AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Named International Legal Team of the Year at STEP Private Client Awards
December 14, 2022
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to share that it has been named International Legal Team of the Year (Large Firm) as part of the 17th Annual STEP Private Client Awards 2022.
McDermott’s international Private Client & Wealth Management practice includes lawyers in the U.S. and U.K. who develop and implement effective financial, business and legal strategies.
“Our lawyers have extensive experience providing creative, customized solutions to our clients’ most sensitive and pressing needs,” said Bill Butler, global head of McDermott’s Private Client & Wealth Management practice. “This recognition speaks to the quality of our personal and business counsel and our overall leadership in the space.”
The STEP Private Client Awards are seen as the hallmark of quality within the private client industry. Open globally to both STEP members and non-members, these prestigious Awards recognize and celebrate excellence among private client solicitors, lawyers, accountants, barristers, bankers, trust managers and financial advisors.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Ranked Among Top 15 Most Innovative Law Firms in North America
AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Ranked Among Top 15 Most Innovative Law Firms in North America
December 8, 2022
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that it has been ranked among the top 15 Most Innovative Law Firms as part of the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers North America Awards 2022.
In addition, McDermott received “Standout” and “Commended” recognitions in the Innovation in Client Delivery; Innovation in Using Data; and Innovation in Responsible Business categories.
- Standout | Innovation in Using Data: McDermott’s Business Development leadership has pioneered unique ways of utilizing Salesforce within the legal industry to influence growth. Launched in 2021, the Firm’s proprietary Client Activity Score has become its primary mechanism to measure client engagement, drive further interactions and ultimately create stronger client loyalty.
- Commended | Innovation in Client Delivery: Developed in-house by Knowledge Management, Information Technology and eDiscovery, Form Finder combines expertise with AI to allow our transactional lawyers to locate precedent in a way that no iManage search or “pardon the interruption” email could achieve.
- Commended | Innovation in Responsible Business: The in-house patent team at Meta entrusts McDermott’s patent relationship partner and Head of Patent Prosecution Ahsan Shaikh as embedded patent counsel, not only to employ a data-driven patent strategy to prepare, file and obtain patents, but also to implement actions that measurably increase its engagement of underrepresented inventors. This unwavering commitment to combating the gender, racial and ethnic disparity in patent application filings and issuances has paved the way for increased engagement and creativity.
McDermott’s Chief Operating Officer, John Yoshimura, was also among the Innovative Leader honorees. The report noted, “As a former partner and chief operating officer at management consultancy AT Kearney, John Yoshimura has brought best practices from outside the legal industry to modernize and professionalize the law firm’s management.”
The Innovative Lawyers North America 2022 report highlights the firms and in-house teams that are digitally advanced and using innovative approaches to deliver exceptional value to business and society. The report also highlights outstanding leaders and individuals bringing innovation to the practice of law.
You can read the 2022 Innovative Lawyers North America report.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Bolsters its Private Equity Capabilities with Arrival of Partner Guillaume Panuel and Team in Paris
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Bolsters its Private Equity Capabilities with Arrival of Partner Guillaume Panuel and Team in Paris
December 9, 2022
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery announced today the appointment of partner Guillaume Panuel and a team of associates including Houda Bourrich, Agathe Marcelin and Bréa Kamtcheu, into its Private Equity practice in France.
The team adds deep fund structuring experience to the Firm’s Paris office and will develop secondary transactions capabilities in collaboration with McDermott’s existing Private Equity team comprising 10 partners and nearly 50 lawyers in Paris.
“Guillaume’s arrival is of strategic importance to our Paris office as it enables us to offer our clients a fully comprehensive Private Equity service, including transactional, financing, taxation and regulatory capabilities, and now also fund structuring and secondary operations,” said Grégoire Andrieux, Managing Partner of the Firm’s Paris office. “On a more personal note, Guillaume’s values, energy and ambition fit very well with McDermott’s DNA and we are excited to welcome him and his team to the Firm.”
