Melissa Sawyer

General Practice, Artificial Intelligence, Consumer & Retail, Corporate Governance, Cybersecurity, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), Healthcare & Life Sciences, Infrastructure, Latin America M&A and Joint Ventures, M&A Financial Advisory and Valuation, Media & Telecommunications, Mergers & Acquisitions, Privacy, Private Equity, Technology

Melissa Sawyer is Co-Head of Sullivan & Cromwell’s global Mergers & Acquisitions Group, Co-Head of the Firm’s Corporate Governance Practice and a member of the Firm’s Management Committee. In addition to advising clients on public and private M&A transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, she also regularly advises clients on corporate governance, activism and takeover defense matters. Melissa’s experience spans multiple industries, including consumer and retail, TMT, industrials and life sciences.

Melissa has been repeatedly recognized as a leading M&A adviser. She is a three-time winner of The American Lawyer’s “Dealmaker of the Year,” was recognized as one of America's Top 200 Lawyers by Forbes and was named a Client Service All-Star by BTI. She was also named to The Deal’s “Women in M&A: The Powerhouse 20” for shaping the industry with her novel approach to transactions, and to Forbes’ “America’s Top Lawyers”. She has also been recognized as a Law360 MVP in Mergers & Acquisitions and Food & Beverage, one of Crain’s “Leading Women Lawyers in New York City,” “Dealmaker of the Week” by The American Lawyer and one of Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” for her work in corporate governance, M&A and activism defense. Recently she has advised American Equity Investment Life Holding Company, AT&T, Baxter International, Benefitfocus, Boeing, Cornerstone Building Brands, Diageo, Kering, Masimo, Neiman Marcus Group, Seagen, Subway, Tiffany & Co. and UnitedHealth.

Melissa serves on the boards of several organizations, regularly participates in numerous legal panels and writes for leading legal publications.

Melissa is currently a member of the American Law Institute, a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.

University of Virginia Law School (J.D. 2000); Washington and Lee University (B.A. 1997)