Achievements
Latham & Watkins advises the businesses and institutions that power the global economy.
We bring together world-leading talent, with deep sector knowledge and experience, to make our clients’ most ambitious goals a reality. In today’s highly complex and ever-changing world, Latham stands out as a steady market leader capable of assembling at a moment’s notice the exact right team across any set of jurisdictions to seamlessly respond to and execute on client needs.
This broad and diversified platform helps us anticipate and address any legal or business challenge anywhere in the world – with flawless execution. With a resilient culture imbued with a spirit of teamwork and innovation, Latham’s work at the cutting edge of commercial, financial, and legal innovation helps our clients thrive.
Our Work
A Latham financing team’s advice to Eventbrite, Inc. in a groundbreaking, tailored financing package with leading investment firm Francisco Partners has been profiled by Private Debt Investor as one of the Top 10 transactions defining private debt. In May 2020, Eventbrite, a global self-service ticketing and experience technology platform, needed capital as the Covid-19 pandemic leveled the live event industry. Francisco Partners provided US$225 million senior secured term loan facility and purchased 2.5% of outstanding common stock of Eventbrite.
Members of the firm’s Latin America Practice and Energy & Infrastructure Industry Group advised the joint global coordinators, lead arrangers, and bookrunners on the US$1.56 billion five-year term loan credit facility provided to Mexico’s first private marine natural gas pipeline. The pipeline is a strategic part of the country’s energy infrastructure, reinforcing the reliability of the Mexican natural gas network and bolstering access to low-cost natural gas.
A Latham corporate deal team advised venture capital firm Elephant Partners in Vista Equity Partner's acquisition of KnowBe4, provider of the world’s largest security awareness training and simulated phishing platform. The deal is an all-cash transaction valued at approximately US$4.6 billion on an equity value basis.
Latham antitrust litigators won a four-week trial before the special administrative court of the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for Latham client GRAIL and its acquirer, Illumina – the first time the FTC’s administrative law judge has ever ruled against the FTC in a merger case. The decision enables the merged companies to speed the market introduction of GRAIL’s life-saving innovation, Galleri, a non-invasive, multi-cancer diagnostic blood test that can detect cancer early for over 50 different cancer types and profoundly increase early detection of cancer.
Consolidated Edison, Inc. (Con Edison), one of the nation's largest investor-owned energy-delivery companies, has entered into a purchase and sale agreement under which Con Edison agreed to sell its interest in its wholly-owned subsidiary Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Inc., and its subsidiaries, to RWE Renewables Americas, LLC, a subsidiary of RWE Aktiengesellschaft. A Latham M&A team represents Con Edison in the transaction valued at US$6.8 billion.
Latham advised SATS Ltd. on its proposed acquisition of Worldwide Flight Services (WFS), the world’s largest air cargo handling firm, from an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. The transaction values WFS at an enterprise value of €2.25 billion, with an equity purchase price of €1.18 billion. The combined group is set to become a global leader in the aviation services sector with more than 200 stations in over 20 countries, covering trade routes responsible for over 50% of all global air cargo volume.
A Washington, D.C.-based appellate team scored a pro bono victory for the National Organization of Veterans Advocates (NOVA) and three of its members in the Federal Circuit. The ruling ensures that veterans who have endured knee replacement surgery as a result of their service are able to receive the benefits to which they are entitled under the governing regulations. More broadly, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cannot attempt to alter those regulations, and deny veterans’ claims for benefits.
Latham helped Cantor Fitzgerald and Howard Lutnick defeat a US$400 million stockholder derivative suit, on all counts. The complaint challenged the 2017 sale of Berkeley Point Financial LLC from a Cantor subsidiary to BGC Partners, Inc. (BGC) and an investment by BGC in a joint venture with Cantor related to commercial mortgage-backed securities. The court held the transaction was entirely fair to BGC’s shareholders and that none of Cantor, Mr. Lutnick, or the members of the Special Committee of BGC directors breached their fiduciary duties.
A Latham London team represented a private equity consortium led by Astorg and Epiris on the £1.6 billion UK Takeover Code offer for Euromoney Institutional Investor Plc, a leading financial news and information business. The consortium will separate Euromoney into two businesses, with Fastmarkets becoming a stand-alone unit owned by Astorg. The remaining Euromoney businesses will be majority controlled by Epiris.
A multidisciplinary Latham team represented the lenders in gas infrastructure company Fluxys and institutional investor EIG's completion of the acquisition of an aggregate 80% equity stake in GNL Quintero S.A. (Quintero). Quintero is a key energy infrastructure business supporting Chile’s decarbonization strategy with a bridging fuel that allows for the reconciliation of economic growth by fostering the uptake of renewables and phasing out coal. Quintero is the largest terminal in Chile for receiving and unloading LNG as well as for its storage and regasification capacities.
Music duo’s 5,000 Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) tied to streaming royalties from new album “So Far So Good,” will allow the band’s fans to share music streaming royalty share rights with The Chainsmokers. Latham Los Angeles team-led transaction is unique in demonstrating a viable and transparent Web3 method.
"Deal Dynamos"
2022 Law Firm Corporate Practice of the Year
The American Lawyer selected Latham as the best among seven leading law firm finalists for outstanding achievements across the firm's transactional practices. Photo credit: The American Lawyer.
Read MoreExcellence in High-Stakes Matters
Litigator Named Among Lawyers on the Fast Track
Nima Mohebbi recognized by The Recorder’s California Legal Awards 2022 for deft handling of legal matters at the forefront of cryptocurrency, NFTs, and other fast-emerging industries.
Read More