AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Shortlisted for Three Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards North America
November 30, 2021
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce that it has been shortlisted in three categories as part of the Financial Times Innovative Lawyers Awards North America. The recognitions include Most Innovative Law Firm in North America: Business of Law; Most Innovative Law Firm Leader: Ira Coleman; and Innovation in People and Skills: Career Services Program.
Under Chairman Ira Coleman’s leadership, McDermott has embraced a strategic direction focused on being indispensable to clients, enhancing performance and nurturing a happy, fun culture. With an #AlwaysBetter mentality, the Firm has experienced strong growth—outperforming the industry average across all key metrics—expanding across practices and geographies and recruiting top talent.
“McDermott’s culture is rooted in our commitment to finding creative ideas and solutions,” says Ira. “These recognitions highlight our continued investment in people, technology and processes to advance internal and client-facing innovation.”
Underscoring McDermott’s commitment to offering its employees an exceptional work experience and to prioritizing personal growth through professional development, the Career Services Program was designed to provide our lawyers, lawyer-alumni and select friends of the Firm with information and resources to fuel professional success and happiness.
The Innovative Lawyers North America 2021 report, launching in December 2021, will highlight the firms and in-house teams who are digitally advanced and using innovative approaches to deliver exceptional value to business and society. The report will also highlight outstanding leaders and individuals bringing innovation to the practice of law.
You can read more about the Innovative Lawyers Awards 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—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 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 Acknowledged in Global Restructuring Review’s GRR 100 Ranking for the First Time
AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Acknowledged in Global Restructuring Review’s GRR 100 Ranking for the First Time
November 29, 2021
Read time: 4 min
The Global Restructuring and Insolvency Practice at international law firm McDermott Will & Emery has been recognised in Global Restructuring Review’s GRR 100 2021 Ranking for the first time. McDermott is listed among the Top 100 firms from 36 jurisdictions.
Following expansion in 2020 and 2021 the Firm is noted for establishing a strong international presence under the leadership of global head Felicia Perlman; also noted are Mark Fennessy and Aymen Mahmoud co-leads in London, Timothée Gagnepain who leads the team in Paris, and Uwe Goetker and Matthias Kampshoff, co-leads of the practice for Germany.
Other notable hires include partners Mark Fine, Charles Gibbs, Brad Giordano, Kristin Going, David Hurst, Daniel Simon, Sunay Radia and Craig Rasile. Counsels Mark Patterson and Eric Seitz; associates Zachary Esposito, Jane Gerber, Emily Keil and Shelby Perry, and a senior consultant Marcia Shekerdemian QC were also mentioned.
In addition, partners Charles Gibbs, Mark Fennessy and Matthias Kampshoff are distinguished as Global Leaders in Who’s Who Legal: Restructuring & Insolvency, which contributes to the GRR 100 rankings.
Commenting on the ranking, Global Head, Felicia Perlman, said:
“We have made significant investments in building a stellar bench of restructuring partners both in the US and internationally over the last two years. Being recognised in GRR 100 2021 is a testament to our team’s strong track record advising on some of the most significant restructuring transactions in the market, offering seamless, global counsel on complex cross-border matters, and dedication to providing our clients with creative solutions for business restructuring.”
The GRR 100 2021 rankings are based on research time-frame from January 2020 to December 2021, and is based on questionnaires sent out by GRR 100 research team to hundreds of law firms seeking input on the history of their restructuring and insolvency practices, notable past cases, key names to know and any other characteristics worth highlighting. Full GRR 100 2021 rankings can be viewed 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, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 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 advises Postcon NRW GmbH on Reorganization in Self-Administration
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott advises Postcon NRW GmbH on Reorganization in Self-Administration
November 29, 2021
Read time: 3 min
Düsseldorf, November 29, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery is advising Postcon NRW GmbH on its reorganization in insolvency proceedings in self-administration.
Postcon NRW had filed for insolvency on November 17, 2021. The Düsseldorf Local Court granted the management’s request to conduct preliminary proceedings in self-administration and appointed attorney Dr. Markus Kier, Piepenburg Rechtsanwälte, as preliminary administrator.
Postcon NRW is an alternative mail delivery company in North Rhine-Westphalia with almost 1,200 employees and an annual turnover of around 60 million euros.
