David Katz ’88, a partner at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and an adjunct professor at NYU Law, has been named Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer of the Year for the fourth time in a row by Who’s Who Legal.
In 2011, Katz represented El Paso Corporation during its unsolicited $37.4 billion acquisition by Kinder Morgan in the year’s largest M&A deal, which the American Lawyer called “the biggest and flashiest” transaction within a sector—energy—already known for those qualities. With El Paso having planned to split into two public companies before Kinder Morgan made its offer, Katz had a ready Plan B that he was able to use to his advantage in negotiations that ultimately resulted in a 37 percent premium over El Paso’s share price.
Long renowned in the world of M&As and complex securities transactions, Katz has taught Mergers and Acquisitions at NYU Law for more than 15 years, and also teaches at Vanderbilt University School of Law. Co-chair of the American Bar Association Section on Business Law’s Committee on Mergers and Acquisitions Task Force on the Dictionary of M&A Terms, he was named one of the 45 highest-performing members of the private bar under age 45 in 2004 by the American Lawyer. The same publication deemed him a Dealmaker of the Year in both 2005 and 2012, while Directorship magazine called Katz one of the 100 most influential players in corporate governance in both 2007 and 2009.
Posted on June 18, 2012