Overview
Mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and strategic investments are fundamental tools of corporations, financial institutions and private equity investors. With M&A lawyers on the ground across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, our team advises both principals and their financial advisors on the full spectrum of domestic and cross-border public and private mergers and acquisitions deals, whether negotiated or unsolicited.
Clients rely on our team to guide them through transactions that will ultimately transform their organizations. Corporations and financial sponsors trust that we understand their business needs and will offer pragmatic and solutions-oriented advice, negotiate aggressively on their behalf and provide focused execution throughout each deal.
In addition to our depth of experience and awareness of market practice, clients know they will benefit from our team’s innovative mindset and willingness to design optimal — and at times completely unique — structures to achieve their legal and business objectives.
Every client and every matter is important to us. Regardless of transaction size, all clients can leverage our global platform to get sophisticated guidance and advice on their most complex and time-sensitive concerns.
Deal teams seamlessly integrate partners in specialist practice areas to provide a 360-degree analysis of all related aspects of a mergers and acquisitions transaction, including antitrust, tax, regulatory, financing, capital markets, compensation, intellectual property and privacy.
Experience
Accolades
ALB Japan Law Awards Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year — 2022
Awarded for our work advising Hitachi, Ltd. in its $9.5 billion acquisition of GlobalLogic Inc. This transaction represents the biggest Japanese outbound acquisition of a U.S. hi-tech company on record.
IFLR Americas M&A Private Equity Deal of the Year — 2022
Awarded for our work advising IG4 Capital on its investment in Aenza S.A.A. pursuant to concurrent Peru and US tender offers. As a result of the transaction, IG4 is now the largest shareholder of one of the largest infrastructure firms in Peru.
Shearman & Sterling Named Among Clients’ Most Trusted Law Firms for M&A – 2021
Shearman & Sterling was named as one of clients’ most trusted law firms for M&A in a recent report from BTI Consulting Group. The report listed Shearman & Sterling among the top law firms noted by clients for their ability to get deals done despite the difficult environment for M&A due to the pandemic and other regulatory and political factors.
The Deal M&A Deal of the Year — 2020
Awarded for our work advising Raytheon in its $120 billion merger of equals with United Technologies. The merger establishes a broad and complementary portfolio of platform-agnostic capabilities across the high-growth segments of aerospace and defense.
The Deal M&A Most Innovative Deal of the Year — 2020
Awarded for our work advising Viacom in its $30 billion merger with CBS Corporation. The combined company, which is renamed ViacomCBS, creates a premium content powerhouse with global scale, including leadership positions in markets across the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia.
Corporate Counsel’s Best Of 2020 #1 Corporate Transactions Practice Group – 2020
Shearman & Sterling took the number one spot in Corporate Counsel’s Best Of 2020 readers’ poll in the Corporate Transactions Practice Group category for its well-renowned global Corporate Transactions team, spanning market-leading Mergers & Acquisitions, Capital Markets and other Corporate practice areas. Each year, Corporate Counsel develops a survey ballot that covers a vast array of practice groups at law firms and other service providers.
Law 360 Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Group of the Year — 2018
Shearman & Sterling’s Mergers & Acquisitions practice has been selected as one of six Law360 Mergers & Acquisitions Practice Groups of the Year for 2018. Winners were selected based on the significance, size and complexity of the firm's work, and the number of large deals the firm worked on.
The M&A practice was selected for advising:
AmLaw M&A Deal of the Year — 2018
The American Lawyer selected CVS Health’s $70 billion acquisition of Aetna, in which Shearman & Sterling acted as legal advisor to CVS Health, as the M&A Deal of the Year. CVS Health’s acquisition of health insurer Aetna is an industry-transforming transaction that will provide more integrated, accessible and efficient healthcare services for consumers and health professionals. The transaction values Aetna at $212 per share or approximately $70 billion. Including the assumption of Aetna’s debt, the total value of the transaction is $78 billion. The acquisition closed in late November. AmLaw also once again included the firm in its A-List of the top-20 law firms in the U.S., based on revenue per lawyer, pro bono commitment, associate satisfaction, and racial and gender diversity.
IFLR Americas Award — 2018
Awarded the M&A Team of the Year, which recognizes the full picture of our work across numerous deals and geographies for the year and is presented to the team that works on the most innovative deals – those applying new legal structures; deals that overcame new regulatory hurdles; and regional firsts that adapt technology to local regulation. In winning this award, the firm was recognized for the complexity and intricacy of our M&A work, as well as the impact on the market.
