Overview
Eduardo Gallardo is Global Co-Chair of the Mergers & Acquisitions and Co-Chair of the Shareholder Activism & Takeover Defense practices at Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s New York office. Eduardo focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions, shareholder activism defense and corporate governance matters. Eduardo has extensive experience representing public and private buyers and sellers in connection with mergers, acquisitions, and takeovers, both negotiated and contested. He also represents public and private companies in connection with proxy contests, leveraged buyouts, spinoffs, divestitures, restructurings, recapitalizations, joint ventures, and other complex corporate transactions. Eduardo has substantial experience in the technology, financial services, telecommunications, energy, real estate, healthcare, and life sciences industries.
According to Chambers USA: “Global Co-chair of the firm's M&A practice, Eduardo Gallardo is well thought of for the quality of his takeover defense work, which is incorporated into his diverse corporate practice. He acts for clients hailing from a number of industries.”
Quotes in Chambers USA from clients include: "Eduardo Gallardo is incredibly smart and very commercial." I really admire his creativity in unique situations. He can lead everything." And: “He is commercial and attentive, and his deep transactional experience and expertise drives creative solutions and successful outcomes for his clients."
Recognitions
- Chambers USA, Corporate/M&A and Corporate/M&A: Takeover Defense (2022 – 2023)
- The Legal 500, M&A: Large Deals $1Bn+ (2022 – 2023)
- The American Lawyer, “Dealmaker of the Year”
- The National Law Journal, Mergers & Acquisitions and Antitrust Trailblazer
- Lawdragon 500, Leading Dealmaker in America
- IFLR1000, Notable Practitioner
- The International Financial Law Review, Leading M&A Attorney
- The Columbia Law School Latin American Law Student Association, Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2018
Education
- Columbia University, J.D., 1999
- Cornell University, B.A., 1996
Representations
- Represented Nokia in the sale of its Device Management (DM) and Service Management Platform (SMP) businesses to Lumnine Group.
- Represented AT&T Services, Inc., in the $1.4 billion sale of Warner Bros. Games’ Playdemic, Ltd., the mobile games studio responsible for Golf Clash, to Electronic Arts.
- Represented Fifth Wall Acquisition Corp. I in its—$2.2 billion acquisition of SmartRent. Inc.
- Represented PAR Technology, a leading global provider of restaurant software, in its $500 million acquisition of Punchh Inc.
- Represented Amherst Residential in its proposed $2.3 billion acquisition of Front Yard Residential Corporation, a publicly-traded REIT.
- Represented Barnes & Noble Education in its successful defense against an unsolicited takeover bid launched by Bay Capital Finance.
- Represented GulfMark Offshore in its $1.2 billion business combination with Tidewater.
- Represented Hewlett Packard Enterprise in connection with its spin-off and merger of its Enterprise Services Business with CSC by means of a Reverse Morris Trust transaction.
- Represented MiraMed Global Services in its acquisition of Medac, Inc., a leading provider of anesthesia revenue cycle management.
- Represented California Water Service Group in its $2 billion unsolicited interloper bid for SJW Group.
- Represented Marriott International in its $12 billion acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
- Represented DepoMed, Inc., in connection with its successful defense against a $3.3 billion unsolicited takeover offer from Horizon Pharma, including related proxy contest and litigation.
- Represented MGM Growth Properties in its $5.5 billion bid for Vici Properties.
- Represented Towers Watson in connection with its $18 billion merger of equals with Willis Group.
- Represented Hewlett-Packard Company in its approximately $3.0 billion acquisition of Aruba Networks, Inc.
- Represented The Related Companies in its investment in CommonWealth REIT, including successful consent solicitation to remove and replace the entire Board of Trustees of CommonWealth, and related litigation.
- Represented Transatlantic Holdings, a reinsurance company, in its $3.4 billion merger with Alleghany Corporation, and successful defense against a hostile exchange offer commenced by Validus Holdings.
- Represented Zayo Group, in its $2.2 billion acquisition of AboveNet, Inc.
- Represented the Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Fushi Copperweld, a China-based US publicly traded company, in connection with its completed going-private transaction.
- Represented Baldor Electric Company in its $4.2 billion sale to ABB Ltd via a tender offer.
- Represented The Williams Companies, Inc., in its $5.9 billion acquisition of the 50% general partner interest in Access Midstream Partners from Global Infrastructure Partners.
- Represented CommScope Inc. in its sale to The Carlyle Group for $3.9 billion.
- Represented Heineken in its $7.6 billion acquisition of the beer operations of FEMSA.
- Represented Emulex Corporation in its successful defense against an attempted hostile takeover by Broadcom Corporation.
- Represented SES Global in its $760 million acquisition of New Skies Satellites Holdings Ltd.
- Represented SES Global in its tax-free disposition to GE of various satellite businesses for $1.3 billion.
- Represented SunTrust Banks Inc. in its $14.7 billion unsolicited bid for Wachovia Corporation.
Involvement
- Member, The American Law Institute
- Member, Board of Visitors of Columbia Law School
- Member, Board of Advisors of the Institute for Law & Economics of the University of Pennsylvania
- Member, Advisory Board of Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets
- Member, the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals
- Fellow, the American College of Governance Counsel