Sidley Austin LLP

Congratulations to Brian Fahrney, who has been named Chair-Elect of Sidley’s Executive Committee. Currently, Mr. Fahrney is global co-leader of Sidley’s M&A and Private Equity practice and a member of the Management and Executive Committee, and represents both acquirers and sellers in a wide variety of public and private merger and acquisition transactions including complex carve-outs, take privates, cross-border transactions, spinoffs, and leveraged acquisitions. He will continue practicing law and serving clients while chairing the Executive Committee. Mr. Fahrney will succeed Mike Schmidtberger, who has served as a member of the Executive Committee since 2002 and as its Chair since January 2018. Mr. Schmidtberger is slated to transition from that position in April 2025 as required under the Firm’s partnership agreement. He will remain a partner in the Firm’s market-leading Investment Funds practice. Read more here, https://bit.ly/4engj49.

Sidley has won the prestigious “International Law Firm of the Year” award at the British Legal Awards, hosted by Law.com International. The awards, now in their 15th year, are “the premier legal awards in the region, representing the best within the UK’s legal community.” This accolade underscores the strength of Sidley’s #London office, which proudly marks its 50th anniversary this year. Read more here, https://bit.ly/4fMjVNG.

Sidley represented real estate developer Ganglong China Property Group Limited in connection with its consent solicitation of the US$164.4 million 9.5% senior notes due 2024. This landmark deal avoided the holdout issue in a typical exchange offer and effectively extended debt maturity without any extension of maturity date of the existing notes. The Sidley team was led by partner Renee Yuping Xiong. Read more here, https://bit.ly/3OwYYtS.

Congratulations to Matthew C. Thompson, co-leader of Sidley’s Entertainment, Sports and Media group, who has been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s 2024 “Top Music Attorneys” list. The publication commended Matt for assisting Warner Music Group (WMG) in its recent reorganization of Atlantic Records and for helping WMG and its affiliates in a joint venture with 10K Projects — home to artists including Ice Spice, Artemas, and Trippie Redd. Matt also drew praise for working on large catalog acquisitions, such as WMG’s purchase of the complete recorded music catalog of English rock band Yes. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3V98W8P.

In this season of gratitude, we’re especially thankful for the more than 290 fall associates who joined us this year. Our new colleagues recently gathered in Chicago for our annual New Associate Orientation, where they immersed themselves in all things Sidley — gaining insights from firm leaders, exploring our career development resources, and connecting with their peers from across our U.S. offices. We can’t wait to see what this talented class accomplishes in their careers! #SeeYourselfAtSidley

Three deals on which Sidley advised have been “Highly Commended” at the FinanceAsia Achievement Awards 2024, receiving recognition in the “Best Infrastructure Deal – Singapore/APAC,” “Best Equity Deal – South Asia,” and “Best IPO – Hong Kong SAR/APAC” categories. Read more on the transactions here: https://bit.ly/3AX0QJu. #APAC #CapitalMarkets #IPO #Infrastructure

Congratulations to Yvette Ostolaza, Sidley’s Management Committee Chair and Executive Committee member, who was honored by the American Australian Association at its Annual Benefit Dinner for her “groundbreaking leadership” of the firm. The Association also presented James Gorman, Executive Chairman of Morgan Stanley, with the 2024 “Lifetime Achievement Award.” With nearly two decades of experience in Sydney, Sidley’s team of Australia-based lawyers and business professionals advise on corporate finance and other transactional matters. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3UBR8mo.

Thank you to everyone who joined us and Goldman Sachs in our New York office last week for our Annual Thanksgiving Meal Pack in support of New York Common Pantry’s Turkey distribution. Volunteers from both Sidley and Goldman Sachs rolled up their sleeves to assemble 1,000 Thanksgiving meals to donate to NYCP — New York City’s largest community-based food pantry that focuses on under-served communities throughout the city. Sidley is a proud longstanding supporter of NYCP, and we are especially thankful for those who came together to serve those in need this holiday season.

Opened in 1994, Sidley’s Hong Kong office offers a comprehensive range of legal services to international, regional, and local clients from all sectors of commerce and industry, as well as government bodies and agencies. Our team in Hong Kong includes more than 80 lawyers who are qualified to practice Hong Kong, English, U.S., and Singapore law. Read more on our office here, https://bit.ly/2QiFt9z.

Sidley has been recognized among the top four law firms globally for cross-border restructuring and insolvency matters by Global Restructuring Review in the 2024 edition of its annual GRR 100 guide. The recognition once again places the firm among the publication’s elite “GRR 30.” Furthermore, Sidley won the “Asian Practice of the Year” award at Global Restructuring Review’s GRR Awards 2024. Read more here, https://bit.ly/3Z90uro.