola Mobility. Indeed, the telecommunications area has provided the firm with numerous major clients including Sony and Nortel. 

Client Service "The team is run fairly leanly and candidly with a lot of partner involvement, which is exactly what I want."

Commercial Awareness "They understand our business and industry."

KEY INDIVIDUALS New York partners Victor Lewkow and Michael Ryan are major players in corporate law.  

THE FIRM This dynamic and expansive team has attorneys practicing in offices across California, Washington, DC and New York. The firm's impressive ability in M&A has attracted a string of international household names such as Campbell Soup, Polo Ralph Lauren and Morgan Stanley. The firm has had a successful year representing healthcare, technology and financial companies in major transactions. The group recently represented Aetna in a number of acquisitions totaling $1.5 billion, and also advised GSI Commerce on its $2.4 billion acquisition by eBay.

Client Service "The firm has done an excellent job and takes a particular interest in what we are doing."

Commercial Awareness "The lawyers are well versed in our industry and do a lot of deals related to our industry and are pretty well in touch with the market."

KEY INDIVIDUALS George Bason is the global co-head of the M&A practice and focuses on joint ventures, corporate governance and cross-border deals. Fellow co-head David Caplan is a key adviser for corporate and investment banking clients in both M&A and joint ventures.

THE FIRM This firm shines in a range of M&A deals, particularly in transactions for financial institutions, private equity companies and financial advisers. From its offices in New York and Washington, DC, the team represents a series of highly desirable clients including Verizon and Amazon. International work forms a key component of the practice, exemplified by its representation of Prudential in the $4.8 billion acquisition of two AIG life insurance companies, including Japan-based AIG Star Life Insurance. The team also utilized its impressive standing in the global insurance sector to represent AIG in the $2.16 billion sale of its interest in Chinese life insurer Nan Shan. 

Client Service "The team is absolutely aware of our firm and its culture. It has a heavy focus on my sector and is very, very knowledgeable."

Commercial Awareness "The team knows its clients' objectives and knows the job is to get the clients what they want and understand their risks, and to find solutions to challenging situations and tough negotiations."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jeffrey Rosen is chair of the group and an expert in M&A and private equity.

THE FIRM With offices in Colorado, Texas, California and New York, Gibson Dunn has a healthy corporate practice with a far-reaching national presence in many sectors including technology and consumer foods. The deal-makers in New York have been particularly active recently in major transactions. They represented Transatlantic Holdings in its $3.4 billion merger with Alleghany and also acted for Hewlett-Packard in its $10 billion acquisition of Autonomy Corporation. Other significant clients include Amazon.com, Expedia and Intel.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Dennis Friedman is cochair of the M&A group and is based in New York.

THE FIRM Renowned for its strength in private equity, Kirkland & Ellis has taken a bold stance in the M&A world by competing alongside some of the world's top players in the industry and working on some of the most complex deals around. For example, the New York team recently represented Teva Pharmaceuticals in its $6.8 billion acquisition of Cephalon. The firm also has a healthy presence on the West Coast in California as part of a massive collection of 600 attorneys firmwide.  

Sources say: "The attorneys we work with demonstrate strong relationship skills and a keen sense of how the legal issues interact with commercial realities."

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Fox and Daniel Wolf are two lead partners in New York who deal with a breadth of domestic and international corporate work, representing the likes of BHP Billiton and Avis Budget Group.

THE FIRM Weil has a distinguished global corporate presence with nine offices across the United States and a further 11 offices internationally. Private equity is a traditional strength of the firm and its M&A practice has been bolstered recently by the group's increasing presence in healthcare and life sciences, energy and media deals. The New York team recently represented France-based pharmaceutical company Sanofi in its $20.1 billion acquisition of American biotechnology giant Genzyme. This was one of the largest M&A deals of the past year, and one of the largest biotechnology deals of all time.

Commercial Awareness "The lawyers know us very, very well and we have used them on the majority of deals over the last ten years. They know what we care about, know our different partners and what they care about, and are very up to speed on the market."

Client Service "The firm seamlessly taps their other offices on deals, which is great."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Co-head of the New York private equity and M&A department, Michael Aiello has had a landmark year representing Sanofi and GSI Commerce.

THE FIRM This firm is a strong pillar on the East Coast with practice groups in both Washington, DC and New York. Lawyers at the former office played a key role in one of the most high-profile M&A deals this year, acting for major private equity company Cargill in the split-off of its share in Mosaic, valued at $24 billion. The team has also been involved in a series of transactions on behalf of major banking clients including Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Washington, DC partner Brian Mangino is a dedicated corporate partner who has taken a lead role acting on behalf of Cargill and Citadel Investment Group recently.

