At this year’s Deal Awards, sponsored by The Deal, Debevoise & Plimpton M&A partner Paul Bird received the PE Dealmaker of the Year (Large Cap) award, and a Debevoise team led by M&A partners Sue Meng and Kevin Rinker was recognized for Most Innovative Deal of the Year (Middle Market) for its representation of Gogo in the sale of its commercial aviation business to Intelsat. The Deal Awards celebrate the exceptional advisors and service providers who power the deal economy. 

Mr. Bird’s practice focuses on advising private equity firms, public companies, boards of directors and special committees in connection with mergers and acquisitions and other significant corporate matters, including cross-border transactions, leveraged buyouts, spin-offs and takeover defense. He also regularly counsels corporations and their directors on corporate governance and fiduciary duty matters. In November 2020, Mr. Bird was featured as a guest on The Deal’s “Drinks with The Deal” podcast and discussed the importance of dual training in corporate and private equity M&A, the distinctiveness of the Debevoise culture and the firm’s lockstep system and some of the highlight deals from his career. Listen to the podcast.

The Gogo transaction involved a complex separation of Gogo’s business and commercial aviation units. Because Intelstat was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy at the time of the transaction, the Debevoise team needed to navigate the unusual set of circumstances --including obtaining approval from both the court and Intelstat’s numerous creditors—while ensuring maximum value for Gogo through concurrent negotiations with alternate bidders.

Debevoise’s M&A practice offers clients sophisticated and market-wise teams in both public and private M&A, regularly develops innovative structures and approaches, and deals smoothly and effectively with associated shareholder and governance issues, activist challenges and related litigation. With offices in key financial centers around the world and deep cross-border experience in New York as well, the practice is truly global. It also brings a wealth of industry-specific experience in areas such as private equity; insurance and financial institutions; healthcare; technology, media & telecommunications; asset management; aviation; and energy, mining and natural resources. That experience brings with it unique insights into the risks, value drivers and client priorities in each of these industry sectors.