Former Cravath Partner Joins Freshfields As M&A Co-Head
UK-based Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP has announced its latest big hire from a US law firm. Damien Zoubek, a leading Corporate and M&A lawyer, has joined the firm as partner in its New York office. Zoubek will also serve as the co-head of Freshfield’s U.S. Corporate and M&A practice. Zoubek is joining Freshfields after a stint of 22 years at Cravath Swaine & Moore LLP. He joined Cravath in 1999 and was named as partner in the firm in 2007.
Zoubek will serve as the co-head of the firm’s US Corporate and Mergers & Acquisitions Practice alongside Ethan Klingsberg, one of the leading corporate lawyers recognized by every major guide including Chambers Global, Legal 500 US, and Chambers USA. Ethan joined Freshfields from Clearly Gottlieb in 2019 after spending over 25 years at the firm.
Zoubek’s notable deals include the $29 billion acquisition of Afterpay by payment company Square, Goldman Sach’s $2.2 billion deal for fintech company Greensky, Intuit’s $12 billion purchase of Mailchimp, Canadian National’s $33.6 billion interloper bid for acquiring Kansas City Southern, and GW Pharmaceutical’s $7.2 billion sale to Jazz Pharmaceuticals.
Zoubek focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, shareholder activism defense, and other complex corporate matters. He works with clients from various industries including technology, life sciences, healthcare, fintech, consumer/ retail, industrial, and infrastructure. He has been consistently recognized as a leading corporate and M&A lawyer by leading legal publications including Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Legal 500 US, and IFLR1000.
Commenting on his latest move, Zoubek said, “I am thrilled to be able to join Freshfields and its extraordinary team of lawyers. The breadth of their expertise allows them to guide clients through their most complex and sensitive matters. Their exceptional track record speaks for itself, and I couldn’t be more excited to join the team.”
Ethan Klingsberg said, “Damien is a thought-leader among the M&A bar, an inspiring presence in the boardroom and at the negotiating table, and a client favorite. He fits in perfectly with our powerhouse team of US corporate, regulatory, and litigation lawyers in New York, Washington DC and Silicon Valley working for clients across the nation on fast-paced, strategic projects.” Sharing the news on Linkedin, Ethan also mentioned how their clients reacted to the hire: “Damien is terrific!!!”
“Damien is the bomb!”
“Cool hire!”
Sarah Solum, Freshfields’ US Managing Partner said, “Damien is one of the most highly respected M&A lawyers of our generation, whose clients value his exceptional skill and creativity. Freshfields has consistently built its partner ranks with the highest quality lawyers, and Damien is the embodiment of this approach. We are delighted to welcome him and further strengthen the firm’s outstanding client offering.”
In recent years, Freshfields has worked on some of the most noteworthy deals in the country. This includes the $39 billion takeover of Alexion by Astrazeneca, the largest acquisition of a US Company, Google and HPE’s largest transactions of the year 2020, the $4.5 billion transaction with Jio and acquisition of Silver Peak, respectively.