Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP (‘Freshfields’) announced today the appointment of Aly El Hamamsy as a partner in the firm’s US corporate practice, significantly enhancing both its US offering and the firm’s position as the firm of choice for complex, cross-border matters.
Fluent in English, French, Arabic and Italian, Mr. El Hamamsy’s career has been devoted to managing sophisticated cross-border transactional matters. His experience includes several years with Davis Polk & Wardwell’s M&A group, including two years in its Paris office; serving as Vice President and Managing Director of the National Basketball Association (NBA), leading the expansion of the NBA’s businesses into the Middle East; and, most recently, serving as a partner with Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft in New York, where he continued his focus on international corporate matters. His recent transactions include representing Salix Pharmaceuticals, Ltd. in its $2.5bn proposed inversion combination with Cosmo Technologies, Ltd.; Dover Corporation in the sale of its Texas Hydraulics business unit to private equity firm Wynnchurch Capital; Mercuria Energy Group Ltd., on its acquisition of J.P. Morgan’s physical energy and commodities business; and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board in connection with the acquisition of GE Capital’s US sponsor lending portfolio, Antares Capital, and its management for $12bn.
Freshfields’ unique approach to clients is focused on adding value via a seamless, collaborative team spanning geographies and disciplines. With its unparalleled international platform, which enables its partners to provide M&A, financing, private equity and regulatory solutions on an integrated and global basis, Mr. El Hamamsy’s experience and skills are an ideal fit for the firm.
Mr. El Hamamsy will be based in Freshfields’ New York office, where he will play a key role in the development of the firm’s US private equity practice, and will continue to focus on advising public and private companies in takeovers, corporate governance and corporate law.
“Aly is a prominent corporate attorney, with broad international legal and business experience that will be key to delivering enhanced value for our US and global clients,” said Peter Lyons, Freshfields’ US Managing Partner. “He has a firm understanding of how to best meet clients’ objectives across multiple jurisdictions, which aligns perfectly with Freshfields’ global platform and value proposition.”
Mr. El Hamamsy’s appointment builds on Freshfields’ strategic expansion of its wider US practice, which has more than doubled in size over the past 10 years and now comprises almost 200 attorneys in total. Over the past two years alone, Freshfields has appointed more than 10 leading attorneys to its US partnership. The firm’s US corporate practice has seen significant growth, and the team has already advised on more than $60bn in deals in 2016. Recent deals have included advising MSD Capital on its investment in the $4bn buyout of the UFC; Formula One Group, together with its shareholders including CVC Capital Partners on the $8bn sale of F1 to Liberty Media Corporation; Henderson Group PLC on its $6bn merger with Janus Capital Group Inc.; and Japan Tobacco Inc. on its $5bn acquisition of the non-US operations of Natural American Spirit from Reynolds American.
“Aly’s ability to deliver the highest quality advice and handle the most complex transactions for clients – wherever their needs arise – will be a tremendous asset to our well-established team in New York,” said Mitchell Presser, Head of Freshfields’ US M&A practice. “His international and private equity expertise makes him a particularly valuable addition, and further enhances our status as the global law firm of choice for corporations, private equity firms and financial institutions around the world.”
“Throughout my legal career I have seen and admired Freshfields’ unique global platform and the firm’s ability to support its clients across multiple geographies,” said Mr. El Hamamsy. “The significant growth of the firm’s US transactional practice is extraordinary, and I look forward to joining the New York corporate practice and building on its continued success.”
Source: www.freshfields.com
