Ranking tables
Corporate/M&A | USA
Illinois
Rankings overview for Lawyers
Christopher Drewry Latham & Watkins LLP2 Years Ranked
Max Schleusener Latham & Watkins LLP2 Years Ranked
Neal Aizenstein Cooley LLP24 Years Ranked
Olivia Tyrrell Baker McKenzie12 Years Ranked
Shilpi Gupta Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates5 Years Ranked
William Kucera Mayer Brown LLP17 Years Ranked
Andrew Gilbert Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC2 Years Ranked
Beth Berg Sidley Austin LLP2 Years Ranked
Brent Williams K&L Gates2 Years Ranked
David J Malliband Baker McKenzie2 Years Ranked
James R. Whitney Barack Ferrazzano2 Years Ranked
Jennifer L Keating Mayer Brown LLP10 Years Ranked
Jessica Fairchild Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC2 Years Ranked
Jodi A Simala Mayer Brown LLP15 Years Ranked
Marc F Sperber Mayer Brown LLP17 Years Ranked
Michael DeFranco Baker McKenzie6 Years Ranked
Craig A Roeder Baker McKenzie16 Years Ranked- David Clark Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates1 Years Ranked
Dieter A Schmitz Baker McKenzie6 Years Ranked
Edward Best Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP21 Years Ranked
Erin Kirchner Cooley LLP1 Years Ranked
Esther Chang Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP1 Years Ranked
Jason Morelli Latham & Watkins LLP1 Years Ranked
Jason Wagenmaker Akin1 Years Ranked
Jonathan A. Blackburn Sidley Austin LLP1 Years Ranked
Paul W Theiss Mayer Brown LLP23 Years Ranked
Ross Emmerman Loeb & Loeb LLP11 Years Ranked
Russell Shapiro Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC1 Years Ranked- Scott Kapp DLA Piper LLP (US)1 Years Ranked
Scott Williams Sidley Austin LLP1 Years Ranked
Steven J Gavin Winston Taylor LLP13 Years Ranked
Ted Cominos Eversheds Sutherland1 Years Ranked
Thomas E. Keim, Jr. Venable LLP18 Years Ranked
All Lawyers profiles
Senior Statespeople

S Charles W Mulaney Jr
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | Corporate/M&A2026 | Senior Statespeople | 24 Years RankedCharles Mulaney is a standout name in the market and is active on some of the largest transactions in the space. He regularly advises on multibillion-dollar acquisitions.
S Frederick B Thomas
Mayer Brown LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Senior Statespeople | 24 Years RankedFrederick Thomas has extensive expertise acting for clients in the food and beverage sector. He is highly respected for the depth of his experience on transactions such as M&A.

S Michael A Pucker
Latham & Watkins LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Senior Statespeople | 17 Years RankedMichael Pucker acts on substantial transactional mandates in sectors including hospitality and real estate. His practice covers deals such as M&A.
Eminent Practitioners

E Joseph P Gromacki
Jenner & Block LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Eminent Practitioners | 23 Years RankedJoseph Gromacki co-chairs the corporate team at Jenner & Block LLP. He assists clients acquiring and selling businesses, including multibillion-dollar transactions.
Band 1

1 Bradley Faris
Latham & Watkins LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 1 | 14 Years RankedBradley Faris undertakes matters such as acquisitions and joint ventures in the upper echelons of the marketplace. His client base includes those in the healthcare and aviation sectors.
1 Paul L Choi
Sidley Austin LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 1 | 24 Years RankedPaul Choi enjoys a top reputation for his distinguished corporate practice. He possesses experience in complex takeover defense, securities matters and M&A. He serves as co-chair of Sidley Austin LLP's global M&A practice.
Band 2

2 Andrew L Weil
DLA Piper LLP (US) | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 2 | 19 Years RankedAndrew Weil acts for clients selling and acquiring businesses. He frequently advises public and private companies on cross-border mandates. His additional expertise includes private equity and finance.

2 Brian J Fahrney
Sidley Austin LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 2 | 11 Years RankedBrian Fahrney acts on high value M&A. He regularly represents clients in sectors such as finance, insurance and energy.

2 Richard C Witzel
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 2 | 13 Years RankedRichard Witzel is active on high-value acquisitions. He notably serves clients in the life sciences sector.
Band 3

3 Christopher Drewry
Latham & Watkins LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 3 | 2 Years RankedChristopher Drewry is a talent in the shareholder activism space. In addition to his activism defense practice, he also advises on high value M&A transactions.

3 Max Schleusener
Latham & Watkins LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 3 | 2 Years RankedMax Schleusener maintains a high quality transactional practice. He offers strong counsel to public and private companies and private equity firms and their portfolio companies.

3 Neal Aizenstein
Cooley LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 3 | 24 Years RankedNeal Aizenstein of Cooley LLP boasts considerable international experience. He acts on corporate venture investments and divestitures.
3 Olivia Tyrrell
Baker McKenzie | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 3 | 12 Years RankedOlivia Tyrrell is involved in high value transactions on behalf of a range of clients. She frequently handles cross-border matters.

3 Shilpi Gupta
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 3 | 5 Years RankedShilpi Gupta is experienced across both domestic and international M&A, covering industries including aerospace, beverages and automation.
3 William Kucera
Mayer Brown LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 3 | 17 Years RankedWilliam Kucera is an established name in the M&A market. He acts on deals in sectors such as technology and insurance.
Band 4

4 Andrew Gilbert
Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 2 Years RankedAndrew Gilbert maintains a thriving M&A practice, advising a broad roster of clients. He has experience in the insurance, energy and technology industries, among others.

