Merger Clearance

Cleary Gottlieb represents a diverse range of international and domestic companies and financial institutions in large-scale mergers, acquisitions and standard-setting transactions in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia.

Since 2008, Cleary has been counsel in over 1,400 completed M&A transactions worldwide valued at over $3 trillion, including more than 700 cross-border transactions valued at over $1.2 trillion (Thomson Reuters). Our lawyers advise on all aspects of the sale process, including working with the company’s financial advisors and board to ensure that the process is managed effectively. The firm’s M&A teams have experience in all aspects of corporate governance, helping clients prepare for and respond to activism and proxy contests and any related litigation.

Our unified global practice has over 300 lawyers focusing on aspects of M&A, and most of our M&A partners globally are rated as leaders in their field by authoritative publications such as Chambers and The American Lawyer.

The M&A teams in the U.S., Europe, Latin America and Asia have deep knowledge of local law and business custom and a peerless global reputation for handling headline transactions across the full array of industries. Cleary coordinates the firm-wide efforts of corporate, securities, finance, antitrust, tax, and executive compensation and benefits lawyers to advise companies and their boards on:

• Making acquisitions, merging or being acquired
• Fending off hostile takeovers
• Minimizing risk
• M&A financial strategy
• Joint ventures
• Private equity-based transactions
• Spin-offs, split-offs, divestitures, joint ventures and carve-outs
• Minority investments in public and private companies
• Related party and other “conflict” M&A scenarios
• Dual-track processes