Georgia (US)

Alston & Bird is a global firm founded in 1982. The firm provides a full range of services to both domestic and international clients. The Texas banking and finance practice operates within Alston & Bird’s Corporate Debt Finance team, which comprises nearly 40 lawyers across five offices in the US and the UK. Based in Dallas, the team represents specialty finance companies, corporate borrowers, private equity sponsors, banks, and private credit lenders in syndicated lending transactions.   

Arnall Golden Gregory was founded in 1949 and has since grown to over 200 attorneys in two offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Washington DC.   The firm was busy in all sides of M&A including mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. It advised long-term clients and portfolio companies in numerous transactions, some of the most complex including a cross-border milestone acquisition in the pharmaceutical sector. The firm also advised many long-standing clients on several regulatory matters. 

Full-service firm Duane Morris got its start in Philadelphia but has since expanded to more than 29 offices over three continents. In the United States, the firm is headquartered in Philadelphia, the New York offices are among the firm’s largest. The teams at Duane Morris are particularly active in the banking, capital markets, M&A and restructuring and insolvency practices. 

Greenberg Traurig is a multinational law and lobbying firm founded in South Florida in 1967 and now has over 2,750 attorneys at 47 locations on three continents. It is the ninth-largest law firm in the United States. Their attorneys provide strategic advice and legal services in various areas, including mergers and acquisitions, financing, infrastructure development. 

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton is a global law firm with 600 attorneys across 21 offices. They focus corporate transactions, serving clients in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Their integrated approach enables them to handle complex national and international matters.  

Since its founding 135 years ago in 1885, King & Spalding has grown to 22 offices across three continents. In the United States, the firm has 11 offices, with its first office in Atlanta serving as the firm’s headquarters.

Focusses / specialisms

The firm is a market leader in corporate law in Georgia, but also has a strong presence in North Carolina. Firm wide, it has an especially strong oil and gas project development practice.

In banking work the firm represents borrowers and lenders in credit facilities and term loans for refinancing, acquisition financing and general corporate financing.

The capital markets team has experience on the debt side representing both issuers and underwriters in investment grade, convertible and high yield bond issuances.

The team also has experience in structured finance and securitizations, where it advises underwriters and lenders.

The investment funds team is concentrated globally but within the US, has offices in Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Washington DC.

In M&A the firm advises clients in strategic acquisitions, mergers and joint ventures. The team acts on both the buy and sell side. In conjunction with the M&A team, the private equity practice advises private equity firms in buy and sell side acquisitions.

The private equity team is highly regarded with their work in the energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, healthcare and life sciences industries, especially regarding acquisitions.

With the help of the private equity team, it advises REITs, private equity and financial services firms in fund formations.

The restructuring and insolvency practice maintains US teams in New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Houston. It represents government entities, debtors and creditors in distressed M&A transactions and Chapter 11 proceedings. In the projects practice, members advise financial sponsors and developers in projects in the oil and gas, infrastructure and energy industries. This includes construction, financing and acquisition.

Key clients

Key clients for the firm include Crédit Agricole, Citizens Bank, GSO Capital Partners, SunTrust Banks, Total System Services, Carter’s, Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse Securities, RBC Capital Markets, TSYS, Americold Realty Trust, BlueMountain Capital Management, Greystar Real Estate Partners, Prologis, Asana Partners, Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico Debt Recovery Authority, Monitronics, Jack Cooper Investments, Anadarko Petroleum, Bayport Polymers and NextDecade.

Research period review: 30th edition (2019/2020)

Over the research period, the banking team represented mostly lenders in refinancing, acquisition financing and general corporate financing.

In debt capital markets, the team was mostly on the issuer side for a fairly equal mix of investment grade, convertible and high yield bond issuances.

The investment funds practice, with the assistance of the private equity practice, advised private equity firms, REITs and asset management firms in fund formations.

The M&A and private equity teams worked together to advise private equity and strategic acquisitions and mergers. Energy, oil and gas, infrastructure were big industries for the practice. 

The restructuring and insolvency team worked largely on Chapter 11 proceedings, representing lenders. The project practice advised sponsors largely in oil and gas projects, specifically regarding LNGs. 

In terms of lateral moves, partners Justin Riess, Chris Molan and Jessica Standera left the banking practice. Partner Jonathan Arkins joined the structured finance and securitization team from Arnold & Porter. The investment funds practice recruited partner Conrad Axelrod from Schulte Roth & Zabel and private equity partners Christopher Chan and Christopher Gandia from Willkie Farr, Kate Luarasi from Proskauer Rose, Bryan McGee and Jeff Wolf Schatz from Simpson Thacher and Townshine Wu from Wachtell Lipton. The corporate and M&A practice brought over partners Erik Belenky from Jones Day and Larry Yanowitch, Tom Knox, Charles Katz and Jeremy Schropp from Morrison & Foerster. In projects, the firm brought over partners Ingrid Myers from Morgan Lewis, David Lang from Baker McKenzie, Alan Noskow from Manatt Phelps & Phillips and William Gordon who moved from an in-house position. The team also saw the retirement of partner Ken Culotta and departure of partners Vera de Gyarfas who moved to Mayer Brown and Dan Rogers who moved in-house. The restructuring and insolvency team recruited partners Matthew Warren and Roger Schwartz from Latham & Watkins, Andrew Brereton from Clifford Chance and Peter Montoni who came from in-house. Partners Jeffrey Pawlitz and Bradley Giordano left the firm. 

Deal highlights: 30th edition (2019/2020)

Americold Realty Trust $1.24 billion acquisition of Cloverleaf Cold Storage

Atmos Energy $1.5 billion refinancing

BB&T / SunTrust Banks merger

Bayport Polymers $1.2 billion acquisition of Borstar polyethylene plant

Dine Brands Global $225 million and $1.3 billion bond issue

Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico Title VI restructuring

Greystar Real Estate Partners X

UPS $1.5 billion 2.2%, 2.5%, 3.4% triple tranche bond issue

McDermott Will & Emery is an international firm founded and headquartered in Chicago. It has offices in 13 locations in the United States, and seven offices across five European countries. The M&A team represents private equity and strategic buyers and sellers in acquisition, mergers and corporate reorganization related matters. In restructuring and insolvency work the firm represents creditors, debtors and trustees in insolvency, financial restructuring, Chapter 11 and Chapter 9 bankruptcy cases. 

Full-service business firm Thompson Hine was founded in 1911 in Ohio, where it maintains its strongest presence. Thompson Hine is a top-tier firm in the banking, M&A and restructuring and insolvency practice areas operating largely in the middle-market where they represent small to mid-size public companies, as well as larger private companies. 

Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders is an experienced firm that’s active in all 50 states and in US territories. The firm focuses its efforts on M&A work and project development, especially in the energy sector. The M&A team deals with clients in telecommunications, technology, life sciences, media and entertainment, mining, healthcare, hospitality and construction.