Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that it will significantly expand its Financial Institutions Practice, with the addition of a five-partner team focused on transactional and regulatory matters in the financial services space. Sven Mickisch, Brian Christiansen, Bao Nguyen, Matt Nemeroff and Tim Gaffney will join the Firm’s New York and Washington, D.C. offices from Skadden.
“The financial services sector continues to evolve, with financial institutions facing economic and competitive challenges, policy uncertainties and increased regulatory oversight, and we see more changes coming,” said Alden Millard, Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “The extraordinary team that will be coming to Simpson Thacher has advised on many of the most significant developments in the financial services sector since the global financial crisis. The depth and breadth of our expanded Financial Institutions Practice will be invaluable to clients as they navigate the changing and challenging financial services landscape.”
Lee Meyerson, Chairman and Founding Partner of the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice, remarked, “This dynamic team is well-known for providing advice that is business-minded and informed by a deep understanding of the industry and its regulators. With their addition, Simpson Thacher will have one of the deepest and most experienced teams in the country, with the combined strengths of two leading financial services practices providing integrated transactional and regulatory expertise across the full spectrum of financial services.”
The combined bench has decades of experience in private practice and at the major financial service regulators and will be uniquely positioned to help clients through their most significant transactional, regulatory and enforcement matters in the financial services space. “We have worked alongside this team for many years. They are a perfect fit for our innovative and collaborative culture, and we could not be more excited about combining our practices,” added Lee.
Sven Mickisch will serve as Managing Partner of the Firm’s Financial Institutions Practice and will be based in New York, along with Matt Nemeroff and Tim Gaffney. Brian Christiansen and Bao Nguyen will be based in Simpson Thacher’s Washington, D.C. office.
Simpson Thacher’s market-leading Financial Institutions Practice counsels a broad range of financial institutions, private investors and government agencies on some of the world’s most significant and complex deals. The Firm ranks second among advisers on U.S. bank M&A announced over the past five years, having advised on nearly half of the top-10 deals announced during that period (Mergermarket). In addition to advising on prominent mergers, the team has worked on important and innovative capital raising transactions and regulatory matters, ranging from compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations, to charter conversions and obtaining regulatory approvals for expanded banking powers. The team’s clients span the entirety of the financial services continuum, from global and regional banks to asset managers, insurance companies, fintech companies, and credit card and specialty finance firms, as well as boards and investors in these companies.
Sven Mickisch: Widely recognized as a leader in the financial services sector, Sven served as Co-Head of the Financial Institutions Group and Co-Head of the Fintech Practice at Skadden. He has advised on many high profile, complex and groundbreaking transactions and corporate matters across the financial services space, with significant experience in banking, fintech, asset management and specialty finance. Sven has been repeatedly recognized by Chambers USA, Chambers FinTech, New York Law Journal, Who’s Who Legal, Law360 and Euromoney.
Brian Christiansen: With more than two decades of experience, Brian is recognized as one the country’s foremost financial services lawyers. He counsels U.S. and international banking organizations, nonbank financial services firms and their investors and counterparties on all manner of regulatory, transactional, compliance and enforcement matters. Brian is lauded by Chambers USA as “a highly skilled transactional and regulatory attorney, who offers specialized counsel to financial services firms,” with clients noting he “is a regulatory expert but has a business mind.”
Bao Nguyen: Having served as the Deputy Chief Counsel of the OCC and Senior Counsel at the Federal Reserve Board, Bao’s practice focuses on regulatory, compliance and enforcement matters in banking, fintech, payments and digital assets. While in government, Bao oversaw key policy initiatives, rulemaking, enforcement matters and application reviews, including with respect to many of the most significant M&A matters in the wake of the financial crisis. Bao is recognized in Chambers USA for his “deep regulatory experience,” with clients noting “Bao’s work is consistently exceptional and he has a brilliant work ethic. He’s always there when you need him.”
Matthew Nemeroff: Matt advises public and private financial institutions, and private equity sponsors on M&A, divestitures, investments, joint ventures, consortium transactions, capital raising and corporate governance matters. Matt works with clients across the financial services sector, including in banking, fintech, specialty finance and insurance. Law360 named Matt a “Rising Star” in Fintech.
Timothy Gaffney: Tim advises on a wide range of transactions in the banking, fintech, insurance and specialty lending sectors. He counsels financial institutions, fintech companies and private equity sponsors in connection with M&A, divestitures, investments and other corporate matters, including corporate governance and capital markets issues. Law360 named Tim a “Rising Star” in Banking.
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