Guillaume Panuel has significant experience in all types of structuring funds, both national and multi-jurisdictional. He advises management teams on obtaining AMF approvals and guides clients through regulatory and governance rules, helping them in the implementation of profit-sharing mechanisms. His clients include Capza, ODDO BHF Private Equity and Omnes Capital.
“Guillaume’s arrival provides a further boost to our thriving Private Equity team,” said Harris Siskind, Global Head of McDermott’s Transactions practice. “In response to our clients’ increasing transactional needs, we have been growing our Private Equity teams throughout our international offices. Guillaume and his team will complement our existing French offering and create direct synergies with our teams across Europe and globally to achieve superior results for our clients.”
As well as extensive primary transactional experience, Guillaume Panuel has also developed cutting-edge know-how in secondary transactions, both on the seller or buyer side. He has recently advised on numerous secondary deals conducted by GPs in France and abroad, i.e., GP-led and continuation funds. He also represented the investment teams of Amundi PEF, Crédit Agricole Indosuez, Eurazeo, Ekkio Capital and Edmond de Rothschild, among others, in connection with their primary investments and/or secondary transactions.
“I am very excited to be joining McDermott,” said Guillaume. “I was attracted to its strong offering in the private equity space, including its expertise in fund financing and the ability to tackle complex tax-related issues – both of which are of key importance to my clients. I am very much looking forward to working with my new colleagues whose level of excellence is well-recognized in the market.”
McDermott’s Paris office now comprises more than 110 lawyers, including 25 partners and 14 counsel.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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Kerrin Slattery Named a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business
AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
Kerrin Slattery Named a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business
December 8, 2022
Read time: 3 min
CHICAGO (December 8, 2022) – International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce health partner Kerrin Slattery has been named a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business.
Kerrin manages large-scale transactions, frequently leading teams of experienced practitioners with unique health industry knowledge, such as antitrust, employee benefits, environmental, executive compensation, privacy and security, digital health, real estate, fraud and abuse and white collar.
Kerrin is also a respected member of the leadership team at McDermott. She currently serves on its firmwide management committee and previously held the role of partner-in-charge of the Firm’s Chicago Health Industry Advisory Group.
Crain’s Chicago Business Notable Gen X Leader in Law special edition recognizes Chicago-based lawyers born between 1965 and 1980, who are currently serving in a senior-level role at their company and have made significant contributions to advancing industry.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Represents Wells Enterprises, Inc. in its Sale to the Ferrero Group
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Wells Enterprises, Inc. in its Sale to the Ferrero Group
December 7, 2022
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented Wells Enterprises, Inc., a privately held, family-owned company and one of the largest producers of ice cream and frozen treats in the United States, including Blue Bunny Ice Cream, Blue Ribbon Classics, Bomb Pop and Halo Top Ice Cream, in its pending sale to the Ferrero Group, a global leader in sweet-packaged foods whose brands include Nutella, Kinder, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher chocolates. The transaction is part of Ferrero’s strategic growth ambitions for the ice cream category and Wells’ vision for accelerated growth.
The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to close in early 2023. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.
The McDermott team was led by Eric Orsic and Billy Hutchens and included Richard Tsay, Brandon Sarkauskas, Alex Farr, Andrew Granek, Dan Zucker, Patrick Ryan, Dan O’Neil, Kathy Schumacher, Mark Bilut, Brian Mead, Christopher Foster, Greg Heltzer, Matt Evola, Nathan Brown and Michael Sorrow.
Read the Wells Enterprises’ press release.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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Nationally Renowned Employee Benefits Lawyer Joins McDermott in Boston
PRESS RELEASE
Nationally Renowned Employee Benefits Lawyer Joins McDermott in Boston
December 7, 2022
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the addition of Boston-based Alden Bianchi as senior counsel in the Firm’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group. Alden joins from Mintz Levin, where he spent almost 20 years and served as the chair of their Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice.
