Davis Polk Adds Top-Tier U.K. M&A Lawyer Will Pearce, Further Developing London-Based English Law Practice

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Davis Polk today announces that Will Pearce, a prominent M&A and corporate finance lawyer, will join the firm as a partner in its London office. Mr. Pearce’s arrival expands Davis Polk’s London-based English law practice, which launched earlier this year with Simon Witty, one of the City’s preeminent capital markets lawyers, and Jonathan Cooklin, an equally distinguished tax lawyer. With a rapidly growing suite of premier English law capabilities to complement its unsurpassed U.S. law practice in London, the firm further expands the scope of its offerings on complex securities, mergers and acquisitions and other cross-border corporate matters in the world’s key financial centres.

“His skill and experience with intricate cross-border takeovers and combinations meshes perfectly with our global M&A practice. He also brings considerable versatility with his extensive background in securities transactions.”

Mr. Pearce joins Davis Polk from the London office of Herbert Smith Freehills, where he has been a partner since 2006. He regularly represents companies and financial advisers in public and private M&A and restructuring matters, as well as issuers, selling shareholders and underwriters on a range of securities transactions. Cited as a ‘rising star’ of his generation, he is acknowledged as having built a prominent reputation in both the M&A and ECM markets.

“Will is another tremendous addition to our English law team in London,” said Thomas J. Reid, Davis Polk’s managing partner. “His skill and experience with intricate cross-border takeovers and combinations meshes perfectly with our global M&A practice. He also brings considerable versatility with his extensive background in securities transactions.” Mr. Reid added, “We are thrilled with the growth and direction of our London office and are committed to continuing the focused build out of our English law offerings there, as well as in Hong Kong, with additional lateral hires and ongoing organic development.”

“I have really enjoyed the first 16 years of my legal career with Herbert Smith and now am delighted to have the unique opportunity to build a first rate English law corporate practice at one of the world’s premier law firms,” said Mr. Pearce.

About Davis Polk’s London office. Davis Polk's London office, which opened in 1972, is the headquarters of the firm’s Europe practice. The London lawyers represent companies and financial institutions on a wide range of corporate transactions throughout Europe and further afield in Asia, Latin America and Africa. The firm’s London-based capital markets lawyers advise major issuers and underwriters throughout Europe on global offerings of equity and debt securities, and also develop innovative securities that allow European financial institutions to meet regulatory capital requirements efficiently. The firm’s London office has also been involved in some of the largest European M&A transactions in recent years. In London, Davis Polk operates as Davis Polk & Wardwell London LLP, a limited liability partnership formed under the laws of the State of New York, USA, and is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority with registration number 566321.

About Davis Polk. Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is a global law firm. For over 160 years, its lawyers have advised industry-leading companies and global financial institutions on their most challenging legal and business matters. Davis Polk ranks among the world’s preeminent law firms across the entire range of its practice, which spans such areas as capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, credit, litigation, private equity, tax, financial regulation, investment management, insolvency and restructuring, executive compensation, intellectual property, real estate and trusts and estates. Davis Polk (including its associated entities) has more than 800 lawyers in offices in New York, Menlo Park, CA, Washington DC, São Paulo, London, Paris, Madrid, Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo. For more information: http://www.davispolk.com.