THE FIRM This sizeable national team has offices across the country dealing with high-profile corporate M&A work. The firm is able to offer clients the benefit of dedicated practices in M&A, private equity and capital markets. While known for its presence on the East Coast in DC and New York, and on the West Coast in California, it is the firm's dynamic Ohio corporate group that has recently caught the eye. It acted on behalf of Lubrizol in its $9.7 billion acquisition by Berkshire Hathway. Other notable clients for the firm include Gamble, Macy’s and Chrysler. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS New York-based Robert Profusek is head of the global practice for M&A and has advised the likes of International Coal Group and Diamond S Shipping on high-value transactions.

THE FIRM This New York and DC-based firm has an acclaimed reputation in the litigation sector and has enhanced its solid standing in the M&A space by leading the way on a growing number of high-profile deals for sophisticated clients. For example, the New York team recently represented Centerview Capital Partners in its $5.3 billion acquisition of Del Monte Foods. Other key clients include Ericsson, which the team advised on its $4.5 billion patent purchase from Nortel. 

Client Service "We get excellent client service from the firm across a wide range of disciplines. It has tremendous depth in many areas and intellectual capacities at the highest levels."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Robert Schumer is chair of the corporate department and serves as the lead lawyer in the negotiation and structuring of mergers and acquisitions. His clients include a range of public and private companies, private equity funds and financial institutions.

THE FIRM A leading firm in both M&A and private equity work, Ropes & Gray has offices in New York, Boston, DC, Chicago and California. The department's valuable expertise in M&A within the healthcare and pharmaceuticals sectors has enabled the team to represent the likes of Genzyme in its $20.1 billion sale to Sanofi and Blackstone in its $3 billion acquisition of Emdeo. The team has also been heavily involved in transactions for a range of major financial institutions including Citigroup, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley. 

Commercial Awareness "We've used the firm in the context of two major transactions, and the lawyers were knowledgeable and excellent at debating points of the acquisition agreement."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Boston-based partners Paul Kinsella and Patrick O'Brien are co-heads of the firm’s securities and public companies practice. Othon Prounis is a leading private equity attorney and is based in New York.

THE FIRM Offices in New York, Washington and California form the key US components for this global firm. Its seasoned practice operates an integrated approach to M&A transactions through its seamless and highly skilled global network. The department is active across a variety of sectors including the chemical, financial and life sciences areas. Notable clients include Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, BAE Systems and Nokia. In the medical technology sector, the New York team recently represented Gambro AB in its $2.6 billion agreement to sell CaridianBCT to the Japanese buyer Terumo.

KEY INDIVIDUALS George Casey is based in New York and co-heads the global M&A group. He recently acted on behalf of Anglo American on its $1.076 billion sale of Moly-Cop and AltaSteel.

THE FIRM Sidley has a prominent global M&A and private equity practice which engages in the full spectrum of such transactions. The department handles a variety of work across its seven offices for numerous major clients including PayPal, Sara Lee and Fortune Brands. The team recently advised General Electric in its $3 billion acquisition of Dresser and represented Alberto Culver in its $3.85 billion sale to Unilever. While the firm is headquartered in Chicago, it also has a key corporate presence in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Scott Freeman in New York and Frederick Lowinger in Chicago both act as co-heads of the group.

THE FIRM This superior Texas firm has built up a formidable energy M&A practice in recent years. The Houston-based head office is an unquestionable leader in energy deals and is at the forefront of major transactional work supported by offices in New York, Washington and California. The firm's strength in the energy sector was displayed by its recent representation of offshore oil drilling company Pride International in its $8.7 billion acquisition by Ensco. Baker Botts also houses corporate expertise in other sectors, as exemplified by its work for clients including AT&T and Liberty Media Corporation. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Corporate department chair David Kirkland is based in Houston. He is assisted by Bob Murray, who chairs the New York corporate department.

THE FIRM This well-renowned firm has a strong nationwide practice with niche expertise of M&A transactions for organizations in complex regulated industries. The corporate department has maintained a broad recent focus, having handled M&A transactions relating to aerospace, defense and government services, life sciences and energy. In addition to active practices in New York, Virginia and Maryland, the DC practice recently advised Equity Residential in its $1.325 billion purchase of Archstone entities. Other clients include NBC Universal, Gores Group and New Corporation.

