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Davis Polk

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Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Headquarters450 Lexington Avenue
New York City
No. of offices10 (2012)
No. of attorneys916 (2015)[1]
Major practice areasCapital Markets, Corporate/M&A, Financial Services Regulation, Investment Management, Private Equity, Litigation, Insolvency/Restructuring, Antitrust, Credit and Tax, among others.[2]
Key peopleThomas J. Reid Managing Partner
RevenueIncrease $975 million (2013)[3]
Date founded1849
Company typeLLP
Websitedavispolk.com

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is an international law firm, employing over 900 attorneys worldwide, with its headquarters in New York City. The firm represents many of the world's largest companies and financial institutions, and is best known for its corporate and litigation practices.[4][5] It is consistently ranked as one of the most prestigious law firms in the world.[6]

History

The firm traces its origins to Gunthrie, Bangs & Van Sinderen, founded in 1849 by Francis S. Bangs, an opponent of Tammany Hall.[7] The firm changed its name several times to account for new partners, using names such as Bangs, Stetson, Tracy, and McVeigh and Stetson, Jennings & Russell. Among other high-profile lawyers, Grover Cleveland served as a member of the firm during the interval between his two non-consecutive presidential terms.[8] Davis Polk was located at 15 Broad Street from around 1889 until 1959.

The firm takes its current name from three 20th century partners: John W. Davis, Frank Polk, and Allen Wardwell. Davis, a former U.S. Solicitor General and the 1924 Democratic presidential nominee, made 139 oral arguments before the United States Supreme Court, most infamously in Brown v. Board of Education, in which he represented South Carolina in defense of racial segregation. With Polk and Wardwell, Davis developed close ties between the firm and the J.P. Morgan companies, as well as the Guaranty Trust Company, the Associated Press, and International Paper.

In 1971, the firm promoted to its partnership at Davis Polk & Wardwell its first woman, Lydia Kess.[9]

The firm has represented numerous clients in the financial crisis of 2007–2008, with roles in the AIG, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers, and Citigroup matters.[10] It has also served as lead counsel to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in the U.S. Treasury’s $250 billion bank capital purchase program and the creation of the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility.[11] To bolster its financial regulatory practice, the firm recently hired three former Securities and Exchange Commission officials—Commissioner Annette Nazareth, Director of Enforcement Linda Chatman Thomsen, and Deputy Director of Trading and Markets Robert Colby—as well as former White House Staff Secretary Raul Yanes and former FDIC General Counsel John Douglas.[12] Chambers Associate called Davis Polk the "Tiffany's of law firms".[5]

