Mergers and Acquisitions

From our beginnings as a startup, Skadden forged a reputation as a global leader in mergers and acquisitions by relying on innovation, intellect, teamwork and tenacity. In some ways, little has changed: By remaining steadfastly committed to the qualities underlying our early successes and adding to our collective experience over the decades, our lawyers are able to advise clients in almost any potential M&A scenario.

Recognition

• Consistently ranked among the top firms worldwide and in the Americas, Asia Pacific and Europe for announced M&A transactions by value in league tables published by Bloomberg, Mergermarket and Refinitiv
• One of only four firms ranked in Chambers Global 2024’s top tier for Global M&A
• One of eight firms to top Chambers USA 2024’s Nationwide M&A Elite rankings
• U.S. News — Best Lawyers Law Firm of the Year for Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisitions Law as part of the publication’s 2021 Best Law Firms survey
• Named a Law360 2024 Mergers & Acquisitions Group of the Year, the eighth time recognized in the last decade
• Top tier for M&A according to IFLR1000, The Legal 500 and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms
• Selected as the top corporate law firm more times than any other firm in the U.S. in Corporate Board Member magazine’s annual survey of America’s Best Corporate Law Firms
• Named the 2021 Financial Services M&A Legal Advisory Firm of the Year at the inaugural Mergermarket North America M&A Awards
• In Latinvex’s 2021 Top International Law Firms survey, Skadden was again named the top firm for corporate/M&A (2016-2021)
• Ranked first by deal count when representing parent companies in spin-offs closing between 2019-23 according to Deal Point Data
• The first law firm to handle more than $1 trillion in global announced M&A deals in a single year

Our Approach

While we advise many of the world’s largest companies, investment banks and other active participants in the M&A market — often on their most high-profile transactions — Skadden also represents smaller entities that are not regularly engaged in such deals. Our attorneys partner with clients to bring innovation, creativity and commitment to excellence to every matter, regardless of size.

Skadden’s top-tier M&A practice is known for providing sophisticated and coordinated real-time counsel whenever and wherever needed. In all aspects of our work, we remain true to our core beliefs of doing what is right for clients through a collaborative partnership that delivers results. We have one of the largest, most experienced teams of transactional lawyers who possess a wide range of experiences and perspectives, allowing us to successfully handle any potential situation that may arise in a transaction.

Skadden lawyers handle the full spectrum of negotiated and contested situations, including:

• Advance preparation for prospective targets
• Asset sales and purchases
• Corporate governance advice
• General corporate counseling
• Joint ventures
• Leveraged buyouts
• Private equity
• Proxy contests
• Recapitalizations
• Special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) initial business combinations
• Spin-offs/Split-offs
• Stock sales and purchases
• Strategic mergers
• Tender offers

Skadden is well-known for our representation of bidders, targets, boards of directors, shareholders and financial advisors in unsolicited (“hostile”) transactions and contests for corporate control, including in connection with tender offers and proxy fights. The firm has been involved in contested takeovers and proxy contests since our earliest years, and we are recognized as a leader in the area. Over the last several decades, we have advised on many of the biggest corporate battles worldwide, working with clients to achieve results in their very best interests.

Our attorneys regularly counsel companies in connection with corporate governance, takeover preparedness and other corporate matters that do not involve pending mergers and acquisitions. We provide advice in a broad range of areas, including directors’ duties and responsibilities, board and committee structures, corporate preparedness and contingency planning, “anti-takeover” charter and by-law provisions and rights plans, and director indemnification, severance and change-in-control compensation arrangements.

Our Resources

We easily collaborate across our global platform, seamlessly leveraging our broad range of practices to successfully handle our clients’ most challenging transactions from start to finish.

Geographic Reach

Skadden’s long-standing experience in handling complex, cross-border mergers and acquisitions, coupled with our ability to assemble teams from 21 offices around the world, allows our attorneys to provide pertinent subject matter advice and geographical coverage for the most sophisticated multijurisdictional transactions.

Practice Platform

The broad diversification of the firm’s work in more than 50 practice areas enables us to provide our clients with coordinated legal advice in multiple areas of the law, including areas critical to successfully completing M&A matters, such as:

• Antitrust/Competition
• Banking
• Capital Markets
• CFIUS/National Security
• Corporate Restructuring
• Cybersecurity and Privacy
• Energy and Infrastructure Projects
• Environmental
• ESG
• Executive Compensation and Benefits
• Intellectual Property and Technology
• International Trade
• Labor and Employment Law
• Life Sciences and Health Care
• Litigation
• Mass Torts Litigation
• Media and Entertainment
• Real Estate
• SEC Reporting and Compliance
• Securities Litigation
• Tax

Broad Industry Experience

Because of the scope of our global M&A practice, our attorneys bring considerable knowledge of specific laws and regulations that govern various industries, including:

• Airlines/transportation
• Banking
• Chemicals
• Consumer
• Defense/aerospace
• Energy
• Entertainment/media
• Financial services
• Forest products
• Industrials
• Insurance
• Leisure and gaming
• Life sciences and health care
• Real estate
• Retail
• Technology
• Telecommunications
• Utilities