Transactions (International & Cross-Border Capabilities) | Global

Clifford Chance's London office is viewed as a powerful force in the UK market, with a leading reputation for carrying out international work across a full-service range of practice areas. The firm has significant appeal for handling cross-border work because of its impressive global network and remains a popular choice for leading sophisticated international mandates.

The law firm has a high-quality M&A team in London which is proficient in advising global clients on complex deals, frequently coordinating outbound transactions from its UK base, as well as providing guidance to overseas companies investing in the UK. The law firm calls upon its extensive network of offices in its role as global deal counsel, offering wide-ranging support to clients in their international operations in major economies. An impressive client base includes acting as M&A adviser to major players from the banking and financial services, energy, TMT and infrastructure sectors, in addition to private financial sponsors and alternative lenders.

Widely regarded as a global heavy-hitter in M&A, the group is a top choice for major UK and overseas clients, with a particularly strong track record representing UK corporates. The law firm regularly works with major public companies and is also a trusted adviser to private equity firms, equally adept advising on both substantial public and private M&A. It acts for clients with interests and operations abroad, typically forming a cross-office team with local Freshfields offices in major financial centres, or for work in emerging global economies by coordinating local counsel. The firm complements the M&A group with strong antitrust expertise and sector knowledge across the technology and pharmaceutical sectors and a top-notch merger control and competition law team.

A distinguished full-service law firm, Freshfields is recognised for its international mindset and its ability to lead cross-border work from its London centre. The law firm has outstanding international capabilities and can utilise widespread offices in its top-tier, integrated network, which incorporates highly-rated teams across Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Equally, the firm has established the 'Stronger Together' group of local firms, serving clients' needs in jurisdictions where collaboration with co-counsel is required.

Latham & Watkins has developed a formidable presence in the London transactional market, regularly assisting clients with transatlantic and global M&A and leveraged buyouts. The London office offers a wide skill set to clients, and regularly connects with the firm's teams across an extensive network of offices to assist clients in cross-border M&A, particularly deals spanning across the USA and Europe. It has a stellar reputation for its representation of private equity funds on substantial cross-border transactions and also offers public company expertise in the global M&A context.

Latham & Watkins is recognised as an excellent option for clients that require counsel on highly complex and multifaceted cross-border matters. The law firm provides an impressive, well-integrated team across its global offices and is praised for consistently excelling across multiple practice areas and sectors, while delivering an internationally-oriented approach and comprehensive global support. The firm's efficient coordination across its international network is key to its appeal among high-profile multinational corporations, banks and investment funds.

Recognised as one of the most internationally-focused law firms in the UK, Linklaters offers an outstanding full-service practice in London, which is renowned for the quality of its international work throughout its wide-ranging scope of expertise. The London team holds an elite reputation for coordinating both transactional and contentious cross-border matters and often acts as the driving force behind strategic advice in global mandates. The law firm's distinguished global platform is also noted as a key attraction to clients, extending the firm's reach across Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Africa and various emerging markets.

With a highly-integrated network of international offices, A&O Shearman's London team is frequently identified as a standout choice to coordinate cross-border work. Offering a well-developed, full-service platform which offers consistent quality across numerous practice areas and sectors, the London office fulfils a significant role as the firm's central hub within its diverse global network. The team advises on some of the biggest and most complex cross-border deals in the market.

In M&A, the law firm provides a full suite of services and high-end deal guidance to clients as well as expansive cross-border reach, regularly connecting with the firm's extensive network of strong offices overseas during transactions. A strong affinity with major financial services players and banks, as well as relationships with large corporates, provides the team with frequent cross-border M&A mandates and deal counsel experience. The law firm's major presence in many major economies generates a flow of inbound work and the London office is highly regarded for its project management abilities on M&A involving multiple jurisdictions.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom is a premium global practice which has built widespread coverage and expertise across regions and areas of law on the foundation of its long-standing, market-leading reputation for US law advice. Strength in depth across the firm's UK and European teams across transactional and contentious areas makes the firm a leading choice for sophisticated transatlantic matters.

