Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that Alan Klein and Mario Ponce have been appointed as the new co-heads of the Firm’s global Mergers and Acquisitions Practice.
Alan and Mario succeed Lee Meyerson, who has served as head of the practice since 2010. Lee, a preeminent financial services M&A lawyer, will continue his current role as head of the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice. For more than 30 years, he has counseled the world’s elite financial and investment firms on a broad range of transactions and compliance matters, including some of the largest and most complex mergers in the financial services industry.
“Our M&A team is unrivaled in its reputation for service to the world’s most sophisticated clients on all aspects of deal-making. With Alan and Mario steering the practice, it is well positioned for the future,” said Bill Dougherty, Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “On behalf of the Firm, I’d like to thank Lee for his many contributions and congratulate Alan and Mario on their new roles.”
For more than 30 years, Alan has represented a range of global companies in mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism and corporate governance matters. In 2016 alone, he has assisted ChemChina in its $43 billion acquisition of Syngenta, Tyco in its $20 billion merger with Johnson Controls Inc. and The ADT Corporation in its $12 billion sale to Apollo Group Management. He is recognized as a leader in his field by Chambers Global and was selected as a 2012 “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer for leading the team representing Microsoft in connection with its $8.5 billion acquisition of Skype.
Alan joined Simpson Thacher in 1984 and became a partner in 1993. He is currently co-chair of the Client Committee as well as a member of the Executive Committee and the Diversity Committee. Alan received his B.A. with Honors in history in 1981 from Haverford College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1984.
Mario has close to three decades of experience in mergers and acquisitions transactions. His practice concentrates on negotiated and hostile M&A transactions, proxy contests, restructurings and joint ventures. He regularly represents strategic clients, investment banks and private equity firms. Most recently, he has advised ITC Holdings in its $11.3 billion sale to Fortis, the Board of Newell Rubbermaid in its $16 billion acquisition of Jarden and Walgreens Boots Alliance in its $17.2 billion acquisition of Rite Aid Corporation. In addition, he is currently representing Office Depot in its pending merger with Staples, Inc. Other representative clients have included American Electric Power, Eaton Corporation, Ingersoll Rand, PPL Corporation and Xerox Corporation. Mario is highly regarded as a leader in his field by The Legal 500 United States and Chambers USA.
Mario joined Simpson Thacher in 1988 and became a partner in 1997. He has previously served as a member of the Executive Committee. Mario received his B.A., summa cum laude, in 1984 from the University of Richmond, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He received his J.D. with Honors from Duke Law School in 1988 and has served on its Board of Visitors since 2007.
Clients worldwide rely on Simpson Thacher’s Mergers and Acquisitions Practice to advise on a full spectrum of transactions, including negotiated and unsolicited mergers and takeovers, minority investments and joint ventures, and buyouts. The practice also counsels clients on a broad range of corporate governance and control matters, including proxy contests and challenges by activist investors. Additionally, M&A clients are given insight into the most current trends and developments to assist them in achieving their goals in the most commercial, effective way. Chambers Global has ranked the Firm’s M&A U.S. practice as Band 1 since 2007.