Chairman's Letter
Dear Clients and Friends of the Firm:
During 2014, political and economic developments once again unsettled and reshaped the global economy. Despite the headwinds created by these global events, 2014 proved to be a record year for deal making, with an acceleration of consolidation and stratification across industries.
Global events and market shifts create new uncertainties and risks, but they also create growth opportunities for those able to re-imagine what is possible. Companies must evolve quickly and strategically to stay ahead of these changing times — to act instead of react, not only to embrace change but to be positioned to lead in their industries through innovation.
In these times of change, Paul Hastings’ purpose remains clear: to help our clients and our people navigate new paths to growth; to uncover opportunities, create and protect value, and nimbly manage risk in a continually fluctuating marketplace; to find new ways to create greater efficiencies and leverage technology.
We are privileged to have successfully teamed with our clients in some of the year’s most complex domestic and cross-border transactions, and to have helped some of the world’s biggest companies secure critical litigation victories. Highlights include:
- Ranked #1 on The American Lawyer’s A-List of the most successful firms in the U.S.
- Ranked among the Top 5 in the Financial Times’ Innovative Lawyers North America report for the third year in a row
- Advised on the largest leveraged buyout and largest U.S. high-yield deal in 2014 and the largest H-share placement ever on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- Recognized as a Real Estate Practice Group of the Year and White Collar Defense Practice Group of the Year by Law360
- Won the first-ever successful defense of a pharmaceutical patent in an inter partes review
- Advised on Goodpack’s US$720M leveraged loan, named Best Leveraged Financing of the Year by Finance Asia
- Won Equity Deal of the Year and Restructuring Deal of the Year in the 2014 Europe Awards from International Financial Law Review
- Continued our groundbreaking work in the Mexican real estate market involving FIBRA, the Mexican real estate investment trust — a client success honored by The American Lawyer in its Dealmaker of the Year awards
- Ranked #3 in U.S. Lender Law Firm Bookrunner M&A in Thomson Reuters’ league tables
- Achieved significant litigation victories for such clients as AT&T, Kmart, L’Oreal, Rite Aid, Samsung, and UBS
In the pages that follow, we share our perspectives on the market trends and legal developments that will impact our clients in the year ahead. We are also pleased to introduce our newest partners, representing top talent from a cross-section of disciplines and industries, and provide highlights of our longstanding commitment to our communities, diversity and inclusiveness, and the environment.
Our firm is built on providing innovative solutions and unmatched client service—anticipating and responding to our clients’ needs in markets around the world. We take pride in our clients’ growth and leadership in their markets and industries. In today’s world of transformative change, we are confident about the future, guiding our clients upward on a road that gets steeper but more exhilarating the higher we climb.
Seth M. Zachary, Chairman