Client Service "The lawyers are extremely responsive and competent and we've come to rely on them in a variety of different things in different locations."

Commercial Awareness "The firm has highly competent counsel as well as good business people who understand what we are doing. This is key to negotiation and structure."

KEY INDIVIDUALS New York partner Stuart Stein is head of the corporate practice area. Another leading light is firm co-CEO Warren Gorrell, who splits his national practice between New York and Washington, DC.

THE FIRM This firm covers an extensive range of M&A deals and has been involved in some highly lucrative transactions across a range of industries. Its experience in the technology sector was recently exemplified by its representation of Intel in its $7.7 billion acquisition of McAfee, and of Novellus Systems in a merger with Lam Research worth $3.3 billion. Offices in San Francisco and Palo Alto give the practice a strong West Coast feel, but the team is well equipped with a presence in New York, Northern Virginia and Denver.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Scott Stanton chairs the global corporate group and is supported by M&A practice leaders Robert Townsend, Michael O'Bryan, Lawrence Yanowitch and Gavin Grover.

THE FIRM Renowned as an oil and gas powerhouse, this Texas firm is headquartered in Houston and has key offices in Dallas and Austin. Its established corporate and private equity departments have kept a healthy standing thanks to added experience in New York, California and DC. The firm offers clients specialist expertise in public M&A for market-leading energy companies and is a recognized expert in international private equity. The department has also worked on a number of complex cross-border transactions including representing Occidental Petroleum in selling its Argentine oil and gas operations to Sinopec in a deal worth $2.5 billion.

Client Service "The firm is very good client service. The lawyers really know the energy business and know what terms to look for."

Commercial Awareness "Its industry expertise is totally excellent." 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Houston-based partner Keith Fullenweider heads the firm's M&A and private equity practice.

THE FIRM This well-respected East Coast practice has offices in both New York and Washington, DC. The department focuses on a broad range of corporate transactions of both domestic and cross-border nature. The New York office recently represented Swiss-based Allied World Assurance Company Holdings in its $8.5 billion with Transatlantic Holdings. Other notable clients represented by the firm are Fiat, Teva Pharmaceuticals and Credit Suisse.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Highly regarded partners David Boston and Steven Seidman are cochairs of the M&A group and are based in New York.

THE FIRM This well-established group represents an illustrious roster of clients including the likes of Griffon Corporation, Monster Worldwide and One Equity Partners. From its main headquarters in Washington and Philadelphia, Dechert's 59-partner practice handles a variety of transactions and corporate governance advice. The team recently acted for Court Square Capital partners on its $500 million acquisition of Fibertech Networks. The firm's nationwide corporate scope is supplemented by an increased international presence in Moscow and Beijing. 

Client Service “Responsive lawyers and great value for money. They have a good sense of when to negotiate hard and when to be flexible.”

Commercial Awareness "Dechert's private equity group delivers very well in understanding the commercial realities of the problems it is brought in to solve."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Henry Nassau heads the corporate and securities group from the firm’s Philadelphia office. He is supported by Mark Thierfelder, who chairs the New York wing of the practice.

THE FIRM Goodwin Procter is a long-established presence on the US M&A scene thanks to its vast presence across the country. While maintaining a strong footing in New York, Washington, DC and Boston, its West Coast strength has grown thanks to expansion in Silicon Valley along with offices in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Over the past 12 months, the practice has acted for a number of A-list clients, including Goldman Sachs and The Carlyle Group, on a wide range of high-value transactions. 

Sources say: “An excellent team. We think of them as partners in our business; they treat us really well.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Joseph Johnson chairs the practice from its headquarters in Boston.

THE FIRM Morgan Lewis focuses its corporate practice on high-end transactions for a range of clients including sellers, buyers, and investors. The practice is predominantly based in Philadelphia and New York, but also has a healthy presence in the Midwest and on the West Coast. The team's expertise includes negotiating a range of purchase and divestiture transactions. It also advises on structuring takeover defense mechanisms for a number of sophisticated clients such as Maersk Oil. Recent highlights include representing BHP Billiton in its $4.75 billion of Chesapeake Energy's interests in Fayetteville Shale.

Sources say: “A tremendous group in New York.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS The group is led by Richard Aldridge in Philadelphia and Steven Navarro in New York.