The self-administration is being supported by a Düsseldorf McDermott team led by partner Dr. Marc Oberhardt.
The McDermott Team advising Postcon NRW GmbH was led by Marc Oberhardt (Restructuring) and comprised Partners Sandra Urban-Crell, Boris Uphoff, Steffen Woitz, Counsel Claus Färber as well as Associates Benedikt Schulz, Jan Lorenzen, Clemens Scholl, Julian Jäger and Viola Walther.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Advised LBO France on its Acquisition of a Majority Stake in Alliance Marine
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advised LBO France on its Acquisition of a Majority Stake in Alliance Marine
November 26, 2021
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McDermott Will & Emery advised LBO France on its entry into exclusive negotiations with Weinberg Capital Partners (WCP), with a view to acquiring a majority stake in the Alliance Marine group, which specializes in the design, production and distribution of equipment and spare parts for the pleasure boating and professional marine industries.
The McDermott team that advised LBO France was composed of Henri Pieyre de Mandiargues, partner, Herschel Guez, counsel and Boris Wolkoff, associate on corporate aspects, and Frédéric Pradelles, partner and Mary Hecht, associate on competition aspects.
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 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 advises Windjammer Capital and Hilco on acquisition of Simovision Group
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott advises Windjammer Capital and Hilco on acquisition of Simovision Group
November 26, 2021
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Frankfurt a.M., Nov. 26, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised Windjammer Capital Investors and its portfolio company The Hilsinger Company Inc. (Hilco) on the add-on acquisition of Simovision Group.
Hilco, headquartered in Plainville, Massachusetts, with subsidiaries in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Germany, Australia, China and the Netherlands, is a leading global provider of branded and consumer products for professional eye care and accessories in the optical industry.
Windjammer Capital invests equity capital in middle-market companies and attractive niche markets. Since its founding in 1990, Windjammer Capital has managed over $2 billion in committed capital, as well as completed more than 50 platform acquisitions and over 100 strategic add-on acquisitions. The McDermott team previously advised Hilco on the acquisition of Breitfeld & Schliekert GmbH, Lexxoo International and I NEED YOU The Frame Company GmbH.
The McDermott team advising Windjammer Capital and Hilco was led by Dr. Michael Cziesla, Dr. Christian Marzlin (Counsel) and Associates Isabelle Müller, and Lisa Schickling also advised (all Corporate/M&A).
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott advised Joint Bookrunners on Capital Increase of The Social Chain AG
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott advised Joint Bookrunners on Capital Increase of The Social Chain AG
November 25, 2021
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Frankfurt a.M., November 25, 2021 – Shortly after its listing on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, The Social Chain AG successfully completed a capital increase. A team from McDermott Will & Emery advised the Joint Bookrunners Joh. Berenberg,Gossler & Co. KG, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., and Quirin Bank AG as Underwriters’ Counsel.
A total of 1,145,324 new shares were placed with institutional investors at a price of 46.40 euros per share. This corresponds to gross issue proceeds of 53.1 million euros. The Social Chain AG will use the funds to partially finance the acquisition of DS Group.
McDermott had already advised Joh. Berenberg, Gossler & Co. KG, which acted as Sole Global Coordinator in the capital increase, as listing agent in connection with the transfer of The Social Chain AG from the unregulated market of the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange to the regulated market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
The McDermott team advising Joh. Berenberg,Gossler & Co, ABN AMRO Bank N.V., and Quirin Bank was led by partners Simon Weiß and Joseph Marx and included associates Christoph Schäfer and Isabelle Müller (all Capital Markets, all Frankfurt).
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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McDermott Receives M&A Deal of the Year Recognition by M&A Advisor
AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Receives M&A Deal of the Year Recognition by M&A Advisor
November 23, 2021
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International law firm McDermott Will & Emery has received the M&A Deal of the Year ($500 million – $1 billion) recognition as part of the 20th Annual M&A Advisor Awards.
A McDermott team led by partners Tom Sauermilch and Meir Lewittes represented Kaiser Aluminum Corporation in its acquisition of Alcoa Warrick LLC from Alcoa Corporation for a purchase price of $670 million. Just four months after Kaiser Aluminum and Alcoa publicly announced the deal, McDermott collaborated across practices and with Kaiser’s executive team to navigate numerous intricacies presented in this complex and transformational carve-out transaction. Closing the deal brought nearly 1,200 Warrick employees into Kaiser’s fold.
