Skadden, Arps

Skadden, Arps
Name	Skadden, Arps
Founded	1948
Headquarters	New York City
Num offices	22
Num attorneys	1,700+
Key people	Marshall Skadden; Louis Arps; John Marshall
Practice areas	Corporate law; Litigation; Tax; Intellectual property

Skadden, Arps Skadden, Arps is an international law firm founded in 1948 with headquarters in New York City and major presences in Washington, D.C., London, and Hong Kong. The firm is known for corporate transactions, complex litigation, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory matters involving major corporations, financial institutions, sovereign entities, and high-profile individuals. Its client work spans cross-border transactions, capital markets, antitrust reviews, and crisis response for clients associated with the Fortune 500, multinational banks, and major technology platforms.

History

The firm was founded in 1948 by Marshall Skadden, Louis Arps, and John Marshall in New York City, growing through postwar expansion into corporate finance and securities work connected to New York Stock Exchange listings and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings. In the 1970s and 1980s the firm expanded into hostile takeover defense and mergers and acquisitions, representing parties in landmark transactions linked to firms such as AT&T, Exxon, General Electric, and Time Warner. In the 1990s and 2000s Skadden developed significant practices in international privatizations, sovereign bond restructurings, and cross-border corporate reorganizations, advising clients in matters tied to International Monetary Fund programs, World Bank projects, and transactions involving Deutsche Bank and HSBC. The firm’s global footprint grew with openings in London, Brussels, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Chicago, and Los Angeles, positioning it alongside other leading firms such as Cravath, Swaine & Moore, Sullivan & Cromwell, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.

Practice Areas and Services

Skadden’s practice areas include mergers and acquisitions, representing buyers, sellers, and special committees in deals involving corporations like Pfizer, IBM, Chevron, and Amazon.com. Its capital markets group advises on initial public offerings and debt offerings tied to Nasdaq and London Stock Exchange listings. The litigation and arbitration teams handle securities litigation, antitrust litigation against defendants including Microsoft and Google, and international arbitration under rules of the International Chamber of Commerce and LCIA. Regulatory and investigations practice advises clients facing enforcement actions from bodies such as the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, European Commission, and United Kingdom Competition and Markets Authority. Tax, bankruptcy, and restructuring practices represent borrowers and creditors in matters related to Chapter 11 bankruptcy, sovereign restructurings involving Argentina and Greece, and distressed debt ranges connected to Lehman Brothers and Enron insolvency fallout. The firm also maintains specialties in private equity work for firms like Blackstone, KKR, Carlyle Group, and Apollo Global Management.

Notable Cases and Deals

Skadden’s notable representations include advisory roles on high-profile mergers and acquisitions such as Time Warner–AOL-era work, the acquisition of Bear Stearns by JPMorgan Chase during the 2008 financial crisis, and defense work in takeover contests involving Carl Icahn and Elliott Management. The firm advised on large capital raises and IPOs for companies like Alibaba Group and Facebook, and on debt restructurings for sovereign clients in cases related to Argentine debt restructuring and Greek fiscal adjustments tied to European Central Bank policies. Skadden lawyers have litigated precedent-setting securities cases in federal courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and represented clients before the Supreme Court of the United States in matters implicating corporate governance and fiduciary duty.

Controversies and Legal Issues

The firm has faced controversies and regulatory scrutiny, including investigations and settlements over its advisory roles in international matters involving former political leaders and sovereign governments tied to disputes in Ukraine, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia. Skadden lawyers have been implicated in high-profile government investigations involving work for state actors that drew attention from the U.S. Department of Justice and congressional committees such as the United States Senate Judiciary Committee and House Committee on Oversight and Reform. The firm has also been a defendant or counsel in fee disputes and malpractice claims litigated in state courts such as the New York Supreme Court and federal district courts including the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Regulatory settlements have prompted internal reviews and changes in compliance, conflicts, and lobbying-related practices governed by statutes including the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Organizational Structure and Offices

Skadden is organized with practice groups led by partner committees and regional managing partners in offices across major financial centers. Its Global Executive Committee oversees strategy and operations, with practice chairs for M&A, litigation, tax, and finance. Major offices include hubs in New York City, Washington, D.C., London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Chicago, Los Angeles, Brussels, Frankfurt, Singapore, Sydney, and Moscow (historically), enabling cross-border teams that coordinate with banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Barclays, and Citigroup. The firm recruits prominently from law schools including Harvard Law School, Yale Law School, Columbia Law School, University of Chicago Law School, and NYU School of Law and often hires former clerks from the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Pro Bono Work and Diversity Initiatives

Skadden operates a substantial pro bono program handling asylum cases, civil rights litigation, and public interest matters in partnership with organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, Human Rights Watch, and legal aid societies in cities like New York City and Los Angeles. The firm participates in initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion, collaborating with pipeline programs linked to The Leadership Council on Legal Diversity and recruiting from affinity groups associated with National Association for Law Placement efforts. Internal affinity networks and formal policies aim to improve representation of women and underrepresented minorities promoted through mentorships, sponsorships, and reporting aligned with benchmarks from bodies such as the ABA Commission on Women in the Profession and corporate clients focused on Environmental, Social and Governance criteria.

Category:Law firms based in New York City