Neal J Reenan

Practice Areas

Neal is the Global Co-Head of Private Capital at Freshfields. Drawing on more than two decades of experience, Neal provides strategic counsel to leading private equity firms and their portfolio companies on their most complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions (including acquisitions of distressed companies and take-privates), divestitures, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, recapitalizations and restructuring transactions.

A former accountant, strategy consultant and manufacturing executive, as well as the co-founder of a significant, private equity-focused office of a leading global law firm, Neal brings a pragmatic operator’s perspective to delivering legal counsel. He provides the clients he serves with creative, “can-do” and commercially calibrated advice with a focus on solving thorny issues to execute deals. Neal builds enduring, trust-based relationships with clients by delivering technically sound, commercially balanced and situation-tailored counsel by always putting his clients’ needs first, and by bringing a sense of humor and perspective to even the most challenging matters.

Neal also devotes significant time to mentoring junior and first-generation lawyers, especially those who, like himself, are the first in their families to grow up or live in the United States.

Neal is recognized as a leading lawyer for Private Equity: Buyouts by Chambers USA, where clients note he is “excellent and has demonstrated strong commercial and legal judgement.” He is also recognized as a “Notable Practitioner” lawyer for M&A and Private Equity in the US by IFLR1000 and is also recognized for private equity, M&A, cross-border, and fintech in The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Dealmakers in America.