Skadden is renowned as a powerhouse M&A firm, with a high-performing London team that is a frequent presence on public M&A. The UK group regularly links with US colleagues and the London office acts as a key hub to connect the US to UK and European markets, offering high-end expertise to clients on high-value transatlantic M&A. The firm also offers a strong foothold in key Asian markets and the UK is integral to the firm's prominent position on global transactions in the energy, TMT, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries.

The law firm has a premier M&A team with an epicentre of resources and operations located in its London base, frequently project-managing complex deals governed by UK law. Its stellar cohort of blue-chip corporate clients regularly chose to instruct the firm as lead counsel on complex cross-border transactions, with an emphasis on transformative M&A. Global work is typically carried out in conjunction with the firm's carefully curated network of non-exclusive relationships with firms in foreign jurisdictions, and the firm regularly coordinates this group while acting as lead global deal counsel to UK clients in their outbound investments. Inbound investment is also a frequent element of work for the M&A group, which benefits from its international network, with foreign clients from the USA and Asia investing in and acquiring UK organisations.

Slaughter and May is an elite UK law firm which is revered for its ability to orchestrate global mandates from London and has carved out a high level of influence worldwide. In addition to its London headquarters, the firm operates from office locations in Brussels, Beijing and Hong Kong. Slaughter and May's independent lockstep model has also proved appealing when forging close relationships with firms of a similar style and status in jurisdictions outside the UK, ensuring that the firm can provide clients with a team of market-leading firms to add foreign law expertise on international work to fit the client's requirements.

The law firm offers significant resources for M&A work in its London office, and its internationally active UK M&A team regularly advises on cross-border transactions for UK and foreign clients. The law firm is uniquely positioned to cover clients' needs across numerous key and emerging markets, offering end-to-end support in M&A and providing a full suite of services, including a specialist team for global corporate reorganisations and carve-outs. The team is a top choice for clients whose mandates touch many jurisdictions, and though predominantly operating in the mid-market, the London office also offers experience in high-end M&A. The firm regularly handles public deals and is also a strong choice for UK private equity firms investing in wide-reaching jurisdictions.

Baker McKenzie offers one of the most expansive and established international footprints in the legal industry and its global reach is frequently referenced by multinational clients as one of its primary assets. The London office acts as an important hub of lawyers with international experience and expertise across multiple areas, offering a full-service scope. The firm enjoys an excellent reputation for its international and cross-border capabilities and is often praised for the smooth execution and collaboration clients experience across the firm's network.

Long-term, concerted international expansion from Cleary Gottlieb's US base has enabled the firm to become one of the most globally-recognised brands in numerous areas of international law. The firm's broad office network incorporates established teams stationed across key financial and political centres in the USA, Europe, South-East Asia, the Middle East and Latin America. Providing cross-border expertise across transactional, regulatory and contentious areas, it gathers wide acclaim for its role leading significant transatlantic mandates, often through close coordination between its US base and deeply entrenched European teams, notably in the UK and France.

With a well-established presence in the London market, the law firm offers strong cross-border M&A capabilities, and the London office frequently collaborates with colleagues across its strong European network of offices including a prominent role on Eastern European transactions. The London team also often links with the firm's New York headquarters to serve clients on their M&A requirements in and out of the USA, both driving and receiving transatlantic mandates. The firm represents sovereign entities, financial institutions and multinational corporates, often coordinating work from London, and holds a stellar reputation for its leading global antitrust practice.

The law firm's London M&A team has a robust reputation for covering the Asia-Pacific region and links well with the firm's strong presence and expertise in Australia. It also features strongly pan-European work, utilising an extensive network of full-service offices across the continent to support clients in core M&A matters and secondary topics. The London practice demonstrates full-service capabilities and deep industry knowledge in the fields of energy, natural resources and infrastructure and is highly proficient advising clients in investments into global projects, including in Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

Herbert Smith Freehills' London office hosts an internationally-oriented team that is recognised for coordinating seamlessly across the law firm's integrated network of offices. It has developed a respectable full-service offering with particular expertise in cross-border contentious work. It equally enjoys a stellar reputation for handling multi-jurisdictional work, acting as co-counsel on inbound work and handling outbound matters for its impressive international client base.

