Revered for its ‘exceptional skill set and wealth of practical experience; Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP ’s growing M&A practice serves a wide range of global household name clients. The team is jointly led by ’stand out’ Ethan Klingsberg, who advises on activist stockholder issues, and Damien Zoubek, regarded as ‘a force in the M&A world’, and praised for his experience in distressed M&A and shareholder activism defense. Clients deem Jenny Hochenberg as ’the best of the best’ for her work in transformative M&A deals, often representing automotive and aviation sector corporations, while Sebastian Fain handles domestic and cross-border M&A and private equity acquisitions. Paul Humphreys focuses on public and private M&A and general corporate governance, and Sanjay Murti concentrates on high-profile sales and acquisitions of publicly traded companies. In the Silicon Valley, John Fisher assists local and international tech and life sciences industry clients in their entry into the market. Unless otherwise mentioned, all named lawyers are based in New York.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
- Profile
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'Damien and Jenny are simply two of the best lawyers I have ever worked for, and they have assembled an amazing M&A team at Freshfields.'
- 'Damien Zoubek is a force in the M&A world and corporate board room. He is one of a kind, a true partner and negotiator for the toughest deals.'
- 'Jenny Hochenberg the best of the best. She is the smartest, most creative and most solution-oriented lawyer in the M&A field. She is a client's best advocate and is amazing with CEOs, executives and Boards.'
- 'The Freshfields M&A team is first rate. Their expertise extends well beyond technical and tactical excellence. They are practical, pragmatic, and strategic. The team quickly assesses and appreciates deal dynamics, both internally and externally, and aspires to achieve strategic goals, not just contractual goals and deal points. They are impressive in the Boardroom and across the C-Suite.'
- 'My work has been primarily with Damien Zoubek, who is simply outstanding. Damien is a master at understanding deal dynamics, going well beyond deal points and deep into strategic issues that drive better deal outcomes.'
- 'This team has an exceptional skill set and a wealth of practical experience to help drive transactions to completion. They also have specialty expertise, for example, anti-trust advice, on hand and are well-versed in transactions so they are available when and as needed.'
- 'The individuals really are highly knowledgeable and practical in their business approach to transactions. They care about the client and the individuals they are working with. They are not afraid to give hard advice and are always looking for the right business solution as issues arise. Ethan Klingsberg really stands out in this regard and is a true facilitator of transactions.'
- 'Sebastian Fain brings excellence to the table. I particularly liked his way of approaching legal and business issues and negotiations with the other party.'
Key clients
- Johnson & Johnson
- Executive Chair and a Principal Shareholder of Endeavor
- Roivant Sciences
- Special Committee of PowerSchool Holdings
- Cencora
- Sonoco
- Zeus Company
- Novartis
- Japan Tobacco
- AstraZeneca
Work highlights
- Advised Johnson & Johnson on its $13.1bn acquisition of Shockwave Medical, Inc.
- Advised the Executive Chair and a Principal Shareholder of Endeavor, in connection with Endeavor’s pending sale to Silver Lake, where Silverlake will acquire Endeavor at an equity value of $13bn and a total consolidated enterprise value of $25bn.
- Advised Roivant Sciences Ltd. on the sale of Telavant to Roche, for $7.1bn and a near-term milestone payment of $150m.
Lawyers
Hall of fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Ethan Klingsberg; Damien Zoubek
Other key lawyers
Jenny Hochenberg; Sebastian Fain; Paul Humphreys; Sanjay Murti; John Fisher