New York, February 19, 2008 LAWFUEL – Legal Newswire —Sullivan & Cromwell LLP today announced that
partners Vanessa K. Blackmore and Robert M. Schlein have become Co-Managing Partners of the firm’s London office. William A. Plapinger, who has served as Managing Partner of the London office for the past thirteen years, will remain in London and continue as Coordinator of the firm’s European offices.
H. Rodgin Cohen, Chairman of Sullivan & Cromwell, said, “We are very pleased to name Vanessa and Rob as Co-Managing Partners of our London office. The appointment of Vanessa reflects the importance of our UK law practice, and Rob has a leading transactional practice in Europe and the US. The addition of Vanessa and Rob to our London leadership team is the latest in a series of initiatives we have taken to strengthen our European practice.”
Mr. Cohen praised the contributions of Mr. Plapinger: “Bill, in addition to being one of the leading transactional lawyers in Europe, has been a superb administrator and strategist. He has been instrumental in building our London office to its present prominent position. With the addition of Vanessa and Rob to our London leadership team, Bill will focus his many talents on coordinating the future growth of our leading European practice.”
S&C’s practice in Europe consists of over 120 lawyers, including more than 70 in London (of which 20 are English-law qualified), 30 in Paris and 20 in Frankfurt. The firm advises clients in Europe, the US, Asia, Africa and the Gulf Region across a broad spectrum of practice areas and with respect to US, English, French, German, EC Competition and EU law. S&C has consistently ranked at the very top among law firms involved in worldwide and Europe M&A transactions and international securities offerings and financings. Most recently, S&C’s European practice was recognized as the #1 US firm in European M&A over the last three years by Bloomberg, Mergermarket and Thomson Financial, and as “Global Corporate Law Firm of the Year” by Chambers & Partners.
Vanessa K. Blackmore, who is English-law qualified, joined Sullivan & Cromwell as a partner in July 2006. She has a broad-based corporate finance practice, advising on UK and EU securities law, mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructurings, joint ventures and corporate governance. She has considerable experience in international equity, equity-linked and debt offerings and London listing work, with particular expertise in cross border transactions. Ms. Blackmore was recently recognized as one the “50 Most Influential Women in the Law” by Legal Business magazine and as a leading lawyer for capital markets in consecutive recent editions of Chambers Global, Chambers Europe, and Chambers UK, among other notable guides to the legal profession. Robert M. Schlein joined Sullivan & Cromwell in 1993 and became a partner of the firm in January 2001 and has been located in London since 1999. Mr. Schlein is a member of the firm’s Corporate Practice Group and has a broad-based multinational transactional practice. He advises private equity funds and other investors with respect to a wide variety of real estate, infrastructure-related and other asset-backed transactions in Europe, Asia and the US, including senior and mezzanine debt financings, joint ventures, leveraged buyouts, mergers, acquisitions and dispositions. Mr. Schlein also has worked extensively on the formation and fund-raising activities of numerous private equity funds and investment vehicles.
William A. Plapinger has an active client practice that focuses on securities, M&A and general corporate matters, with particular emphasis on complex, often precedent-setting, international and US financial transactions (in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, as well as the United States), advising industrial and financial companies, governments and investment banking firms. He has extensive experience in equity and debt financings by US and non-US entities and has been involved in more than a dozen international equity offerings of over US$ 1 billion by non-US issuers. Mr. Plapinger has been named by numerous publications, as, variously, one of the world’s leading capital markets, international equities, IPO, M&A and privatization lawyers. Among other activities with non-profit organizations, Mr. Plapinger is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Vassar College.
About Sullivan & Cromwell
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP is a global law firm that advises on major domestic and crossborder M&A, finance and corporate transactions, significant litigation and corporate investigations, and complex regulatory, tax and estate planning matters. The firm’s hallmarks are the highest quality independent advice and intense dedication to solving client problems. Founded in 1879, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has over 700 lawyers on four continents, with four offices in the U.S., including its headquarters in New York, three offices in Europe, two in Australia and three in Asia.
