International Corporate Finance

UK BEST LAW FIRMS

M&A - Large Cap (Over £250m)

The firms are listed alphabetically within each band

FIRMS LEADING PARTNERS

LEADING

Clifford Chance Guy Norman, Patrick Sarch, David Pudge, David Pearson

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer Simon Marchant, Edward Braham, Julian Long, Mark Rawlinson

Linklaters Stuart Bedford, Jeremy Parr, Richard Godden, Charles Jacobs

Slaughter and May Roland Turnill, Andy Ryde, Stephen Cooke

EXCELLENT

Allen & Overy Richard Cranfield, Stephen Lloyd

Herbert Smith Freehills James Palmer, Malcolm Lombers, David Paterson

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Scott V. Simpson, Michael E. Hatchard

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Ashurst Simon Beddow

Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton Michael McDonald

Hogan Lovells Andrew Pearson, Charles Rix, Steven Bryan

King & Wood Mallesons Michael Goldberg, Martin Bowen

Macfarlanes Charles Martin

Mayer Brown Peter Dickinson

Norton Rose Fulbright Chris Pearson, Robin Brooks, Paul Whitelock

Proskauer Steven Davis

Simmons & Simmons Mark Curtis, Giles Dennison, Arthur Stewart

Sullivan & Cromwell Timothy Emmerson

Weil, Gotshal & Manges Michael Francies, Peter King

RECOMMENDED

Baker & McKenzie Timothy Gee

CMS Cameron McKenna Charles Currier

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher Nick Tomlinson

Kirkland & Ellis Christopher Field

Latham & Watkins Nicholas A. Cline

Paul Hastings Ronan P. O'Sullivan

Shearman & Sterling Laurence Levy

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett Adam Signy

Travers Smith Spencer Summerfield

White & Case Ashley Ballard

Guy Norman

L eaders:
Guy Norman, Patrick Sarch,
David Pudge and David
Pearson
E stablished:
1987

Track record: The corporate group has

strong experience in emerging markets like

India and Africa, with particular strengths

in sectors like TMT and energy. The firm

advised the Royal Bank of Scotland on the

sale of RBS Aviation Capital for $ 7.3 billion.

Other notable clients include Deutsche

Bank, Shell and Suntory.

Team & differentiation: Clifford Chance’s

corporate practice houses 680 legal advi-

sors worldwide, led by the Global Head of

Corporate Guy Norman. The differentiation

comes from its activities outside the scope

of mainstream M&A, wherein the firm brings

together its specializations in areas like com-

mercial contracts, financial institutions and

insurance.

CLIFFORD CHANCE:
A FULLY-INTEGRATED GLOBAL LAW FIRM

Charles Jacobs

L eaders:

Stuart Bedford, Jeremy

Parr, Richard Godden and

Charles Jacobs

E stablished:

1838

Track record: Recent high-profile deals for

Linklaters include advising SABMiller on its

$108 billion acquisition by Anheuser-Busch

InBev and Visa Europe on its €21.2 billion

sale of 100% of its shares to Visa. Other

clients of note include Pirelli, Deutsche

Börse AG, Glencore, Novartis and Delhaize

Group.

Team & differentiation: Linklaters is one of

the largest and most well-known legal firms

in the world, with 29 offices in 20 coun-

tries, and over 2000 qualified lawyers and

partners under its wing. Recently elected

senior partner, Charles Jacobs, heads the

global mining and metals team and is known

for his work in the corporate/M&A field.

LINKLATERS:

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