“We have closely followed and admired Alden for many years and are thrilled to now be working with him,” said Andrew Liazos, global chair of McDermott’s Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation Practice Group. “Alden’s reputation as a thought leader within the benefits industry is well known, and our clients and attorneys will greatly benefit from his insights and expertise.”
Alden advises corporate, nonprofit, government and individual clients on a broad range of executive compensation and employee benefits matters, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans. He is nationally recognized as a pre-eminent expert on health and welfare plan matters. In addition to his leading tax management portfolio on the Affordable Care Act, he is well known for his role representing the Romney administration in connection with the historic 2006 Massachusetts healthcare reform law and testifying before the US Senate Committee on Finance regarding the healthcare market in connection with the enactment of the Affordable Care Act.
“I welcome the opportunity to join McDermott’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice. The group is filled with successful lawyers who are dedicated to providing best-in-class care to clients,” Alden said.
McDermott’s employee benefits and executive compensation practice operates worldwide, with the geographic coverage and deep resources necessary to serve clients at every level. Regularly advocating for clients before the US Department of the Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service and the US Department of Labor on employee benefits matters, we have deep industry experience and represent employers in virtually every sector, including manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, education and construction. McDermott is the only firm to have received top rankings in all major ranking directories, including Chambers USA, Legal 500 USA, U.S. News – Best Lawyers and Law360.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Represents Global Savings Group as it is Joining Forces with Pepper, Forming a World Leading Multinational Tech Company
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Global Savings Group as it is Joining Forces with Pepper, Forming a World Leading Multinational Tech Company
December 7, 2022
Read time: 3 min
Munich, 7 December 2022 – McDermott Will & Emery advised Global Savings Group (GSG) as it is joining forces with Pepper.com (Pepper) on all aspects of employment law. The transaction will mark the biggest deal in the industry in 2022.
Together, GSG and Pepper will form a multinational tech company operating the world’s largest shopping community, recommendation and rewards platform connecting brands and retailers with consumers across more than 2bn purchase journeys annually.
Munich based Global Savings Group is Europe’s largest shopping rewards company with an international footprint across more than 20 markets. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Munich, GSG has more than 700 employees at 12 offices across the globe.
Headquartered in Berlin, founded in 2014 and with offices in Guadalajara, London, Lyon and Winnipeg, Pepper Media Holding GmbH, operates market-leading social commerce platforms which are used by 25 million consumers per month.
The McDermott team advising GSG was led by employment partner Philipp Schäuble and included partners Gero Burwitz and Jilali Maazouz as well as associates Franziska Leubner and Anne-Lorraine Méreaux.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Adds Former Assistant US Attorney in Chicago
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Adds Former Assistant US Attorney in Chicago
December 6, 2022
Read time: 4 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce the addition of Chicago-based partner James Durkin to its Litigation Practice Group. James is a former assistant US attorney in the Northern District of Illinois, where he led high-stakes investigations and prosecutions within the National Security and Cybercrimes Section and into public corruption. James will draw upon his first-hand knowledge of how the government decides to pursue and resolve cases when helping clients navigate enforcement and regulatory actions.
“Government enforcement actions oftentimes create a complex web of issues for clients, especially in the cybersecurity, fraud and white-collar crime areas. As the government continues to ramp up these actions, James’ public service background and legal prowess will provide clients the counsel needed navigate these challenges successfully,” said Steven Scholes, global head of McDermott’s Litigation Practice Group. “While McDermott fully supports public sector service, we are delighted James chose McDermott for his return to private practice.”
James represents companies and individuals in matters ranging from healthcare fraud and anti-corruption cases to investigations brought by the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Justice and other government agencies. While at the US Attorney’s Office, James led a variety of investigations and prosecutions involving cyber fraud, trade secrets theft, identity theft, trade sanctions, counterintelligence, foreign terrorism, domestic terrorism and civil unrest violations. He also supervised a high-profile investigation into public corruption that has resulted in numerous convictions of elected and public officials. James has significant experience handling cases involving healthcare fraud, mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, insurance fraud, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, international drug trafficking, firearms trafficking and violent robberies.