Revered for its globally dominant sponsor-side private equity practice, the law firm has made great strides in the London transactional market, offering a stellar M&A team, notably in leveraged buyouts. A top choice for US asset managers and funds in their transatlantic and pan-European investments, the firm is increasingly prominent in European M&A, with London acting as a key hub to service UK and European private equity firms. The firm's clients frequently invest in a range of global jurisdictions, making the M&A team an experienced group in coordinating cross-border matters and project-managing local counsel.

Kirkland & Ellis is frequently recognised as a global powerhouse in the transactional work, supporting multinational clients in a wide range of practice areas. The law firm has rapidly expanded its London office with several high-profile lateral hires and the UK team often plays a crucial role as an international hub for the law firm's global network.

The London M&A team is focused on providing high-end, specialist advice to an elite roster of clients, with an excellent reputation acting for private equity sponsors. It provides a well-equipped contact point for US-based funds and corporate clients on substantial acquisitions in the UK and Western Europe and regularly collaborates with US and Asia M&A colleagues on global matters. The firm frequently advises on significant global transactions that are governed by UK or US law, reaching out to and directing a network of partner firms for local law expertise.

Combining a well-established London team with a top-tier New York practice, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett is renowned for handling complex cross-border work with a strong focus on transactional mandates. The UK team is primarily responsible for the firm's work and clients across Europe as well as working in conjunction with lawyers in the firm's principal hub of resources in New York, which means it is chiefly engaged on high-value international work.

The law firm's London office provides a key hub for transatlantic and global deals in the context of public and private M&A. Widely recognised as a leading firm for cross-border private equity, the UK team is often mandated on private deals involving continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East in addition to regular US-UK deal flow. The London M&A team is highly regarded for its transactional work involving the CEE region.

Weil, Gotshal & Manges has forged an excellent reputation internationally through a global platform principally built around its transactional capabilities. The law firm's primary headquarters in New York and its impressive London base both act as important global hubs and are coupled with a far-reaching network of offices which extends across the USA and Europe, with Asian operations run from China. All the law firm's offices have a principal focus on advising international banks, large multinational corporations and private equity funds. The firm typically offers strength in cross-border finance, restructuring, high-end M&A and tax across its platform.

White & Case provides clients with an impressive global platform. The UK team handles high-end, complex mandates and works seamlessly with other offices in its expansive network across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. The team offers a full-service practice in London with notable transactional capabilities and a particularly high standing in finance and capital markets work, which has made the team an appealing option for numerous international banks. By remaining highly tuned to the needs of all international clients, it is a popular choice for global operations.

The law firm has become increasingly full service in its UK offering to clients, with M&A work a growing component of its cross-border activity from London. The team maintains a strong reputation for collaborating with its internal network in the key markets, particularly with the USA on transatlantic M&A, and emerging markets, particularly across CEE, the Middle East and Central Asia. In cross-border energy and infrastructure deals, the London office brings industry and transactional skills to bear for major clients. The firm offers a strong private equity practice in the UK and is a top choice for high-end buyouts, able to utilise its deep roots in the US market and globally.

The bulk of the firm's M&A expertise is centred in its London office, from which it regularly links up with its internal network to provide cross-border transactional support. The London team predominantly acts as the lead for UK clients in their outbound investments, as well as being the recipient of inbound mandates from overseas. The law firm's full-service offering and industry specialisms are brought to bear for clients in global M&A work, where it performs particularly well in global energy transactions emanating from the UK, as well as those involving investment funds and financial services providers.

Ashurst has a network of international offices throughout Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, and the London team acts as a significant central hub for the firm's global activities and advice. The law firm provides its multinational clients with a targeted full-service offering that is delivered by industry sector specialists assembled in global teams. Its cross-border expertise spans transactional, regulatory and disputes matters, which are staffed by local and overseas lawyers operating as a single department.

Davis Polk & Wardwell is a New York-headquartered firm with high-end capabilities across transactional, regulatory and contentious areas. Set up to serve global clients and project-manage matters from key financial centres, including London, Paris, Beijing and Hong Kong, and collaborates with selected partner firms in other jurisdictions for local law aspects. Primarily serving large US and international investment banks, financial institutions and corporates, the firm has extensive experience handling sophisticated, multi-jurisdictional M&A, financing and capital markets offerings, as well as running international investigations and disputes, including global antitrust files.