The M&A Advisor was founded in 1998 to publish insights and intelligence on mergers and acquisitions. As part of the annual awards program, an independent judging committee comprised of industry experts recognizes leading M&A transactions, restructurings, deal financings, product/services, firms, and professionals.
Read more about the transformational acquisition within McDermott’s case study.
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—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 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 advises VR Equitypartner on Investment in Solectrix Group
DEAL ANNOUNCEMENT / PRESS RELEASE
McDermott advises VR Equitypartner on Investment in Solectrix Group
November 22, 2021
Read time: 3 min
Frankfurt, November 22, 2021 – McDermott Will & Emery has advised private equity firm VR Equitypartner on the acquisition of a minority stake in Solectrix Group. The sellers are the owners of Solectrix GmbH and Solectrix Systems GmbH who will remain shareholders and managers.
“We have had a trusting partnership with VR Equitypartner for quite a while now,” explains Michael Cziesla, Partner at McDermott Will & Emery. “We were able to successfully close yet another exciting transaction together – a strong investment in innovative technologies.” VR Equitypartner, a subsidiary of DZ BANK, is one of the leading equity financiers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. VREP’s portfolio currently comprises around 60 investments with a total volume of €400 million.
The team advising VREP was led by Frankfurt Corporate/M&A Partners Michael Cziesla and Norman Wasse, and included Partners Maximilian Clostermeyer (Real Estate), Gudrun Germakowski and Christian Rolf (both Employment), Christian Masch (TMT), Oliver Hahnelt (Banking & Finance), Heiko Kermer (Tax); Counsel Nikolas Koutsos (Banking & Finance) and Marcus Fischer (Tax), as well as Associates Marion von Grönheim, Isabelle Müller, Lisa Schickling, Elif Sultan Üzümovali (all Corporate/M&A), Ilva Woeste and Lukas Deutzmann (both Employment), Isabelle Kätzlmeier (IP), and Tina Zeller (Real Estate).
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prow-ess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
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Kristian Werling Named a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business
AWARDS & RANKINGS / PRESS RELEASE
Kristian Werling Named a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business
November 19, 2021
Read time: 3 min
International law firm McDermott Will & Emery is pleased to announce Chicago-based partner Kristian (Krist) Werling has been named a Notable Gen X Leader in Law by Crain’s Chicago Business. The special edition recognizes a cohort of Chicago-based lawyers born between 1965 and 1980 who have moved the needle in terms of client service and leadership.
Co-head of the Firm’s Private Equity Practice Group, Krist represents private equity and strategic investors in a wide variety of transactional matters in the healthcare and life sciences industry. In this capacity, he works with cross-disciplinary teams to conduct legal due diligence and execute acquisitions and divestitures, as well as provide ongoing legal services to portfolio companies.
As a member of the Firm’s Management Committee, Krist is committed to empowering up-and-coming lawyers and ensuring that comprehensive policies and programming are in place to attract and nurture top talent from a wide range of backgrounds.
You can view the full list of honorees 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—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 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 Advises Owkin on a Strategic Collaboration with Sanofi
PRESS RELEASE
McDermott Advises Owkin on a Strategic Collaboration with Sanofi
November 19, 2021
Read time: 3 min
McDermott Will & Emery advised Owkin, an artificial intelligence and precision medicine company, on a new strategic collaboration with Sanofi, with the aim of discovery and development programmes in four exclusive types of cancer.
Intending to optimize clinical trial design and detect predictive biomarkers, this collaboration will support Sanofi’s oncology portfolio in core areas such as lung cancer, breast cancer and multiple myeloma.
Alongside the strategic collaboration, Sanofi also announced an equity investment of USD 180 million, valuating the startup at more than USD 1 billion and making Owkin a unicorn company.
The McDermott team that advised Owkin comprised:
- Emmanuelle Trombe et Anne-France Moreau, partners, and Lorraine Maisnier-Boché, associate
McDermott Will & Emery partners with leaders around the world to fuel missions, knock down barriers and shape markets. Our team works seamlessly across practices, industries and more than 20 locations to deliver highly effective—and often unexpected—solutions that propel success. More than 1,200 lawyers strong, we bring our personal passion and legal prowess to bear in every matter for our clients and the people they serve.
