NEW YORK – Nov. 16, 2015 – Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP further grew its Corporate Practice with five strategic additions to New York, its largest office. Iskender “Alex” H. Catto, Stephen M. Pepper, Meredith Beuchaw, and Obiamaka P. Madubuko joined as a shareholders and Gregory R. Daddario as of counsel. They join Greenberg Traurig during a pivotal time of growth for the firm’s Corporate Practice, specifically in the areas of mergers and acquisitions and private equity.
“As we continue to grow, we are looking for premier specialists across the board to support our clients’ needs. We offer a tremendous value proposition in the M&A and private equity arenas, and are continuing to invest in the practice areas necessary to support the group,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Chief Executive Officer of Greenberg Traurig.
“Alex has handled billion-dollar matters in the energy sector, his vast experience and industry knowledge will be very valuable to our practice. Meredith’s experience as a general counsel at a private equity firm, Stephen’s vast experience handling complex transactions involving national and foreign authorities, and Greg’s multidisciplinary expertise in mergers and acquisitions across various industries, goes beyond simply fitting our platform and strategy. Given the global nature of our clients’ needs, the growth of our FCPA practice with lawyers like Obi, who deliver quality and value on a consistent basis, is critical. These attorneys are poised to continue to enhance the overall client experience by expanding the capabilities and reach of our award-winning Corporate Practice,” added Rosenbaum.
“I was drawn to Greenberg Traurig's cross disciplinary platform and the value added proposition the firm provides to clients – local resources and the global reach of 1,900 attorneys in 38 offices worldwide in key areas of legal practice for sophisticated end users of quality legal services,” said Catto. “I am joining Greenberg Traurig during an exciting time of strategic growth and look forward to being part of this talented team.”
Catto joins as chair of the firm’s Power Industry Projects and Restructuring Group. He advises clients on complex corporate matters, including asset acquisitions, project development, mergers, and restructurings. He also represents clients on state and federal regulatory matters, financings, and commodity, renewable energy, financial, and derivative hedging transactions. Catto's experience includes representing generators, marketers, private equity clients, pipelines, utilities, and governmental entities in a wide variety of complex matters. He received his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law and his A.L.B., cum laude, from Harvard University. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, Catto was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery.
“This is an important move, not only for me but also for my clients. They now have access to the capabilities of Greenberg Traurig's global platform and its already significant and growing resources in practices key to my clients who have come to expect a higher level of quality and experience when preparing for an acquisition or other complex transaction,” said Pepper.
Pepper has extensive experience with the antitrust requirements of mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, particularly those involving complex private equity fund structures. His experience includes both the pre-acquisition reporting requirements of the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act, and notification and approval requirements of merger control regimes worldwide. He has obtained antitrust clearance from the U.S. Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and foreign merger control authorities for transactions in a variety of industries, including engineering, electronics, software, semiconductor equipment, chemicals, retail stores, food and beverage, banking, publishing, and consulting. He frequently advises clients on global merger clearance strategy for international transactions, including the coordination of international merger control filings and clearance efforts. Pepper received his J.D., with highest honors, from George Washington University School of Law. He graduated with his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Maryland. Before joining Greenberg Traurig, Pepper served as counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.
“Having worked in-house at a private equity firm, I bring a unique perspective to the table for Greenberg Traurig clients across the platform,” Beuchaw said. “I know what law firms need to deliver, not just in a very general sense of quality and value, but very specifically, to meet the needs of portfolio companies. I am excited to have the opportunity to utilize this experience at Greenberg Traurig.”
Beuchaw counsels corporate and private equity clients with respect to mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, joint ventures, and other matters in a broad range of industries. Her experience includes serving as interim general counsel when she was seconded to a private equity client. Her responsibilities included providing legal and strategic advice to the fund advisor, its managed funds, and their portfolio companies with respect to day-to-day inquiries, as well as ownership transition issues and exit preparations. Prior to joining Greenberg Traurig, she was a senior associate at White & Case LLP. She received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law and her B.A. from Dartmouth College.
Madubuko focuses her practice on anti-corruption and fraud matters and advises U.S.-based companies doing business in international markets. She counsels companies on a host of compliance and transactional due diligence issues arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Dodd-Frank Act, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) and other global trade regulations. She also assists clients with developing compliance programs. Madubuko holds a J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. She received her B.A., magna cum laude, and her M.A., magna cum laude, from Boston University. Prior to joining the firm, Madubuko was also a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, where she served as co-chair of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and International Anti-Corruption groups, and chair of that firm’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee’s Women of Color Subcommittee.
Daddario focuses his practice on corporate and securities, with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions. He advises clients in the pharmaceuticals, insurance, media and entertainment, energy, retail, and financial services industries on mergers and acquisitions transactions and corporate governance matters. Daddario received his B.A. from University of Michigan, and his J.D., magna cum laude, from Boston College Law School. Before joining Greenberg Traurig, he was a vice president for legal and compliance at a multinational investment management corporation.
In addition to the Oct. 1 opening of Greenberg Traurig's Berlin office with 55 attorneys, Greenberg Traurig's Global Corporate & Securities Practice, which includes stellar M&A practitioners, has achieved unprecedented growth during 2015. Shareholders who joined the practice since January 2015 in New York include, Nanette Aguirre, Joseph Cosentino, Frank Martire, Anthony L. Perricone, Ivan J. Presant, and Allan D. Reiss. Also joining the practice were, in Amsterdam, Thédoor Melchers; in Berlin, Dr. Henrik Armah, Claudia Hard, Dr. Josef Hofschroer, and Dr. Peter Schorling; in Chicago, John P. Boelter and Stacey T. Kern; in Dallas, Christina A. Tate; in Denver, Thomas B. Romer; in Fort Lauderdale, Flora R. Perez; in Houston, Derek J. Anchondo; in London, Dorothee Fischer-Appelt and Joel Wheeler; in Mexico City, Miguel Flores Bernés, Víctor Manuel Frías Garcés, José Raz Guzmán, and Miguel Moisés; in Miami, Marc L. Druckman; in New Jersey, James A. Dempsey; and in Tokyo, Koji Ishikawa and Koichiro Ohashi.