Directory of In-House Law Departments Top 500 Companies ...

2006
ney and staff recruitment, hiring, training, mentoring, evaluation, and advancement
to identify, develop, and recognize individual’s strengths and contributions; and
Cultivating an environment in which every lawyer and staff member is better
able to do the best work possible, strengthened by our different perspectives, backgrounds,
and life experiences.
Main Areas of Practice:
Antitrust and Competition
With more than 50 years’ experience and over 75 competition lawyers in the US
and Europe, the firm has secured antitrust clearance for hundreds of complex mergers
and joint ventures, helped clients avoid fines and prison terms in many cartel investigations,
and won numerous victories for clients in private and government litigation.
Aviation
Regarded one of the world’s premier commercial aviation practices, covering the
panoply of regulatory, antitrust, corporate and litigation matters involving air carriers,
airline alliances, airport operators, trade associations and civil aviation authorities,
including bilateral and multilateral negotiations. The firm has a wide range of industry-specific
experience in strategic investments (including cross-border), consolidation
and the necessary regulatory approvals, issues arising from industry liberalization and
bankruptcy proceedings.
Bankruptcy and Commercial
Named by Business Week as one of the “top bankruptcy shops” in the United
States, the firm has broad experience representing debtors, creditors and creditors’
committees in bankruptcy, insolvency and debt restructuring matters, and in related
litigation and commercial transactions.
Communications and E-Commerce
WilmerHale has played a major role in shaping the rules governing the wireline
and wireless telecommunications, e-commerce and mass media industries. When
important issues and transactions arise in these fiercely competitive industries, companies
turn to them for the highest quality representation and effective problem solving.
Corporate
The firm is widely recognized for its preeminence in the representation of technology
and life sciences companies in the US and Europe. Its corporate lawyers are
renowned for their work in initial public offerings, venture capital and private equity,
mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, corporate governance matters and the
representation of start-up companies.
Defense, National Security and Government Contracts
With extensive experience serving in senior national security posts in the US government,
these lawyers provide regulatory, legislative, transactional and enforcement
advice to clients supplying products and services to military, governmental and commercial
customers worldwide.
Environmental
We are known nationally for our representation of companies in the technology,
life sciences, energy and manufacturing sectors and for our ability to provide corporate
leaders with comprehensive legal advice. Year after year, clients turn to our environmental
lawyers to handle issues related to research and development of new technologies
and products.
FDA
The firm’s FDA Department offers comprehensive, strategic legal services in the
areas of medical device and drug and biological regulation, with considerable experience
before the FDA and other administrative agencies, Congress and the federal courts.
Financial Institutions
Clients look to our Financial Institutions Department for assistance with complex,
challenging federal regulatory and legislative, litigation, enforcement, and business
transaction matters that impact them as banks, card issuers, insurance companies,
broker dealers, mortgage lenders, database operators, on-line firms, and other
financial services providers. Our lawyers are at the forefront of complex issues that
impact financial institutions and providers of financial services here and worldwide.
Intellectual Property
WilmerHale’s Intellectual Property Department provides comprehensive solutions
to the intellectual property business challenges that face companies at all stages
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of growth. Clients turn to us because we combine the specialized legal and technical
skills normally associated with boutique intellectual property firms, with the broad
business and litigation capabilities of a major general practice firm.
International Arbitration
One of the world’s premier international arbitration and dispute resolution practices,
our international arbitration group successfully represented clients in four of the
largest, most complex, institutional arbitrations and several of the most significant ad
hoc arbitrations to arise in the past decade.
International Trade, Investment and Market Access
Recognized as one of the leading international trade and investment practices in
the world, WilmerHale is geared to maximizing your company’s competitive position
in global markets. We have a fully integrated team of almost 40 lawyers and trade specialists
in the United States, Europe and China, with years of experience representing
US and foreign clients across the full range of international trade and investment
issues.
Labor and Employment
A recognized leader in the Labor and Employment field, with the capability to
respond to clients’ needs both nationally and internationally, WilmerHale is renowned
for its practical business perspective and solutions in guiding clients through the complex
morass of employment laws and regulations in the most highly regulated area of
business.
Litigation
The firm’s preeminent litigation practice represents clients in complex civil and
criminal litigation, corporate investigations, and domestic and international arbitrations.
Its lawyers receive national and international recognition as top-rated practitioners.
With a strong record of success as both trial and appellate lawyers, it has the
experience and skill to execute a winning strategy from the outset of a case.
Private Client
Attorneys in the private client group counsel high net worth individuals, including
international and domestic entrepreneurs, public company executives, investors
and philanthropists on the tax and legal issues relating to their investments, business
activities, estate planning and charitable endeavors.
Public Policy and Strategy
This practice consolidates the extensive work that the firm’s lawyers do across the
public policy landscape, from providing broad-gauged advice to companies or industries
on how to manage public policy risk, to crafting legislative or regulatory solutions
to problems, to strategic support for proposed business transactions or initiatives, to crisis
management, the response to congressional investigations and advice on multistate
challenges and opportunities. Among the members of the practice are former senior
federal officials with significant experience in defense, national security and government
contracts.
Real Estate
The firm’s Real Estate Department spans the industry, from institutional debt
and equity, development projects and real estate capital management to corporate real
estate services and foreign investment.
Securities
With 200-plus lawyers, WilmerHale’s Securities practice is among the largest and
most diverse of its kind, having successfully resolved some of the most significant and
complex securities investigations and litigation over the last two decades and established
as a leading defender of companies charged with violations of the securities laws
and market misconduct. The Securities Department also offers sophisticated regulatory
compliance advice, and corporate governance counseling to companies and other
financial market participants in the United States and Europe, and is highly regarded
for its representation of investment management and broker-dealer businesses.
Tax
WilmerHale is one of a handful of American law firms with a leadership role in
this intricate discipline. Long acknowledged for depth of experience, our tax practice is
geared to work with clients in all matters of taxation and to maximize tax benefits,
reduce risk and ensure compliance with all applicable laws. We strengthen clients’
ongoing planning and decision- making, as well as provide legal representation when
taxes are at issue.
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