THE FIRM Based at the firm’s New York office, the deep White & Case team comprises 40 dedicated partners and 55 additional lawyers. The group’s corporate clients include Tyson Foods, First American and Fortis among others, and represents them in a range of high-value sales, acquisitions and restructurings. Recently, the team acted for Dynergy in structuring a $1.7 billion internal reorganization. The firm has also made headway in the lucrative Chinese market, and its Silicon Valley office is known for its monthly in-house seminars focused on Chinese M&A transactions.

KEY INDIVIDUALS The team is led by John Reiss and Oliver Brahmst, both based in New York.

THE FIRM This impressive practice continues to play a key role in significant technology sector transactions. The team recently advised video gaming giant Electronic Arts in its $750 million acquisition of PopCap Games. Other major clients include Adobe, Polycom and Seagate Technology, whom the team represents in a range of M&A and private equity work. The firm is known for its West Coast element in California and Seattle, but also has expertise on the ground in New York, Austin and Washington, DC.

Sources say: "The partners had a very deep experience and knowledge of our industry and a strong grasp of the corporate dimension of our transaction.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Palo Alto partner Jack Sheridan is the firm's business law department leader.

THE FIRM Bingham McCutchen's nationwide corporate group spans offices in Boston, New York and Washington on the East Coast, along with West Coast headquarters in Northern and Southern California. The firm is also renowned for its strong presence in the Asian market. The practice advises public corporations and private enterprises across a spectrum of industries ranging from defense manufacturers to biotech, chemical, life sciences and retail firms. Recent high-profile clients include Oracle Corporation and Citrix Systems.

Sources say: “A phenomenally strong practice.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS David Robbins cochairs the practice from the Los Angeles office, along with Steven Browne in Boston.

THE FIRM Cadwalader offers expertise in the full range of negotiated and contested M&A work for public and private companies. Based in New York and Washington, DC, the team is experienced in various transactions including cash mergers, divestitures and joint ventures among others. The team has continued to represent major client Pfizer in significant deals, and recently advised on a unit sale to private equity group Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co worth $2.38 billion. 

Sources say: “Very professional and helpful lawyers, thorough and detailed in their approach.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Louis Bevilacqua leads the corporate practice.

THE FIRM This 75-partner M&A practice spans the entire breadth of the country, with critical mass in California, New York, Chicago, Texas and North Carolina. The firm is praised for its expertise in M&A, venture capital and private equity transactions. Recent highlights include high-value technology deals including a $1.2 billion acquisition on behalf of Radiant Systems, and advising Qualcomm on its $1.93 billion license sale to AT&T. Other key clients include PopCap Games and Groupon.

Sources say: “A huge presence on the corporate/M&A scene.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Jonathan Klein chairs the M&A practice in New York and is supported by Jay Rains in San Diego and Jay Smith in Baltimore. 

THE FIRM The firm is known for its Miami base, but Greenberg Traurig’s New York M&A group enjoys a growing reputation, having recently acted on a number of high-profile transactions. Highlights include advising Duke Energy on its acquisition of Progress Energy, and ProLogis on its merger with AMB Property Corporation. The team also recently represented IT infrastructure provider Termark Worldwide in a $1.4 billion sale to Verizon Communications. The team represents a number of major financial institutions including Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS New York-based David Schwartzbaum cochairs the global M&A department.

THE FIRM The 65-partner team at McDermott focuses on middle and upper-middle market M&A, mainly on deals valued from $50 million to $1 billion. The group is known for a particular focus on the healthcare and life sciences sectors. For example, the practice recently represented Ascension Health in a joint venture with Oak Hill Capital Partners. The team’s main offices in Chicago and New York are supported by a substantial presence in Miami, Washington, DC and Boston and additional offices in California and Texas. High-profile clients include Bank of America Securities and Morgan Stanley.

Sources say: “High-quality M&A lawyers.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS New York-based David Goldman chairs the firm’s global corporate practice.

THE FIRM This New York-based M&A group specializes in executing complex and multi-jurisdictional deals, particularly in the industrial and financial services sectors. The group’s client portfolio includes significant names such as Morgan Stanley, Neuberger Berman and the Rosetta Marketing Group. The group’s most notable recent highlights include representing Ares Management in its $1.6 billion acquisition of retail chain 99 Cents Only Stores. As well as its key New York component, the practice also houses M&A expertise in Washington, DC and Los Angeles. 

Sources say: “Responsive attorneys who really think creatively about solutions to our problems.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Ron Papa and Michael Woronoff cochair the group in New York.

