Transactional
Mergers and Acquisitions
Our team brings unmatched expertise to every stage of mergers and acquisitions.
350 dedicated M&A lawyers
Advised on the largest M&A deal of 2023 (Pioneer’s $64.5 billion sale to ExxonMobil)
100+ M&A Partners across 21 offices
Top-tier ranking for Global M&A
– The Deal
Overview
Gibson Dunn is one of the leading law firms in the world representing clients in complex transactions.
Built on more than 130 years of partnering with our clients to fulfill their business objectives through opportunistic acquisitions and timely dispositions, our M&A team crafts legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter.
A global M&A platform. With a combination of fully dedicated M&A lawyers in the U.S. and international financial centers, we offer seamless, worldwide service across the full spectrum of disciplines required to execute multifaceted transactions successfully, including antitrust and competition, acquisition financing, capital markets, executive compensation and employee benefits, environmental, intellectual property, litigation, regulatory, and tax. Our deal teams execute multifaceted transactions seamlessly and deliver strategic solutions to clients, who include public and private companies, boards of directors, financial advisors and sponsors. We work as a single team, maintain continuity, provide clients with visibility, identify issues and craft solutions. Our clients’ important business objectives are the highest priority and we actively manage every step of their M&A journey to set them up for post-transaction success.
We have extensive experience in all types of complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including:
- Mergers of public and private companies
- Going private transactions
- Strategic investments and joint ventures
- Stock and asset purchases
- Tender and exchange offers
- Private equity groups acquisitions
- Restructurings and acquisitions out of bankruptcy
- Cross-border transactions
- Divestitures, carveouts and spin-offs
- Special committee representations
- Anti-takeover defenses and proxy contests
- Shareholder activism and defense
- Leveraged buyouts and private equity investments
Our integrated approach – built on deep experience and a team mindset and executed efficiently across jurisdictions – ensures that our clients get the commercial and fulsome advice to get deals done.
“They have a surgical approach on how to negotiate points that matter to make sure transactions keep moving forward. They're efficient and bring a business mindset to matters.”
Chambers USA
Experience
Recent representations include:
- VMware: Advised VMware, the leading innovator in enterprise software, on its ~$89 billion acquisition by Broadcom Inc. of all outstanding shares of VMware.
- Pioneer Natural Resources: Advised Pioneer Natural Resources, the independent oil and gas exploration and production company, on its $64.5 billion merger with ExxonMobil, an international energy and petrochemical company, creating a leading high-quality, undeveloped U.S. unconventional inventory position.
- PepsiCo: Advised PepsiCo, a multinational food and beverage company, in its $3.3 billion sale of Tropicana, Naked and other juice brands to French private equity firm PAI Partners.
- Xylem: Advised Xylem, a global water technology company, on its $7.5 billion acquisition of Evoqua, a mission-critical water treatment solutions and services provider.
- Quidel Corporation: Advised Quidel Corporation, a leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions, in its $6 billion acquisition of Ortho Clinical Diagnostics Holdings plc.
- Accenture: Advised Accenture, a global professional services company and large shareholder of Duck Creek Technologies, on the all-cash $2.6 billion acquisition of Duck Creek by Vista Equity Partners.
- Fly Leasing: Advised Fly Leasing, a publicly-traded global leader in aircraft leasing headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, on its $2.36 billion acquisition by an affiliate of Carlyle Aviation Partners.
- South Jersey Industries: Advised South Jersey Industries, an energy infrastructure holding company, in its $8.1 billion sale to Infrastructure Investments Fund.
- Welbilt: Advised Welbilt, a commercial foodservice equipment provider, in its $4.8 billion acquisition by Ali Group, a diversified global leader in the foodservice equipment industry.
- Heska Corporation: Advised Heska Corporation, a manufacturer and supplier of diagnostic and specialty solutions for veterinary practitioners, in its acquisition by Mars, Inc. for $1.5 billion.
- CTI BioPharma: Advised CTI BioPharma, a biopharmaceutical developer, on its $1 billion acquisition by, a global hematology, immunology and specialty care biotech company.
- Zensho Holdings: Advised Zensho Holdings, Japan’s premier food service company, on its $621 million acquisition of The Snowfox Group, an international Japanese food service platform.
- Ahern Rentals: Advised Ahern Rentals, a family-owned equipment rental company, on its $2 billion sale to United Rentals, the largest equipment rental company in the world.
- Berkshire Hathaway Energy: Advised Berkshire Hathaway Energy Co. in its $3.3 billion acquisition of limited partnership interests in Cove Point LNG from Dominion Energy.
- SilverBow Resources: Advised SilverBow Resources, a Houston-based independent exploration and production company, on its $2.1 billion sale to Crescent Energy Company.
Practice Leaders
Accolades
Candice Choh and Ari Lanin Named Among Los Angeles’ 2024 Leaders of Influence in Private Equity
Los Angeles Business Journal
Sarah Graham and Taylor Hathaway-Zepeda Named Among Los Angeles’ 2024 Most Influential Women Attorneys
Los Angeles Business Journal
D CEO Magazine named Robert Little as Dealmaker of the Year
D CEO Magazine