4 Beth Berg
Sidley Austin LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 2 Years RankedBeth Berg is an experienced attorney who offers excellent advise in M&A, corporate governance and SEC-related matters. She is additionally experienced in issues concerning shareholder activism.

4 Brent Williams
K&L Gates | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 2 Years RankedBrent Williams has experience assisting with transactions across a wide range of industries, including healthcare and financial services. His expertise includes advising in complex M&A, venture capital transactions and private equity buyouts.

4 David J Malliband
Baker McKenzie | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 2 Years RankedDavid Malliband has built a strong reputation for his expertise in significant multi-jurisdictional transactions. He currently serves as the managing partner of Baker McKenzie's Chicago office.

4 James R. Whitney
Barack Ferrazzano | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 2 Years RankedJames Whitney is widely acknowledged to be a foremost corporate lawyer in the market. He is able to advise on a broad range of matters, and serves as chair of the firm's corporate and securities group.

4 Jennifer L Keating
Mayer Brown LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 10 Years RankedJennifer Keating is noted for her experience in advising on M&A and divestitures.

4 Jessica Fairchild
Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 2 Years RankedFirm co-founder Jessica Fairchild offers superb advice on M&A, matters of corporate governance and venture capital transactions.

4 Jodi A Simala
Mayer Brown LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 15 Years RankedJodi Simala's clients include manufacturers and food and beverage companies. She handles a range of deals including M&A and joint ventures.

4 Marc F Sperber
Mayer Brown LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 17 Years RankedMarc Sperber acts for clients in sectors including energy and food and beverages. He often handles cross-border M&A.

4 Michael DeFranco
Baker McKenzie | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 4 | 6 Years RankedMichael DeFranco advises clients on high-value M&A and securities matters. His client base includes public and private companies from across a broad range of industries.
Band 5

5 Craig A Roeder
Baker McKenzie | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 16 Years RankedCraig Roeder's experience includes advising on multibillion-dollar acquisitions. He also handles securities transactions.
5 David Clark
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedDavid Clark advises household-name clients on complex M&A transactions across a broad range of industries.

5 Dieter A Schmitz
Baker McKenzie | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 6 Years RankedDieter Schmitz is a strong choice to handle a range of cross-border M&A transactions.

5 Edward Best
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 21 Years RankedEdward Best comes highly recommended for his M&A expertise, with a focus on advising financial institutions and insurance companies.

5 Erin Kirchner
Cooley LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedErin Kirchner of Cooley LLP is a strong choice to handle a range of acquisitions and divestitures. Her clients include international corporations.

5 Esther Chang
Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedEsther Chang offers high quality advice to clients in significant domestic and cross-border M&A. She's active across many industries, including energy and fintech.

5 Jason Morelli
Latham & Watkins LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedJason Morelli has garnered recognition in the market for his work on significant, cross-border M&A transactions.

5 Jason Wagenmaker
Akin | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedJason Wagenmaker of Akin is widely respected for his excellent corporate practice. He is particularly active in M&A deals in the infrastructure space.

5 Jonathan A. Blackburn
Sidley Austin LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedJonathan Blackburn stands out for his high quality advice in public and private M&A. He is active in a range of industries.

5 Paul W Theiss
Mayer Brown LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 23 Years RankedPaul Theiss advises clients in sectors such as telecommunications on the full spectrum of deals.
5 Ross Emmerman
Loeb & Loeb LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 11 Years RankedRoss Emmerman of Loeb & Loeb LLP is a notable figure in mid-market M&A. He regularly undertakes work in the family office and private equity space.

5 Russell Shapiro
Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedRussell Shapiro is an excellent attorney who advises across a range of corporate transactions. He is active in high stakes M&A.
5 Scott Kapp
DLA Piper LLP (US) | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedScott Kapp is a strong choice to handle a variety of transactions. His broad client base includes public companies, investors and entrepreneurs.

5 Scott Williams
Sidley Austin LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedScott Williams advises clients on significant M&A transactions and matters of corporate governance. He is active in life sciences, financial services and energy deals.

5 Steven J Gavin
Winston Taylor LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 13 Years RankedSteven Gavin has a notable presence in the financial sector. He acts on substantial acquisitions and provides advice on corporate governance.
5 Ted Cominos
Eversheds Sutherland | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 1 Years RankedTed Cominos is a standout corporate attorney who offers expertise across a great many transactions. He regularly advises on significant domestic and international M&A.

5 Thomas E. Keim, Jr.
Venable LLP | Corporate/M&A2026 | Band 5 | 18 Years RankedThomas Keim of Venable LLP is a respected practitioner who acts on M&A and investments. He represents various clients in the financial sector.
Up and Coming

U Faisal Delawalla
Jones Day | Corporate/M&A2026 | Up and Coming | 2 Years RankedFaisal Delawalla is recognized as an emerging M&A practitioner. He advises public and private companies on transactions across various industries.

U Kait E Kelly
Barack Ferrazzano | Corporate/M&A2026 | Up and Coming | 4 Years RankedKait Kelly is an up-and-coming talent in the market. She is particularly experienced in matters concerning luxury consumer products, and serves as co-chair of the firm's luxury group.

U Kyle Shires
Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres LLC | Corporate/M&A2026 | Up and Coming | 2 Years RankedKyle Shires is a rising star who recognized for his representation of public companies and private clients in complex M&A transactions.

U Piotr Korzynski
Baker McKenzie | Corporate/M&A2026 | Up and Coming | 2 Years RankedPiotr Korzynski is an up-and-coming talent. He has experience handling domestic and cross-border transactions for a range of top multinational clients and is broad in his sector expertise.