THE FIRM Bracewell & Giuliani’s corporate practice represents a variety of businesses including large publicly-owned corporations to entrepreneurs and startups. The Texas-based headquarters have dealt with a number of energy-related M&A transactions while the New York office has a particular focus on distressed deals. The Houston and New York offices recently joined forces in assisting Alinda Capital Partners, one of the largest infrastructure firms in the world, on its $800 million acquisition of InterPark Holdings. Another major highlight is the representation of Kinder Morgan in the $38 Billion Acquisition of El Paso Corporation. 

Sources say: “A strong team of attorneys who bring different perspectives and skill sets to the table, and have a strong commercial focus.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Greg Bopp heads the Houston wing of the practice and Robb Tretter leads the New York office.

THE FIRM Based in Texas, the 23-partner M&A practice at Haynes and Boone has particular expertise in the energy, aviation, technology, bio-tech and insurance industries. It has enhanced its expertise with a series of lateral hires and maintains a corporate presence in New York, Silicon Valley and Washington, DC. Recent highlights include the representation of AT&T International in an exchange offer launched by America Móvil to acquire the capital stock of Telmex in a deal worth approximately $1.1 billion. Other key clients include Waste Management and United Rentals. 

Sources say: “A very positive experience. We were very happy to work with them.”

KEY INDIVIDUALS Dallas-based partner Tom Harris heads the department.

THE FIRM Jenner & Block’s broad national corporate practice has offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Recent work highlights include representing Obagi in a registered public offering of $27.5 million of shares by stockholders and the company's simultaneous purchase of $36.5 million of shares from major shareholders. The team also represented Lonza Group in its $1.2 billion acquisition of Arch Chemicals in 2011.

Sources say: “Very professional, and very nice people.” 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Joseph Gromacki leads the national corporate practice, while Wesley Fredericks heads the New York practice.

THE FIRM This expansive firm has 21 offices across the country. The corporate practice has made a spate of recent hires and has also opened offices as far afield as Brussels, Doha and São Paulo, adding weight to its global presence. The firm acts as US legal counsel to a variety of international companies with American operations and also focuses on cross-border transactions in South America, Europe and Asia. Recent highlights include its representation of The Phillips Companies in their $1.7 billion acquisition of ExxonMobil.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Robert Zinn is co-practice area leader based in the firm's head office in Pittsburgh.

THE FIRM This Atlanta-based firm has a strong hold on the Georgia corporate market and also operates out of Texas, New York, Washington and California, where the group has a specific interest in venture capital work. The practice is also highly accomplished in corporate finance, private equity and corporate governance. The firm represents clients such as GE Oil and Gas, and CVS Caremark Corporation, who acquired the prescription drug plan business of Universal American Corporation for $1.4 billion.

KEY INDIVIDUALS Ray Baltz is the corporate practice group leader.

THE FIRM With a solid base on both coasts, O'Melveny has a dedicated M&A team that excels on domestic and international transactions. The corporate practice has growing expertise in the Asian market and specialist knowledge of US corporate governance matters. The firm represents a range of financial investors and sophisticated companies such as Western Digital and Warner Bros. The team has also recently represented Yahoo! in a range of major acquisitions. 

KEY INDIVIDUALS Silicon Valley-based partner Steven Tonsfeldt is chair of the firm's M&A practice.

THE FIRM This successful mid-market firm's transactional presence is demonstrated by its work in the technology, real estate and healthcare sectors among others. The firm operates a global, interdisciplinary approach to its M&A work and offers a full range of corporate services for its clients. The team recently represented electronics giant Samsung in the $1.375 billion sale of its hard drive operations to Seagate Technology. Other distinguished clients include LexisNexis and Rural/Metro.

Commercial Awareness "The most business-oriented counsel that I have ever worked with."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Carl Sanchez is chair of the firm’s global M&A practice and is based in the Palo Alto and San Diego offices.

THE FIRM This firm excels in advising technology, communications and life sciences industries on corporate matters. It also has a particular focus on transactions involving REITs, real estate capital markets and government contracts. The practice also has significant experience representing directors and board committees in a vast array of corporate matters. Major highlights include the representation of Atheros Communications in its $3.18 billion acquisition by Qualcomm, which brought together the expertise of both the Silicon Valley and New York offices.

Sources say: "First-rate firm that is very responsive, very fair and provides a first-rate service."

KEY INDIVIDUALS Washington, DC-based partner Robert Robbins is the firm's corporate & securities leader.