Davis Polk Flashcards
Where are Davis Polks London offices and how do you get there?
99 Gresham Street
London EC2V 7NG
P: +44-20-7418-1448
From Bank Tube, walk up Princes Street then first left onto Lothbury. Lothbury becomes Gresham Street after about a block of walking.
Who is the main recruitment contact for Davis Polk?
Martha Jeacle
Legal Recruiting Manager
Where are Davis Polk’s other offices?
New York
Menlo Park Washington DC São Paulo Paris Madrid Hong Kong Beijing Tokyo
How big are Davis Polk, both London and Globally, in terms of numbers of partners and associates?
152 Partners Globally (as of Jan 2014) , 10 Partners In London
Number of Fee Earners: London / Globally
37 associates and counsel in London (plus the 10 partners) making 47 total fee earners in London as of Jan 2014) 804 Fee Earners Globally
Where and when were Davis Polk founded?
New York
1849: Francis N. Bangs, a 21-year-old lawyer, hangs out a shingle on lower Broadway in Manhattan and opens his one-man firm, which today is known as Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
Who is the Managing Partner of Davis Polk?
Thomas J. Reid
Partner
tom.reid@davispolk.com
Mr. Reid is the Managing Partner of Davis Polk.
He became a partner in 1995. In 2000, Mr. Reid became a managing director in the Investment Banking Division of Morgan Stanley and rejoined the partnership of Davis Polk in 2003. His practice spans capital markets, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. In those fields, he has acted for blue chip companies and financial intermediaries to provide legal advice and judgment on some of the most significant matters in Europe, the United States and Asia.
What accolaides have Davis Polk won?
· In 2012 and 2013, Davis Polk was named “Americas Law Firm of the Year” by the International Financial Law Review.[25]
· In 2010, Davis Polk was ranked third in “Revenue per Lawyer” by the American Lawyer’s top 100 National Firms.[26]
· Davis Polk ranked among the top three U.S. law firms in a survey in which Fortune 250 law departments were asked to name the firms they rely on most in corporate transactions.
· The firm had more #1 capital markets rankings than any other law firm in 2007[citation needed], and in 2008, the firm advised the underwriters in the Visa IPO, the largest IPO in U.S. history,[27][not in citation given] and the GE offering, the largest follow-on offering in U.S. history.[27][not in citation given]
· The firm ranked 3rd among U.S. law firms in both worldwide announced and completed M&A transactions in 2007
What are Davis Polk’s particular strengths?
Consistently ranked as one of the most prestigious in the world, the firm represents many of the world’s largest companies and financial institutions, and is best known for its corporate and litigation practices.[3][4] Chambers Associate called Davis Polk the “Tiffany’s of law firms”.[4]
Who are the UK qualified partners at Davis Polk London?
Heads of Each Department / Numbers of Partners in Each Department and Key Partners and Types of Work they do (All UK qualified partners listed as at 17th September 2014).
Corporate Accurate 17 September 14
Simon Witty – ex Freshfields corporate partner (Band 1 for ecm in Chambers)
Will Pearce – ex Herbert Smith corporate partner (Band 4 for ECM)
Nigel D. J. Wilson
Mr. Wilson is a member of Davis Polk’s Corporate Department in London. Over the past 15 years, he has practiced in London, Menlo Park and New York, representing corporate clients and financial institutions in U.S. domestic and cross-border mergers and acquisitions and capital markets transactions. He has also been active in the formation and operation of Davis Polk’s Global Technology Group.
Jonathan Cooklin
Mr. Cooklin is a partner in Davis Polk’s Tax Department, practicing in the London office. He concentrates on corporate tax and corporate tax planning, including tax aspects of corporate finance and private equity work, public and private mergers and acquisitions, demergers, joint ventures, reconstructions, equity and debt capital markets transactions, and cross-border transactions. He also has considerable experience of advising insurance groups and on restructuring of distressed groups.
He is a dual-qualified lawyer and chartered accountant.
Finance
Nick Benham
Benham is a partner in Davis Polk’s Corporate Department, practicing in the London office. He concentrates in complex finance transactions with a particular focus on international and domestic leveraged finance transactions and financial restructurings acting for borrowers and for debt providers at all levels of the capital structure. Mr. Benham also has extensive experience advising on cash confirmations and acting for strategic debt investors.
What key deals have Davis Polk done in London recently?
Davis Polk Advised Tesco on the Sale of Fresh & Easy to Yucaipa
11/27/2013
Davis Polk advised Tesco plc in connection with the sale of the substantive part of Fresh & Easy’s operating business to YFE Holdings, Inc., an affiliate of The Yucaipa Companies LLC. The transaction closed on November 26, 2013.
Tesco was founded in London in 1919 and is one of the world’s largest retailers with a team of over 530,000 people in 12 markets dedicated to bringing the best value, choice and service to its millions of customers each week. Fresh & Easy opened its first stores in November 2007 and has 200 neighborhood markets in California, Nevada and Arizona. Founded in 1986 by Ron Burkle, Yucaipa is a premier investment firm that has established a record of fostering economic value through the growth and responsible development of companies.
Davis Polk is providing advice to Tesco with a U.S. team led by partners George R. Bason Jr., Donald S. Bernstein and John H. Butler and a U.K. team led by partner Simon Witty. Associates Brian J. Snyder, Damon P. Meyer and Xiaoxi Lin are on these teams. Partner Kathleen L. Ferrell provided tax advice. Counsel Susan D. Kennedy and associate Stephen J. Holler provided real estate advice. Associate Stevan Nicholas provided credit advice. Members of the Davis Polk team are based in the New York and London offices.
Verizon Acquires 45% Interest in Verizon Wireless from Vodafone
Davis Polk is advising J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC as financial advisers to Verizon Communications Inc. in connection with its $130 billion acquisition of a 45% interest in Verizon Wireless from Vodafone Group Plc. The transaction, which is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and the approval of both companies’ shareholders.
Verizon, headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wire-line communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Vodafone is one of the world’s largest mobile communications companies by revenue with equity interests in 30 countries across five continents and around 50 partner networks worldwide. Verizon Wireless is a joint venture between Verizon, which owns 55% of the partnership, and Vodafone, which owns 45% of the partnership.
The Davis Polk team includes partners Phillip R. Mills, Simon Witty and Will Pearce and associate Brian L. Friedman. Partner Jonathan Cooklin and associate David Wilson are providing tax advice. Members of the Davis Polk team are based in the New York and London offices.
Who have recently been hired by Davis Polk London?
Simon Witty – ex Freshfields corporate partner (Band 1 for ecm in Chambers)
Will Pearce – ex Herbert Smith corporate partner (Band 4 for ECM)