The team in London regularly advises clients on complex and high-profile multi-jurisdictional transactions. Its practitioners have extensive experience in issues such as acquisitions, dispositions, mergers and joint ventures, working collaboratively with colleagues across the globe. The firm maintains strong sector expertise and is experienced in handling matters involving multinational corporations in the food and beverage, retail and technology sectors, among others.

A law firm frequently endorsed for its geographic reach, DLA Piper is highlighted by sources as delivering an integrated approach to an array of transactional and contentious proceedings. Across its network, the firm has a strong commitment to sector groups and industry-focused expertise, with retail, pharmaceuticals and technology representing key areas of focus.

Offering clients a vast network of offices and affiliate offices across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and South and North America, the London team provides a global solution for clients in M&A and provides a full service to support transactional teams. The law firm has a strong handle on US markets, and is able to utilise multiple US teams to receive and drive transatlantic M&A from the UK, across a wide range of sectors. Similarly, the UK team regularly collaborates with internal colleagues on a variety of public and private M&A transactions touching numerous global jurisdictions, largely operating in the cross-border mid-market space.

Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher is an international firm with strong US foundations. Its offices across Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and New York play vital coordinating roles in multi-jurisdictional proceedings, supported by strategically-located teams in Europe, Asia and Latin America. Clients also benefit from Gibson Dunn’s sharp sector focus; its practitioners are accustomed to advising tech giants and energy multinationals on complex global mandates.

The team in London is able to handle complex cross-border transactions, including high-profile M&A and joint ventures. The firm has a strong presence in the USA market and the UK team collaborates well with their colleagues across the Atlantic to offer a seamless experience. The firm works with an impressive client base that includes leading technology companies and energy entities.

The London M&A team is highly proficient in directing multi-jurisdictional transactions and frequently collaborates with the firm's overseas offices for the benefit of clients. The law firm's extensive internal network and full suite of services enable it to provide an end-to-end service to clients in cross-border M&A transactions. The London team stands out for its strong handle on transatlantic M&A, and expertise advising on international deals in healthcare, energy and infrastructure.

Hogan Lovells represents international clients across its full-service scope, providing an excellent cross-border service for a range of contentious, transactional and regulatory work. The London team remains a central contributor to the law firm's worldwide success and frequently coordinates cross-border work. It has particularly close ties to the firm's European offices as well as forming an effective team with the law firm's lawyers in other key jurisdictions throughout the USA, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.

Norton Rose Fulbright has an extensive network of offices distributed throughout North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Asia-Pacific region. The law firm is structured in alignment with global industry sectors, which, combined with the geographic spread of its lawyers, makes it a popular choice for global clients seeking a full-service offering. It focuses on building teams with sector-specific multi-jurisdictional expertise to meet the needs of clients with global businesses.

London serves as a key hub for the law firm's global M&A operations and is the centre of many of the firm's largest corporate transactions and relationships. The UK team commonly handles cross-border M&A in the energy, infrastructure, financial services and life sciences sectors, and is well set up to guide clients' investments into emerging economies.

Sullivan & Cromwell has developed a stellar reputation as an international law firm, combining a leading US law practice headquartered in New York with top-end expertise throughout its offices across Asia-Pacific and European financial centres. The law firm provides broad international capabilities on substantial transactions and high-value contentious cases, appealing to a broad range of international companies and banks based both within and outside the USA.

The law firm's elite global status ensures the London team acts for numerous multinational clients and institutions in high-end M&A advisory work, often collaborating with colleagues in foreign jurisdictions on large public deals. The team is a top choice for investment banks and corporates on transformative M&A, particularly when there is a US aspect, and is recognised for collaborating with its stellar New York office on substantial transatlantic transactions.

The law firm has grown its presence and reputation as trusted adviser for multi-jurisdictional M&A, taking on mandates involving jurisdictions across Europe, Asia and Latin America. Maintains a solid reputation for pan-European transactional work, with a noted expertise and presence in the CEE region. The London team represents an attractive proposition for clients in the energy sector seeking to engage in cross-border M&A transactions, where the firm combines sector expertise with broad geographic scope to cater for the global needs of the industry.