IFLR Americas Award — 2018
Awarded the M&A Deal of the Year for our work advising GE on its agreement with Baker Hughes to combine GE’s oil and gas business with Baker Hughes to create a world-leading oilfield technology provider with a unique mix of service and equipment capabilities. Baker Hughes, a GE company (BHGE), is the first and only company to bring together industry-leading equipment, services and digital solutions across the entire spectrum of oil and gas development.
IFLR Americas Award — 2018
Awarded the Equity Deal of the Year for our work in connection with the initial public offering of Vista Oil & Gas. This was the first Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) IPO in Latin America and the first oil and gas E&P-focused listing in Mexico. The Mexican IPO raised $650 million, and Vista Oil & Gas is now listed on the Bolsa de Mexico, the main stock exchange in Mexico.
Finance Monthly M&A Awards — 2018
Received the Finance Monthly M&A Award 2018 for our work advising Liberty Global on its $9.3 billion split-off of Liberty Latin America. The award considered expertise and innovation, innovation in client care, size (value) of involvement within transactions and deals, strategic thinking and planning.
Best M&A Legal Service Award — 2017
Stephanie Tang (Hong Kong/Beijing-Mergers & Acquisitions) awarded Best M&A Legal Service Award 2017 by the China Mergers & Acquisitions Association for her role in advising the Independent Committee of the Board of Directors of Bona Film Group Limited (Bona Film) on the $1 billion buyout transaction. Stephanie and her team served as US counsel and led the entire life cycle of the buyout transaction.
FT Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers Awards — 2017
Awarded for Legal Expertise at the FT Asia-Pacific Innovative Lawyers Awards on June 1, 2017. The firm’s groundbreaking matter – the US$4.3 billion Central Java independent power project (IPP) – was recognized for innovation, specifically for “managing complexity and scale.” The firm’s role advising on two other precedent-setting transactions (LRT 1 Project and Phoenix Healthcare) was also acknowledged and ranked by the FT.
China Business Law Awards — 2017
Named M&A Firm of the Year and awarded M&A Deal of the Year for representing private equity firm Yunfeng Capital in its US$1.22 billion take-private, along with Alibaba Group, of Chinese video steaming company Youku Tudou Inc. These awards were announced in a special report in the February 2017 issue of China Business Law Journal.
India Business Law Journal — 2017
Awarded Deal of the Year for representing General Electric in the sale of its commercial lending and leasing businesses in India, GE Capital and GE Money, to a consortium of former GE Capital management backed by AION Capital Partners.
AmLaw Transatlantic Legal Awards — 2017
George Casey awarded Transatlantic Corporate Dealmaker, M&A (U.S.) owing to his representation of longstanding client Liberty Global in three separate transactions over the past year.
Legal Business Awards — 2016
Our London M&A practice was named Corporate Team of the Year at the Legal Business Awards 2016.
The American Lawyer Top Dealmakers Issue — 2016
George Casey featured in The American Lawyer’s April 2016 issue “Top Dealmakers and their Deals”.
IFLR Americas Awards — 2016
Awarded M&A Deal of the Year for The Dow Chemical Company’s carve-out of its chlor-alkali business and merger of the new entity with Olin Corporation through a Reverse Morris Trust transaction. This complex and unique transaction included a carve-out, equity and debt exchanges and a public company merger.
China Business Law Journal — 2015
Awarded Deal of the Year for representing Bank of Communication (BoCom), one of the largest banks in China, in its acquisition of Brazil’s Banco BBM S.A.
Irish Legal 100 — 2015
Shearman & Sterling’s senior partner Creighton Condon and M&A partner Clare O’ Brien have been named to the 2015 Irish Legal 100 list honoring accomplished Irish-Americans in the American legal profession.
The British Legal Awards — 2015
The firm’s work on behalf of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) on its acquisition of Canary Wharf Group plc., the major real estate development in central London, was acknowledged at The British Legal Awards 2015, where the firm was “highly commended” for M&A Team of the Year.
ABA Journal — 2015
Hsu Untied, a blog hosted and authored by Richard Hsu, Global Head of Intellectual Property and Technology Transactions in the firm's Menlo Park office, has been chosen as one of the ABA Journal’s BLAWG 100 list of best blogs for a legal audience.
Asia Legal Awards 2015
Awarded M&A Deal of the Year: South & Southeast Asia for representing Sun Pharmaceuticals Inc. in its US$4 billion purchase of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. As a result of this landmark deal, Sun Pharmaceuticals became the fifth-largest specialty generics company in the world and the largest pharmaceutical company in India.