“I am thrilled to re-join McDermott, which feels like home to me. McDermott combines best-in-class legal counsel with a truly collaborative and collegial culture. I look forward to bringing the value of a public sector perspective back to private sector clients.”
Prior to his assistant US attorney role, James was a McDermott associate focused on internal investigations, government investigations, False Claims Act litigation and complex civil litigation matters.
James received his JD from Northwestern University School of Law and his BA, cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.
James is the most recent addition to the Firm’s global Litigation practice after the arrival of partners Richard Salgado and David Genender in Dallas, Amy Frey in Paris, Jack Thorne in London, Joel Haims in New York and Jon Henry in Washington, DC.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Represents Sheridan Capital Partners in the Acquisition of ADVI Health
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents Sheridan Capital Partners in the Acquisition of ADVI Health
December 2, 2022
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented Sheridan Capital Partners, a Chicago-based healthcare private equity firm that focuses on lower middle market buyouts and growth equity in the U.S. and Canada, in its acquisition of ADVI Health, a trailblazer for data-informed commercialization, market access, and policy expertise in the healthcare sector. Together, the companies aim to accelerate, strengthen and extend ADVI’s position as an established firm through the expansion of its solutions and product offerings.
The McDermott deal team included Bernie Grondin, Dana Dombey, Chelsea Rogers, Rachel Byrd and Caitlyn Cullen with support from Alex Ruiz, Kwabena Yeboah, Sam Neel, Scott Weinstein, Allison Wilkerson, Teal Trujillo, Ryan Smethurst, Sarah Bro, Jonathan Ende, Erin Kansy, Jiaxiao Zhang, Abigail Kagan, Dawn Peacock, Dan O’Neil, Camila Pina, Zuri Bello and Niraj Patel.
McDermott also handled the negotiation of financing documents with a team led by Josh Samis with support from Alex Williamson and Ari Mandell.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Represents H.I.G. Capital in its Celerion Holdings Acquisition
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Represents H.I.G. Capital in its Celerion Holdings Acquisition
December 2, 2022
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery represented an affiliate of H.I.G. Capital, LLC, a leading global alternative investment firm with $52 billion of equity capital under management, in its acquisition of Celerion Holdings Inc., a leading full-service provider of outsourced clinical research services to the pharmaceutical industry.
H.I.G.’s investment in Celerion adds to its active pharma services portfolio, comprising a broad spectrum across clinical research, contract manufacturing and development organizations and specialty pharmaceutical companies.
The cross-border McDermott team was led by Alex Clavero, Harris Siskind, Griffin Doty and Jun Won Kim and included Sharon Lamb, Ellie West, Daniel Zucker, Allison Wilkerson, Heidi Steele, Shawn Helms, Christian Krohs, Jerry Sokol, Mark Bilut, Greg Heltzer, David Santangelo, Gregg Fierman, Deniz Tschammler, Steffen Woitz, Nadine Hartung, Gudrun Germakowski, Sarah Bro, Scott Weinstein, Michelle Strowhiro, Jenna Young, Adam Perlman, Jason Kramer, Jeronimo Soares de Sousa, Jennifer Hill, Bella North, Simon Margesson, Max Küttner, Raja Chatterjee, Matthew Celano, Noah Feldman Green, Aurélie Chorly, Dawn Peacock, Lea Hachmeister, Kate Williams, Abigail Kagan, Lauren Evans, David Gibson, Hannelore Wiame, Alexandre Bomet and Karolien Van der Putten. The McDermott finance team included Stephanie McCann, Nicole Briody, Caitlin Harrington, Haley Caradonna, Yuxin Jin and Robin Riley.
Read H.I.G.’s press release here.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices and industries to deliver highly effective solutions that propel success. More than 1,400 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