Regarded as a highly-capable global practice, CMS provides a comprehensive service to international clients in areas such as M&A, dispute resolution and banking and finance. The sector-oriented London team exhibits real strength advising clients from the energy, insurance, technology and life sciences spaces. Cross-border mandates are often coordinated from the UK, but the firm also stands out for its excellent network of offices throughout continental Europe, which is strengthened by its presence in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Dechert is widely acknowledged to have an extensive international footprint with which it is able to handle major complex matters concerning multiple jurisdictions. With a significant focus on the financial sector, private equity and life sciences industries, the law firm is able to provide clients with assistance on a myriad of mandates, including fund formation, transactions and disputes from key offices across the major markets in the USA, Europe and Asia. To complement its significant global reach, the firm also frequently collaborates with co-counsel from other jurisdictions to provide a complete service.

The law firm's London M&A team provides clients with strong experience advising on multi-jurisdictional M&A. Clients in the UK benefit from the law firm's presence and capabilities across a variety of jurisdictions globally, including in its US base. The UK team displays proficiency acting for clients from a range of industry sectors in cross-border M&A, both in leading UK outbound work and advising on foreign investment. The firm has a solid reputation for its strong global antitrust practice, which is often leveraged by the London M&A team for the benefit of clients.

The London office plays a key role in the law firm's international M&A and the team is a major hub for transatlantic and pan-European deals as well as other global M&A governed by UK law. The firm's 'one-stop shop' approach provides a full global service to UK clients, offering wide-ranging expertise in London and far-reaching local law capabilities to call upon in cross-border M&A. The team enjoys a robust reputation for advising on international M&A related to infrastructure projects, frequently collaborating with corporate teams within the extensive Dentons network. It is also repeatedly chosen by clients on multi-jurisdictional matters which have heavy global due diligence requirements.

Dentons enjoys a formidable reputation for its international and cross-border capabilities through its unmatched global presence. The law firm's vast network of offices covers more jurisdictions than any other competitor. The firm's UK offices, which incorporate teams in England and Scotland, play a significant role in international work, with London often acting as a focal point of the firm's global operations. The firm's UK lawyers offer in-depth expertise in international work across a range of practice areas.

The team offers an attractive solution for UK clients looking to embark on multi-jurisdictional M&A which requires capabilities across the various regulatory and compliance areas associated with a cross-border transaction. Likewise, the firm is adept in providing UK law advice to clients overseas investing in the UK or British companies that are the targets of foreign investment. An emerging market presence in addition to offices in key financial centres globally gives the London team a wealth of resources at its disposal to utilise for clients. Frequently mandated to advise on deals across industries, the team has notable expertise acting on M&A in the technology, energy and retail sectors.

As well as having a strong presence in the UK with several offices across the country, Eversheds Sutherland has established a significant international pedigree. The law firm has continued to expand globally, making it a valuable option for handling cross-border matters, and the firm's team in London frequently acts as a generator and leader in relation to work done for multinational clients in conjunction with the firm's growing network of overseas offices. It has strong coverage across Europe, the USA and the Middle East and it has also developed a reputation for handling work spanning into Africa, Asia and Latin America, often through alliances with local firms.

Jones Day offers renowned cross-border capabilities to international clients for a mixture of transactional and contentious matters. The London team is particularly seen working in conjunction with the firm's US-based teams and also gives clients access to a broad global presence spanning across Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region. While offering a broad practice in London, M&A transactions, civil fraud and corporate litigation are key areas of the UK team's international activity.

M&A represents a core focus for the firm globally and the London team plays an integral part of that strategy, acting as a key centre for the firm's European operations and to generate and receive transatlantic public and private M&A. The law firm combines US law strength and international pedigree with a strong M&A group in London that acts with the firm's network offices to provide cross-border solutions and lead counsel capability for UK and overseas clients.

Paul, Weiss has a strong bench that can advise internationally.

The London based Corporate/M&A team at Sidley Austin handles complex cross-border transactions in regulated industries such as life sciences, healthcare, technology and financial services. While the firm has a strong US presence, the London team is adept at handling deals across Europe.

Sidley Austin has seen significant growth in their M&A practice in recent years, with added bench strength which has heightened focus on private equity sponsor-side deals.