Davis Polk alumni in public service

Judiciary

Elected office

Law enforcement and financial regulation

Other government service

Other alumni

Business

Media and entertainment

Academia

Recognitions

  • In 2012 and 2013, Davis Polk was named "Americas Law Firm of the Year" by the International Financial Law Review.[28]
  • In 2010, Davis Polk was ranked third in "Revenue per Lawyer" by the American Lawyer's top 100 National Firms.[29]
  • 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,[30][failed verification] and the GE offering, the largest follow-on offering in U.S. history.[30][failed verification]
  • The firm ranked 3rd among U.S. law firms in both worldwide announced and completed M&A transactions in 2007.[citation needed]
  • Davis Polk was ranked among the top law firms in U.S. buyouts and venture capital investments by Chambers Global, which noted that the firm "is able to leverage off its outstanding M&A strength in covering the broad spectrum of private equity work".[citation needed]
  • The firm was ranked among the top law firms in private equity fund formation by Chambers Global, which noted that Davis Polk's investment management group "has a strong presence in the private funds market and has leveraged off the firm’s impressive finance practice in forging strong relationships with a significant number of investment banks”.[citation needed]
  • The firm's litigation practice ranks in the first tier among New York law firms, according to Chambers USA.[31]
  • Individual Davis Polk insolvency & restructuring lawyers were named “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer.
  • “Outstanding Young Restructuring Lawyer” by Turnarounds & Workouts and “Lawyer of the Year” by Law Business Research’s Who’s Who Legal–International Who’s Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers.[32]
  • Davis Polk ranked in the first tier among New York law firms in U.S. tax matters by Chambers USA, which commented that “with a ‘terrific team of excellent tax lawyers,’ the group successfully mixes M&A and finance, establishing itself as one of the premier law firms in New York, and indeed across the USA”.[31]
  • At the 2008 ALB SE Asia Law Awards,[33][failed verification] Davis Polk & Wardwell was awarded:
  • At the 2008 ALB China Law Awards,[33][failed verification] Davis Polk & Wardwell was awarded:
    • Deal of the Year - M&A Deal of the Year
  • In 2008 was awarded by the 2008 ALB Japan Law Awards[33][failed verification] as the:
  • In October 2008, a Davis Polk team working with the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund won a $4.6 million judgment[34] on behalf of immigrant workers who were being paid below the statutory minimum wage by their employer, a popular Manhattan restaurant.[35]
  • In March 2007, Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) awarded Davis Polk its Heroes Honors 25th Anniversary Award for the corporate pro bono work the firm has done on the organization’s behalf.[citation needed]
  • The New York State Bar Association presented senior counsel Jimmy Benkard with the 2007 President’s Pro Bono Service Award for the First Judicial District for his exemplary work on behalf of mentally ill prisoners incarcerated in the New York State prison system.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.vault.com/company-profiles/law/davis-polk-wardwell/company-overview.aspx. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. ^ "Davis Polk: Practices". Retrieved 2012-02-01.
  3. ^ "The Am LAw 100, the Early Numbers: Profits Spike at Davis Polk". Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  4. ^ "Law Firm Rankings: Vault Law 100". Vault.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  5. ^ a b "Firm Feature". Chambers Associate. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  6. ^ http://www.vault.com/company-rankings/law/vault-law-100
  7. ^ "Francis S. Bangs, Leading Lawyer, Dies". New York Times. March 3, 1920. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  8. ^ Allan Nevins, Grover Cleveland: A Study in Courage, p.450.
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ "Davis Polk: Making Bank « Above the Law: A Legal Web Site – News, Commentary, and Opinions on Law Firms, Lawyers, Law School, Law Suits, Judges and Courts". Abovethelaw.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  11. ^ Archived 2008-10-28 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Scannell, Kara (April 13, 2009). "Davis Polk Recruits Ex-SEC Aide". The Wall Street Journal.
  13. ^ a b Peter Lattman, Davis Polk Lawyer Nominated for Federal Bench, New York Times, July 29, 2011
  14. ^ [2]
  15. ^ Derek Jensen, Utah's Newest Senator - He's LDS, Liberal, and Rising Rapidly, Salt Lake Tribune, Jan. 23, 2010
  16. ^ a b c Ben Protess, Davis Polk Hires Former Antitrust Regulator, New York Times, August 18, 2011
  17. ^ William F. Kroener III Appointed FDIC General Counsel, Press Release, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
  18. ^ Amir Efrati, Davis Polk ‘Rock Star’ To Lead DOJ’s Fraud Section, Wall Street Journal, Nov. 20, 2009
  19. ^ Finra's Susan Merrill to Exit as Enforcement Chief, Wall Street Journal, March 18, 2010
  20. ^ White House Counsel Brings in New Staff, Legal Times, August 17, 2011
  21. ^ Lawyers Who Mold the Shape of the CIty, New York TImes, Feb. 25, 1996, http://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/25/realestate/lawyers-who-mold-the-shape-of-a-city.html
  22. ^ "CGI Leadership". Clintonglobalinitiative.org. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  23. ^ New HKEx Chief Touts China Ties, Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2009
  24. ^ Abercrombie & Fitch Names Ronald Robins General Counsel, Corporate Counsel, November 22, 2010
  25. ^ Francis L. Stetson, Lawyer, Dies at 74,' New York Times, December 6, 1920
  26. ^ Amory Bradford, 85, Times General Manager, New York Times, September 6, 1998
  27. ^ "Crystal McKellar of Davis Polk & Wardwell". Davis Polk & Wardwell. Archived from the original on 2009-03-17.
  28. ^ "Davis Polk Named "Americas Law Firm of the Year" by IFLR | News | Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP". Davispolk.com. 2012-03-30. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  29. ^ "The Am Law 100 2010 - Revenue Per Lawyer (RPL) Falls Again". Law.com. 2012-09-09. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  30. ^ a b "News | Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP". Dpw.com. Retrieved 2012-08-12.
  31. ^ a b Chambers USA (2007).
  32. ^ Who’s Who Legal–International Who’s Who of Insolvency & Restructuring Lawyers (2007).
  33. ^ a b c "ALB Asia - legal deals, law deals, law firm deals, lawyer deals". Legalbusinessonline.com.au. Retrieved 2012-10-09.
  34. ^ http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/files/saigon_grill_decision.pdf
  35. ^ Baxter, Brian (October 23, 2008). "Davis Polk Hands Big Tip to Saigon Grill Deliverymen". Law.Com(ALM/American Lawyer Magazine). Retrieved August 11, 2012.
  36. ^ [3][dead link‍]
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