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.

Congratulations to Sidley’s Kate Roberts, co-chair of the firm’s Labor, Employment and Immigration group, who has been named to the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2024 “Leaders of Influence: Labor & Employment Attorneys” list. This is the third consecutive year that Kate has been recognized in the annual list. Read more on her practice here, https://bit.ly/4eOFmNv.

Congratulations to Tom Thesing, managing partner of Sidley’s London office and member of the firm’s Management and Executive Committees, who has been ranked as an Eminent Practitioner in Corporate/M&A: £100-800 million (London) in the #ChambersUK 2025 guide. The distinction acknowledges Tom for balancing his active practice with his leadership roles within the firm. Read more on his practice here, https://bit.ly/3YiaKx4.

Congratulations to Sidley partner Melissa Colon-Bosolet, who was recognized last week as a 2024 “Law Catalyst” by the Council of Urban Professionals at their 15th Annual Lawyers Power Forum hosted at our New York office. The honor recognizes her among the organization’s cohort of diverse change agents who have achieved “extraordinary professional success while making significant and impactful contributions to their communities.” A litigator in our New York office, Melissa represents clients in high-risk business disputes in federal and state courts, arbitrations, and internal investigations. An ardent advocate of diversity and equal opportunity at Sidley and in the legal profession, Melissa currently serves as a co-chair of Sidley’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee. Read more here, https://bit.ly/4eZwZi0.

Sidley has been recognized with 12 practice area rankings and 34 lawyer rankings in the Chambers UK 2025 guide — underscoring the strength of our London office, which proudly marks its 50th anniversary this year.   Read more here, https://bit.ly/4081cHj.

Sidley has been shortlisted for “Life Sciences and Healthcare: Foreign Firms Law Firm of the Year” at the Legal 500 China Awards 2024. Congratulations to Beijing-based partner Lei Li, co-head of Sidley’s China Life Sciences practice, who has been shortlisted for “Regulatory: Foreign Firms Lawyer of the Year.” Read more here, https://bit.ly/408lyAf.

Last night, the Texas Lawyer honored Sidley as the winner of two “Litigation Department of the Year” awards in the Class Actions and Finance categories at the 2024 Texas Legal Awards. The annual awards celebrate the trailblazing lawyers and law firms who have left “an indelible mark on the legal landscape of Texas,” honoring them for shaping the law and achieving extraordinary outcomes for their clients. #BuiltToWin

🎉We moved! Thank you to everyone who joined us last week to celebrate Sidley's new Downtown Los Angeles office. With 400 lawyers and business professionals across five California offices, Sidley has served the region for more than 50 years. Our new space hosted an evening of entertainment, office tours, and a special ribbon cutting ceremony – reaffirming our commitment to the region. A special thank you to Yvette Ostolaza, Dan Clivner, and Rollin Ransom for their commemorative remarks, and thank you to our many clients for their continued support in Los Angeles and beyond.

Thank you to everyone who joined us in Miami for a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Co-hosted with FTI Consulting, the evening included delicious cuisine, lively tunes, and — in honor of this year’s theme “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together” — remarks from Sidley’s Yvette Ostolaza, the first woman and first Hispanic person to chair a top 7 AmLaw firm. It was a pleasure to share in this celebration with our valued clients, partners, and professionals.

Last week, Northwestern University hosted an event to formally dedicate the Carter G. Phillips Center for Supreme Court and Appellate Advocacy and the Carter G. Phillips/Sidley Austin LLP Supreme Court Clinic. Carter, who this week celebrates his 40th year at Sidley, was joined by his family and Sidley lawyers and alumni from across our offices to honor his exceptional career and outstanding service to the legal profession. Widely regarded as one of the nation’s leading Supreme Court advocates, Carter has argued 81 cases before the Supreme Court since joining Sidley — more than any other lawyer in private practice. He cumulatively has 90 oral arguments before the Supreme Court. Carter has served as the co-director of Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law's Supreme Court Clinic and an adjunct professor at the law school for more than 15 years. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3U3Bgc2.