Shearman & Sterling LLP

Senior Partner: David Beveridge
Asia Regional Managing Partners: Lorna Xin Chen and Masahisa Ikeda
Number of partners: 200+
Number of lawyers: 850+
Languages: The firm has over 850 lawyers around the world speaking more than 60 languages and practicing US, English, French, German, Italian, Hong Kong, OHADA and Saudi law. Nearly half of its lawyers practice outside the United States.

Firm Overview:
Shearman & Sterling has a long and distinguished history of supporting its clients wherever they do business, from major financial centers to emerging and growth markets. The firm represents many of the world’s leading corporations and major financial institutions, as well as emerging growth companies, governments and state-owned enterprises – working on ground-breaking, precedent-setting matters. The firm has the global presence and diverse perspectives needed to partner with its clients to provide solutions to their most complex worldwide business needs.

Main Areas of Practice:
Antitrust
Capital Markets
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)
Compensation, Governance & ERISA
Derivatives & Structured Products
Emerging Growth
Family Office
Finance
Financial Institutions Advisory & Financial Regulatory
Financial Restructuring & Insolvency
Intellectual Property Litigation
Intellectual Property Transactions
International Arbitration
Investment Funds
Litigation
Mergers & Acquisitions
Privacy & Data Protection
Private Client
Project Development & Finance
Public International Law
Real Estate
Special Situations & Capital Solutions
Tax

Main Areas of Practice: 

Capital Markets:
Shearman & Sterling’s attorneys have represented clients in some of the most sophisticated and innovative capital-raising transactions for over 100 years. As capital markets have developed and diversified, the firm has helped clients navigate these important changes and take advantage of opportunities. Over the years, Shearman & Sterling lawyers have had a prominent role in many of the developments that have transformed the capital markets, most notably the growth of the high yield market, the globalization of capital markets and the increase in worldwide privatisations.

Finance:
Shearman & Sterling’s Asia Finance practice is an integral part of the firm’s global Finance practice, providing on-the-ground support to global and regional clients on debt financing transactions. The team has the capability to execute transactions under English, Hong Kong and New York law under one roof, helping companies and lenders successfully navigate all aspects of the bank financing process and obtain the best possible outcomes. Its core areas of focus complements the firm’s strong capital markets, funds and corporate coverage in the region and includes leveraged financing, investment-grade financing, asset-based lending, acquisition financings, complex debt restructurings and structured finance.

International Arbitration:
The firm’s international arbitration team provides advice and advocacy to companies, States and State entities in investment treaty and commercial arbitrations conducted in accordance with all major international arbitration rules. The multilingual, multicultural team is widely regarded as one of the very best on the market.

Investment Funds:
Shearman & Sterling’s full-service Investment Funds team is led by lawyers based in New York, London, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo, with support from the firm’s global network of offices. By combining multidisciplinary knowledge with a globally integrated approach, the firm’s full-service investment funds team provides a comprehensive range of investment funds services to clients on a worldwide basis. The team has extensive experience assisting fund sponsors and investors across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa in finding innovative solutions to the challenges they face. They are also skilled at reconciling complex regulatory and tax regimes with the competing requirements of fund sponsors, their investment strategies and their target investors.

Litigation:
Shearman & Sterling’s Litigation group is strongly positioned to counsel and protect clients in today’s challenging environment. With more than 130 attorneys in the United States, Europe and Asia, the litigation team is ready to assist in any crisis, whether the adversary is a government regulator, a competitor, or a well-funded class action attorney. The practice benefits from the firm’s vast geographic footprint and can draw on its global resources to provide seamless cross-jurisdictional service in a dynamically changing regulatory environment.

Mergers & Acquisitions:
The firm is consistently ranked as a global leader in large complex M&A transactions, including leveraged acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and minority investments. With M&A lawyers on the ground across the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, the 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. Corporations and financial sponsors trust that Shearman & Sterling attorneys understand their business needs and will offer pragmatic and solutions-oriented advice, negotiate aggressively on their behalf and provide focused execution throughout each deal.

Private Equity:
Shearman & Sterling has a strong and growing record of working with private equity funds, portfolio companies, management teams and investors, often in cross border and international transactions. From fund inception to exit strategies, deal execution and financing to portfolio company management, the firm is actively involved in all aspects of the private equity life cycle. The firm’s global footprint enables its lawyers to partner with clients on their most complex and high-profile cross border private equity transactions.

Project Development & Finance:
Shearman & Sterling has an unrivalled track record advising on a number of complex, innovative and significant project development and project finance transactions. The firm takes a client-centered approach, providing directly relevant advice that is both commercial and industry-focused. These lawyers advise companies, investors, financial institutions, developers, governments, offtakers and technology suppliers on a wide range of sectors, including oil and gas (upstream, pipelines, LNG, refineries and petrochemicals), mining and metals, transportation (rail, roads, airports and bridges), thermal, nuclear and renewable (including wind, solar, geothermal and hydro) power, and power infrastructure (including transmission).