JUVE — 2015
Shearman & Sterling’s Frankfurt office has been recognized by JUVE for its work on the largest and most important transactions in Germany in 2015, including representing Nokia Corporation in the carve-out sale of its HERE mapping and location services business to a consortium of German automotive manufacturers including Audi AG, BMW Group and Daimler AG.
FT Innovative Lawyers (North America) — 2015
Recognized in the Commended category for the team’s work in creating a tracking stock for Liberty Global’s operations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LiLAC). This was the first-ever tracking stock created under English Law.
Global Legal Awards from The American Lawyer — 2015
Awarded Global M&A Deal of the Year: Middle East for the firm’s work on behalf of the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) on its acquisition of Canary WharfGroup plc, the major real estate development in central London.
Awarded Global M&A Deal of the Year: Africa for representation of Algeria’s Fonds National d’Investissement (FNI), a strategic investment fund, on the US$2.6 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Omnium Télécom Algérie SpA (“Djezzy”), the leading mobile phone operator in Algeria.
Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards — 2015
Named Middle East Corporate Team of the Year at the Corporate Counsel Middle East Awards
India Business Law Journal — 2015
Awarded Deal of the Year for representing Sun Pharmaceutical in its acquisition of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd. in a transaction valued at US$4 billion
Directors & Boards — 2014
Ranked No. 3 for Best in Dealing with Board-Level M&A Issues in Directors & Boards’ seventh annual survey, which asked directors to name up to three law firms that they considered top of the class in critical corporate governance areas.
TopLegal — 2014
Named Italian M&A Team of the Year by Top Legal, a leading Italian trade publication covering the Italian legal market.
IFLR European Awards — 2014
Named Most Innovative US Law Firm in Europe
Awarded Private Equity Deal of the Year for General Electric's $4.3 billion acquisition of Avio's aviation business from Cinven.
Global Legal Awards from The American Lawyer — 2013
Awarded Global M&A Deal of the Year for representing the Special Committee formed by Sprint’s Board of Directors in connection with Dish Network’s counter-bid to Softbank’s merger proposal.
Awarded Global M&A Deal of the Year, Chile for representing long-time client Anglo American in the sale of minority interests in Anglo American Sur, a Chilean copper mining company, to Mitsubishi Corporation and Codelco (the Chilean state-owned mining company) and the negotiation of related partnership arrangements.
Infrastructure Journal Awards — 2013
Awarded Acquisition of the Year – Energy for advising a member of the purchaser consortium on the acquisition of Open Grid Europe GmbH.
International M&A Advisor Awards — 2012
Awarded M&A Transaction of the Year for representing Sony Corporation of America, as part of a consortium, in the acquisition of Nortel Networks Corporation’s patent portfolio.
Project Finance International Magazine — 2012
Awarded Global M&A Deal of the Year for advising a member of the purchaser consortium on the acquisition of Open Grid Europe GmbH.
IFLR 1000 — 2012
Awarded M&A Deal of the Year: Europe for advising Charter International plc on the US aspects of its acquisition by US industrial pumps specialist Colfax Corporation. The deal was unique in that it was implemented by a court-sanctioned scheme of arrangement under Jersey law.
Awarded M&A Deal of the Year: USA for advising Sony Corporation of America, as part of a consortium, in the acquisition of Nortel Networks Corporation’s patent portfolio. The sale included more than 6,000 patents and patent applications spanning wireless, wireless 4G, data networking, optical, voice, internet, service provider, semiconductors and other patents.
Key Contacts
Shearman & Sterling's environmental attorneys counsel industrial, commercial and financial entities regarding a broad array of environmental challenges, including helping them manage environmental risks in the context of business and real estate transactions and achieve compliance with environmental laws and regulations. This work includes coordinating environmental site assessments and compliance audits, and drafting and negotiating the environmental provisions of transaction documents, including real estate acquisitions or divestitures, collateralized loans and leases. Our environmental lawyers practice under U.S., English, French and German law.
We are actively involved with green building and sustainable development initiatives, including LEED and the new six-part European Union climate and energy legislative package, and regularly advise clients on risks and opportunities presented by climate change and sustainable development. We also have experience with site remediation, including brownfields programs and related tax incentives. In addition, our environmental team has extensive experience advising clients in connection with environmental claims, counseling issuers and underwriters regarding environmental and climate change disclosure requirements and trends, and advising financial institutions in connection with liability and portfolio risks associated with their borrowers’ businesses and secured assets.
Industries
Regional Experience